On the day Walter Smith was laid to rest, thousands of fans gathered at Ibrox to pay their respects.
Smith, who was 73 years old, died in hospital on 26 October. His family has not revealed the exact cause. An outpouring of tributes came from across British football upon hearing of Smith’s passing.
An array of flowers, scarves, shirts and letters of condolence were left outside Ibrox, the Rangers stadium, on Wednesday afternoon.
As the procession passed Smith’s home stadium, the cheers and applauds of the supporters were loud.
His cortege drove past Ibrox on Wednesday at 3.15pm, before traveling on to a private funeral.
Walter Smith’s funeral possession is passed by Ibrox, where thousands have gathered to pay their respects
Smith had the best years of the rest of his career as a Ibrox manager. He won 10 titles with Rangers during that time.
Rangers fans cheered, applauded, and applauded Smith’s procession as it passed Ibrox and the crowd who had gathered.
Smith was paid tribute outside of Ibrox (the Rangers stadium) on the day that the iconic manager died.
After Smith’s death on October 26, fans left flowers, scarves and flags outside Ibrox to pay tribute.
The iconic stadium was the scene of a huge crowd that gathered to pay one last tribute to the legendary manager.
Smith is best known for his dominating spell at Rangers, where he won 10 titles as a manager.
He also served as an Everton manager, and was responsible for Goodison Park’s operations between 1998-2002.
He was then appointed assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson, a fellow Scot, at Manchester United in 2004. This was when they won the FA Cup.
He moved to international management in 2007 and saw Scotland beat France, thereby propelling them up the rankings 70 places.
On the day of his passing, Smith’s former player and assistant Ally McCoist said on talkSPORT: ‘He means everything to a lot of folk.
“He was my boss, coach, second father, and then he became one of my best friends. It is a terrible loss.
Smith, the legendary manager of Rangers, is best known for winning 10 league titles in two spans.
Smith also worked in England after his tenure as Everton boss as an assistant at Manchester United for Sir Alex Ferguson.
“The good thing about him is that he’s in no pain. Walter was my friend when I visited him recently. We spoke at the weekend and knew it would be possible.
“But it doesn’t take away your pain and your grief. I could sit there and tell you all about Walter Smith until they return.
“But, what I will say is that he was a great husband, father friend, and everything you would want in a man. I cannot tell you how devastated and heartbroken I am.
Rangers paid tributes to Smith by observing a minute of silence before the clash against the Red Devils on October 26.
Rangers said that Walter Smith’s death touched everyone in Rangers’ family. The club can now update that plans have been made to hold a public memorial.
The memorial will be held at Glasgow Cathedral on Friday, 19 November. This will be an invitation-only event. RangersTV will provide the service for no charge.
A minute’s silence was observed prior to Rangers’ clash last month with Aberdeen, and a banner in Smith’s memory was displayed.
Smith’s photo was shown on the big screen, as well as the ad boards at Ibrox Stadium.
“A private family funeral will be held for Walter on Wednesday, 3rd November, before the public memorial. As a club we ask that all supporters, the wider public, and the media respect this privacy.
“The club would like record its appreciation to our supporters, supporters from other clubs and the wider communities for their kind words of support at this difficult moment.”
The death of Smith sparked a flood response and heartfelt tributes. Steven Gerrard, Rangers manager said that Smith’s death prompted a flood of grief and heartfelt tributes. Rangers was grateful to you.
Douglas Park, chairman of Rangers, stated that it was almost impossible to capture what Walter meant to all of us in a club statement.
He was the ideal Ranger. His leadership qualities and character will be remembered by everyone who worked with him during his two terms of first team manager.
Steven Gerrard, Rangers manager, and Gary McAllister, his assistant, laid a wreath to honor Smith last month
“I spoke with Walter just last weekend. Even though he was sick, he still offered advice and support. I am very grateful to him for this. I know he maintained a dialogue with our manager Steven Gerrard and other senior staff members.
Rangers will miss Walter. Rangers fans will miss Walter as more than a football manager. Walter was a friend to many and a leader, ambassador, and, most importantly, a legend.
Smith was a defender for Dundee United. He began his coaching career with Jim McLean at the young age of 29 after a pelvic injury forced Smith to retire.
Smith was also a Dumbarton player and assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson during the 1986 World Cup. But it was as a manager that Smith really made his mark.
Smith won 21 major trophies during his two stints as Rangers coach, including the 1992 Scottish Cup (pictured).
Smith celebrates his sixth title in 1996 with Rangers alongside Archie Knox (left), and Paul Gascoigne(right).
Smith was appointed Scotland boss in 2004. He oversaw a period in which Scotland rose 70 places in the world rankings.
After being transferred from Tannadice in 1986 to Rangers as Graeme Souness’ number two, he assumed sole charge in 1991 and began a near-decade-long reign of dominance – including the domestic treble of 1993 – to match Celtic’s record of nine consecutive titles in 1997.
In the same year, he received an OBE for his services to football. Smith was once more a coach for Ferguson in 2004.
Smith resigned in 2013 after a three-month stint as Rangers manager.
Rangers confirmed in March Smith’s recovery in hospital after an operation.
Smith later in life was described as a loving husband and father to two sons, and grandfather. He often attended games with the children in recent years.
Smith was Scotland Under-21 boss, before he accepted a job as Graeme Souness’s assistant at Rangers.
Smith kept his private life secret, with Ethel and Neil his sons rarely speaking out.
We don’t know much about Ethel. However, Smith stated that one of his most difficult moments was telling her that he would be returning to manage Rangers after leaving Scotland.
Smith is survived his Ethel (Stevie, Neil, and Stevie) and his grandchildren.