Scottish football pays tribute to Walter Smith at memorial service
Last updated 19th Nov 2021
Football players and managers have paid their respects to Walter Smith, at a memorial service in Glasgow.
The legendary Rangers boss passed away on October 26, aged 73, after a short illness.
The first team arrived for the service at lunchtime, with Sir Alex Ferguson and Ally McCoist among the speakers.
Former Rangers captain, David Weir, ex-Celtic boss Neil Lennon, and Frank Lampard, were among the many other attendees at the invitation-only event.
A club statement read: "The passing of Walter Smith has touched every member of the Rangers family, and the club can update that plans are being put in place for a public memorial service.
"The memorial will take place on Friday 19th November at Glasgow Cathedral. Please note, this will be an invite-only event. The service will be available for free via RangersTV.
Earlier this month, thousands of Rangers fans gathered outside Ibrox, to watch Smith's funeral cortege pass.
Flowers, flags, and scarves were left outside the gates.
'A thoroughly decent man'
Earlier this week, MPs paid tribute to the "hugely respected" former manager in the House of Commons, led by SNP MP Brendan O'Hara, a Celtic fan.
He said: "Walter Smith's career hasn't been a source of great personal joy and happiness for me.
"Far from it.
"Save a brief period as manager of Scotland, Walter's career was a cause of great personal angst and unhappiness for me, as his team all too regularly wiped the floor with mine."
But he added: "Walter Smith had a remarkable managerial career, one which will live long in the memory.
"But perhaps more importantly Walter Smith will be remembered as being a thoroughly decent and honourable man.
"A man who despite proudly wearing his Rangers colours managed to cut across the maelstrom of football rivalry in Glasgow, and was a hugely respected figure on the green half of the city too."
Rangers fan and DUP MP Jim Shannon (Strangford) said Smith's "legacy of passion on the pitch and respect off the pitch" was demonstrated by supporters and prominent from many clubs attending his funeral.
SNP MP Stewart McDonald (Glasgow South), who described himself as the "token Rangers fan" of the SNP group in Westminster, said: "For me, he was a childhood hero and it has been great to hear the history of Walter's career this evening."
And the MP for North East Fife, Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain, said Smith's "talent as a manager was pretty much unsurpassed in Scottish football".