Rangers to unveil statue of legendary former manager and Helensburgh man Walter Smith

The legendary Gers player, who was born and raised in Helensburgh and played for Dumbarton,

managed almost 600 matches during his two stints at Govan,

taking the team to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final, 10 top-flight crowns, and five Scottish Cups.

Later this month, a statue of Rangers hero Walter Smith will be unveiled outside Ibrox Park.

The legendary Gers player, who was born and raised in Helensburgh and played for Dumbarton,

managed almost 600 matches during his two stints at Govan,

taking the team to the 2008 UEFA Cup Final, 10 top-flight crowns, and five Scottish Cups.

He played with Dumbarton for two years in his youth.

including an appearance in the Scottish Cup semi-final in 1976.

In the English Premier League, he managed Everton, a team of giants, and Scotland.

Smith fought cancer for a while before passing away in October 2021.

Rangers chairman John Bennett posted the following statement on their

website upon learning of the statue’s unveiling: “Unveiling a statue of our legendary former manager,

Walter Smith is a poignant moment in the history of this great football club.”

“There is no Ranger more deserving in the modern era of being honored in bronze than Walter,

as evidenced by the outpouring of tributes that arrived from near and far

following his passing two and a half years ago.

Walter’s stature as both a human being and custodian of our historic football club speaks to this.”

“As a club, we would like to officially thank Douglas Jennings, the sculptor and artist,

as well as all the internal and external stakeholders who have contributed to

this process since the statue was commissioned in October 2022.

“I’m sure that Walter’s wife Ethel, his two kids Neil and Steven,

and the rest of the family will be experiencing a lot of emotion on the day of the unveiling.

“The work unifies the great man’s significance and his place in Rangers Football Club’s illustrious history.”

Smith was a frequent attendee at Ardencaple games after leaving the

dugout and a fervent advocate for the amateur sport.

“Walter was so generous with his time, and whenever he attended Caple events,

He would always go the extra mile to accommodate requests from our players and their families.

” club chairman Craig Holburn said in a statement following his departure.

Rev. Ian Miller, a friend, continued, “There was something quite special about him.

“There was something about him. Though he didn’t anticipate it, he commanded respect.

He demanded honesty, decency, integrity, and humanity.

Famous London-based sculptor Douglas Jennings, whose resume includes

a statue of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in London, as well as football

legends Jack Charlton and George Cohen created and sculpted the bronze statue.

On Saturday, May 25, it will be unveiled prior to Rangers’ Scottish

Cup final matchup with Celtic at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.

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