THE Westminster Parliament has paid tribute to two legends of Scottish football.
MPs spoke of their admiration for Walter Smith and Bertie Auld following their recent deaths.
Smith was hailed as a unifying and “hugely respected” figure in Glasgow.
The former Rangers, Everton and Scotland boss died on October 26 at the age of 73.
SNP MP Brendan O’Hara, a Celtic fan, led a debate in the Commons paying tribute to the former football manager.
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.”
READ MORE: Rangers legend Walter Smith a great manager but a better man - Gordon Smith
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, 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 LibDem MP Wendy Chamberlain said Smith’s “talent as a manager was pretty much unsurpassed in Scottish football”.
Tributes were also paid to former Celtic midfielder Bertie Auld, who died earlier this month.
LibDem MP Christine Jardine said: “Perhaps the thing that Walter Smith and Bertie Auld had in common was that they did manage to bring together both sides of a city which can be very divided in a way that showed us a positive way ahead, and that they have actually done a great deal to change attitudes.”
“Both were legends of the game,” Conservative MP for Moray Douglas Ross said.
Government minister for culture and sport Nigel Huddleston paid tribute to Smith’s career as Scotland manager, telling MPs “he helped to unite a nation of football fans”.
He also wished the current Scotland side luck in the Football World Cup play-offs, saying: “Smith would have been delighted with the progress of the national team on Friday.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel