Reasons Why We Hate R*ngers: Part 3

The Diary takes a look at drunken behaviour, domestic abuse and vandalism all done under Walter Smith’s watch.

The media will have you believe that Walter Smith runs Ipox like a direct descendent of Kim Yong or a cousin of Saloth Sar. The party line is that he doesn’t tolerate bad behaviour and that if you cross him you will face a wrath worse than being sent by Jor-El to the Pahntom Zone.

The truth is somewhat different.

Wannabe Side Show Bob, David Robertson, charged with vandalising parked cars during a drinking session when you were allowed to drink to excess without fear of repercussions from the management at Ibrox. Robertson received a criminal conviction for this and went on to leave his wife and 2 kids for a family friend soon afterwards.

Recent incidents with Allan McGreger, or Greegs, and Barry Ferguson show that Walter Smith will still let the players away with drunken misbehaviour. That’s small fry though.

Smith managed Andy Goram. Now, Goram looked like a wet bag of cement in a football kit. If he didn’t have talent then he would be the 25 stone, toothless, father of 15, owner of 26 dogs, living in his own $hit, staying on the top floor of a tower block star of a Channel 4 documentary regarding busted Britain.

Goram lived his life in public. Continual alcohol abuse saw gambling debts – that lead to him eventually being made bankrupt – constant womanising that lead to a messy divorce but it was his blatant links with some dangerous known terrorists that raised the most eyebrows.

Goram turned on the Shankhill Road’s Christmas lights in 1995. From then on it wasn’t unusual for him to be seen and pictured with well known Loyalist terrorists – which he was questioned over by the police – and this cumulated with Goram wearing a black armband for convicted Loyalist terrorist Billy Wright during a derby game after Wright was assassinated 5 days before the game.

Goram claimed that the armband was for his Aunt Doris who had died 4 months previous.

With the club desperatly trying to distance themselves from Ireland’s troubles you would have thought Smith would have been quick to condemn Goram for his actions. Nothing but silence from the dignified one.

Smith’s tolerance of the troubled Paul Gascoigne shows how far the man will  forego human decency by turning a blind eye to his ‘stars’ behaviour. This included defecating a Celtic Park jaccuzzi and twice mimicked playing a flute when celebrating scoring goals for R*ngers thus endearing himself to the lowest denominator of R*ngers fan.

The club did fine Gascoinge £20,000 for the second offence, which greatly troubled the player who was earning £25,000 a week at the time. Gascoigne also once drove a car containing himself and Chris Evans into Loch Lomand. He could have done a favour for all radio lovers the world over if that stunt had ended differently.

The worst incident came when Gascoigne was at his R*ngers peak. In October 1996 he attacked his wife Cheryl at the Gleneagles Hotel. Cheryl was left with two black eyes and a fractured wrist. Gascoigne played straight after the incident in a 4-1 defeat against Ajax where he was sent off.

Smith was silent on the incident. The club released a statement that said what happens behind closed doors is no-one else’s business.  A few months later Smith offer the player a new 3 year contract.

Those rowers would be proud of the dignity and class Walter Smith has shown at certain times over the years.

STELLA ARTOIS WORLD DRAUGHT MASTERS