Walter Smith (programmer)

Walter Ferguson Smith (24 February 1948 – 26 October 2021) was a Scottish football player, manager and director, primarily associated with his two spells as manager of Glasgow club Rangers.

A defender, Smith's playing career consisted of two spells with Dundee United, split by a short time at Dumbarton. A pelvic injury caused his retirement from playing and Smith moved into coaching at Dundee United, working for manager Jim McLean. Smith also took charge of the Scotland under-18 and under-21 teams, and assisted Scotland manager Alex Ferguson at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, after it had been announced that he would be moving to Rangers as assistant to Graeme Souness.

Smith became the manager of Rangers in 1991, succeeding Souness. He won thirteen major trophies in seven years, including seven league titles in succession. After leaving Rangers at the end of the 1997–98 season, he was appointed manager of English Premier League club Everton. He was in charge at Goodison Park for four seasons before he was sacked in 2002.

After a brief stint as assistant manager to Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, Smith was appointed Scotland manager in December 2004. He presided over a revival in their fortunes, taking the national team seventy places up the FIFA World Rankings. After a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying, he resigned as Scotland manager in January 2007 to return to Rangers. He won eight trophies during his second spell as Rangers manager and guided the team to the 2008 UEFA Cup final, before retiring from management in 2011. Smith is the second-most-successful manager in the history of Rangers, behind Bill Struth.

Early life

Smith was born in Lanark, but grew up in the Carmyle district in the East End of Glasgow, and was a boyhood fan of Rangers. He was employed by the South of Scotland Electricity Board, and played youth football for Drumchapel Amateurs, before launching his football career in the 1960s with Junior League team Ashfield.

Playing career

Dundee United

Smith was one of three Ashfield players signed by Dundee United manager Jerry Kerr in 1966, joining the club in November shortly after teammates Jim Cameron and Gerry Hernon. A versatile player, Smith appeared for the reserve team in a number of positions, initially as a right-half. He made his first team debut in a Scottish Football League match against Kilmarnock on 20 March 1967. He continued to play regularly for the reserves, but made only a handful of first-team appearances for Dundee United over the next four years until establishing himself in the latter part of the 1970–71 season. He also played for the Dallas Tornado in the United Soccer Association in 1967, when their roster was supplemented with Dundee United players.

Smith remained a regular first-team player for United until 1974, often in central defence. His future coaching mentor Jim McLean became manager in December 1971, and the following month his future managerial assistant Archie Knox became a teammate. In September 1973, Smith scored the only goal of the game as United defeated Dundee in the Dundee derby; he celebrated by kissing his boot, a gesture which he was later embarrassed by. He played in the 1974 Scottish Cup Final against Celtic, Dundee United's first appearance in a major final, but finished with a runners-up medal following a 3–0 defeat.

Smith played less regularly the following season, and in September 1975 was sold to Dumbarton. He had played in 108 league games, scoring two goals, between 1966 and 1975.

Dumbarton and return to Dundee United

Smith was brought to Dumbarton for a fee of £8,000 by the management team of Alex Wright and former Rangers player Davie Wilson in the village of Westburn, Cambuslang, and was a senior teammate at Dundee United. During his spell with Dumbarton, the club made a rare appearance at the semi-final stage of the Scottish Cup in 1976, losing to Hearts after a replay, with Smith scoring an early own goal.

He played in 44 league games for Dumbarton before McLean paid a fee of £4,000 to bring him back to Dundee United in February 1977. Shortly afterwards, however, a serious pelvic injury effectively curtailed Smith's playing career at the age of 29.

Thereafter, he played mainly in the reserve team, helping to develop younger players. His final first-team appearance was in September 1980, by which time he was embarking on a coaching career. He appeared in 26 league matches during his second spell and, in total, made 183 senior appearances for Dundee United, scoring three goals. Additionally, he set a club record by making approximately 360 reserve-team appearances.

Managerial career

Coaching Dundee United and Scotland

He developed his coaching skills as assistant manager to Jim McLean, at a time when Dundee United were Scottish champions and European Cup semi-finalists. While working with McLean, a notoriously hard-bitten manager, Smith developed a reputation for being a strict disciplinarian. According to Kevin Gallacher, who was an apprentice of the club at the time in the early 1980s, Smith could become ferociously angry and was known to deal out punches to enforce discipline. He joined Dundee United's board of directors in 1986.

In 1978, he was appointed coach of the Scotland Under-18 team, and helped them to win the European Youth Championship in 1982. He became coach of the Under 21 team, and was Alex Ferguson's assistant manager during the 1986 Mexico World Cup. Ferguson commented on Smith by saying: "There are few people in the game with his experience, knowledge and technical ability."

Rangers

In late February 1986, Smith attended a meeting the Gleneagles Hotel at which he was informed that Graeme Souness was to be appointed player-manager of Rangers, and the latter wanted Smith as his assistant. Smith accepted the offer and within a few weeks Rangers made an official approach to Dundee United, who demanded £50,000 in compensation. The then Rangers chief executive David Holmes duly paid that amount, and Smith was allowed to join Rangers on 16 April.Smith was appointed assistant manager on 16 April and took on coaching responsibilities until Souness arrived on 1 May
/ref> Smith was initially placed in temporary charge of the first team whilst Souness negotiated his own release from his playing contact with Italian side Sampdoria. He took sole charge of two Scottish Premier Division matches, on 19 and 26 April, both away, to St Mirren and Aberdeen respectively.

Smith helped Souness guide Rangers to Premier Division and League Cup glory in 1986–87, another League Cup in 1987–88, the Premier Division and League Cup again in 1988–89, a second successive league title in 1989–90 and another League Cup in 1990–91.

With Souness continuing to play regularly until 1988, Smith was the principal figure in the dugout for many matches. In addition, Smith took sole charge of the team in the 1987 Scottish League Cup Final as Souness was suspended. Souness was subject to an extensive touchline ban from February 1989, although he frequently circumvented this by naming himself as a substitute.

When Souness left for Liverpool in April 1991, Smith was appointed interim manager. This was made permanent in May 1991, after the club clinched its fourth title in five seasons. Six more league titles in succession followed under Smith's tenure, including a domestic treble in 1992–93. He also won the Scottish Cup