It is known as The Stare

[roboscot 1,178]

‘You have to suffer failure in this game. It dents your pride but is part of the game, part of life. You will learn from it’

‘You have to suffer failure in this game. It dents your pride but is part of the game, part of life. You will learn from it’

Face to Face: Interviewed by Hugh MacDonald

It is known as The Stare.

Walter Smith’s chilling look at an impertinent questioner or a wayward footballer has become enshrined in scientific journals as a one-man answer to global warming. Conspiracy theorists suggest it was patented by his friend Willie Haughey and used in building up his refrigeration business. The Stare causes grown men to gibber, wiser men to adopt a vow of immediate silence. It is a crucial part of understanding both Smith and his success.

The Rangers manager, at 62, has matured, but he has never softened. Underneath the veneer of Uncle Walter, there is an extraordinary physical and psychological toughness that is a prerequisite for managing a club that veers between the hype of triumph and disaster on an hourly basis.

Smith is the acme of a certain type of Scotsman. He is a millionaire but it would be wrong to suggest he has escaped his working-class roots. Frankly, he has not even tried.

To stand beside him in a Glasgow public bar is to glimpse just something of the Smith ethos. Tiresome interrogators are greeted with unfailing courtesy. The moment rudeness is introduced, The Stare makes an appearance and the irritant disappears.

When I was a young manager I maybe bristled about criticism. I tend not to do that so much now.

“The best bit of advice I had about football management,” says Smith, sitting in his office at Murray Park, “was that you should never go looking for confrontation.”

And who was the Zen-like creature who offered this counsel, who was the Dalai Lama of the terraces who provided this nourishing morsel of wisdom? “Sir Alex Ferguson,” he answers deadpan, before breaking into a guffaw. “No, seriously, he told me that when I went to work with Scotland in 1986. He repeated it when I was his assistant at Manchester United [2004]. Honestly, I can testify Sir Alex never goes looking for confrontation. He can deal with it when it arrives, however.”

The brief sentences offer three great illuminations. The first is that Smith knows that trouble comes looking for a football manager, perhaps any manager, so there is no point in creating extra work. The second is that he is confident in his ability to administer sanctions. Take a tuning fork to the wall of Murray Park, for instance, and the lecture meted out to Barry “Boozegate” Ferguson still reverberates.

Thirdly, there is an unmistakable accent on respect. Smith has known Sir Alex for decades. Tellingly, he is referred to as Sir Alex.

There is no simpering homage in this. Smith knows the worth of perhaps the greatest football manager ever. But the Rangers manager has an appreciation of his own value, too. He has worked with two of the most brilliant managers in football. Ever. He was a long-term assistant to Jim McLean, who took the second biggest team in a Dundee street to the brink of European glory. He has also worked twice with Sir Alex, who has created unprecedented success at Aberdeen and then at Manchester United.

Smith has no pretensions about putting himself in that pantheon. “Listen,” he says. And one does. “I went to Everton and had a difficult three years. People who think I am a good manager will say I did well to keep them up. People who don’t fancy me will say I was a failure.” There is no evidence he has lost sleep pondering the validity of either verdict.

“But I come from the same background as these managers and I share their values. We were all working class, we all loved football and we all had a work ethic. There was grittiness, too.”

This is Smith-speak for that toughness, both physical and psychological. It comes from an upbringing in a certain part of Scotland at a certain time. Brought up in Carmyle in an era of post-war austerity, Smith has values that have helped – and, on one occasion, hindered – his career but have formed a personality that is instantly recognisable as the template for working class, aspirational Scot.

His football allegiances were formed early. “My dad took me to Cambuslang Rangers. I can still remember that wee stand. It was really my grandfather who took me to see Rangers. I would be a wee boy, four or five. It was the traditional scramble down to the front of the terracing. But I loved going to see the Wee Rangers, too. They had a great team at the time.”

His upbringing, too, has formed a philosophy that has helped him in his career. “I believe I have a reasonable understanding of other people’s viewpoint. I appreciate other people may have opinions. When I was a young manager I maybe bristled a wee bit about criticism. I tend not to do that so much now.” This tolerance should not be misinterpreted as softness but it means footballers want to play with Smith but do not feel the need to argue with him. “You should be able to make demands of people by showing them that the end product is always to their benefit,” he says.

His outlook on life was formed by parents who knew both the value and the necessity of work. “When I showed some aptitude as a player my father was adamant I keep to my trade. That was important in those days. You had to have a trade as everybody kept telling you it was something to fall back on. You have to remember these were uncertain times. I have always had that respect for employment.”

This characteristic has taken him to the top of football management. He has won a succession of trophies at Rangers, including nine Scottish championships, five Scottish Cups and five league cups. Famously, he managed a Scotland side that that defeated the France at Hampden in a European Championship qualifier.

But he believes he paid for this fear of inactivity by the quickness of his decision to take the job at Everton after he left Rangers for the first time in 1998. “I was not comfortable with unemployment,” he says. “I had been out of the game for a short spell and, frankly, it was not sitting easily with me. I should have looked at the situation a bit closer.” He joined a club in a financial crisis and was dismissed in 2002.

It was an extraordinary low point. Smith, though he defers unfailingly to the genius of McLean, was part of a remarkable set-up that brought European and domestic success to Dundee United. He led Rangers to “Nine-in-a-Row”, the accumulation of nine consecutive Scottish titles. Fergie, or Sir Alex to Smith, was his redeemer, giving his friend an assistant manager’s job at the biggest club in the world and re-igniting a love affair with football that exists to this day. Smith, however, has signalled his intention to leave management at the end of the season. He talks of his plans in vague terms. “I have some businesses and I’ll spend a couple of days on them, play some golf, spend time with the family, especially the grandchildren, maybe do other bits and pieces,” he says.

Before then, he has to weather a turbulent situation at Rangers. There is debt, there is the need to recruit players, there is the imperative to win. He is frank about the demands.

“A lot of it is difficult to deal with and football management can be a stressful job,” he says. “Even during the holidays your phone is going all the time. But, listen, I love the real parts of this job. I love picking the team, giving the team talk, watching the 90 minutes and trying to get a result.”

The urbane millionaire becomes the wee boy peering over a terracing wall. “If it was all about that, and only that, I would stay on until they had to wheel me out,” he adds.

But will he miss the challenge, the sheer clamour of winning? “It’s a funny thing,” says Smith with an expression that one knows does not presage a humorous anecdote. “I have been lucky to manage teams who have won honours. But I find it difficult to remember the line-ups or the occasions. The first thing you do when you win is move on. Sir Alex talks about that, about finding the hunger immediately to win again.

“But I can remember everything about losing. For example, the 1992-93 side was a great team and it won a lot of matches and some trophies. Know what I remember? Young Gary McSwegan hitting the post one night and us failing to go through to the final. It is made worse that the team that eventually denied us [Marseille] were found guilty of cheating.”

He leans forward for the first time. “You have to suffer failure in this game. It dents your personal pride but it is a part of the game, part of life. But if you take a pride in what you do you will learn from it, use it as an incentive. Failure is a just a wee test. You just have to appraise it, look at it.”

Walter Smith meets it with The Stare.

Life and Loves

Career high point:

The day David Murray asked me to become Rangers manager for the first time.

Low point:

I probably made the decision to go to Everton without enough thought.

Favourite music:

I am a throwback to the sixties and seventies music. Of course, I love the Beatles but Crosby, Stills and Nash are a favourite. The doctor at Murray Park and media friends keep me up to date. I am listening to the Fleet Foxes.

Last book read:

Just finished Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and will almost certainly read the trilogy. Anthony Beevor’s excellent D-Day was read on holiday.

Favourite movie:

The Godfather. I still occasionally watch all three parts.

Best advice received:

Never go looking for confrontation.

Worst advice:

I have a view on advice. You listen to it when it is given. Then you make your own mind up. In that sense, there can be no bad advice.

Favourite holiday destination:

United States.

Favourite meal:

I enjoy going out to good restaurants and I love good food but I do not have a specific favourite meal or restaurant.

Ideal dinner guests:

The missus, obviously. Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Sean Connery and Tony Blair. I have met the former prime minister a couple of times. But I have some questions I would like to ask him now.

[DaleFo8 96]

Fantastic read. Even though I have questioned him from time to time, I know everything he does will benefit The Rangers.

He truly is a legend

[Clemdog 39,389]

Walter Smith is a winner, his class and dignity ooze from this interview.

On a footballing scale his achievments may not be of highest regard, but as a man, he's up there with the greats.

Sir Walter

[Scott-RFC 308]

Fleet foxes

[garycassidy1802 37]

A few surprises in there, good post

[DivDee 49]

Good read

[Togs 179]

Watty is a true legend. That word is thrown about too often these days but he truly is.

[Bryan72 12]

Sir Watty

[Jamie1807 146]

I love you, Walter

[clelandhattrick 8]

I never knew Walter had a business or two.

Any info?

[deleteduser1 169]

Superb read.

Walter is a real class act and we are lucky he is a Rangers man through and through.

[Sgt. Pepper 117]

Absolutely fantastic read.

Nothing would get me harder than listening to The Beatles with wattie

[Henders82 544]

The guy is an absolute legend and oozes class, I love reading his interviews

[The Hammer 11 2,663]

Walter is like the godfather

[bluenose48 953]

What a great read. The similarities between him and Sir Alex are uncanny. I think it has as he says, their upbringing, hard times. Yet to watch him out here with Rangers fans was fantastic. I love the man and Ibrox will be a poorer place when he leaves next year.

[G.E.C. 19,087]

Fleet foxes

[flecky1 4]

decent SPL manager

[TravelingWilBEARy 4,319]

decent SPL manager

Give me strength!

[flecky1 4]

decent SPL manager

Give me strength!

euro record? record in england? money spent v money brought in?????

[TravelingWilBEARy 4,319]

decent SPL manager

Give me strength!

euro record? record in england? money spent v money brought in?????

You said 'decent' SPL manager - what's that got to do with his record in Europe or England?

He's a fantastic SPL Manager. Arguably in the top 3 all-time domestic managers.

[flecky1 4]

decent SPL manager

Give me strength!

euro record? record in england? money spent v money brought in?????

You said 'decent' SPL manager - what's that got to do with his record in Europe or England?

He's a fantastic SPL Manager. Arguably in the top 3 all-time domestic managers.

yes thats all he is, a decent SPL manager, give him a budget of a hamilton or st mirren and see what he does with all our resources at Rangers, whens the last time he won at Pittodrie?

[TravelingWilBEARy 4,319]

decent SPL manager

Give me strength!

euro record? record in england? money spent v money brought in?????

You said 'decent' SPL manager - what's that got to do with his record in Europe or England?

He's a fantastic SPL Manager. Arguably in the top 3 all-time domestic managers.

yes thats all he is, a decent SPL manager, give him a budget of a hamilton or st mirren and see what he does with all our resources at Rangers, whens the last time he won at Pittodrie?

He's a fantastic SPL Manager - some of our fans are spoilt rotten

[flecky1 4]

decent SPL manager

Give me strength!

euro record? record in england? money spent v money brought in?????

You said 'decent' SPL manager - what's that got to do with his record in Europe or England?

He's a fantastic SPL Manager. Arguably in the top 3 all-time domestic managers.

yes thats all he is, a decent SPL manager, give him a budget of a hamilton or st mirren and see what he does with all our resources at Rangers, whens the last time he won at Pittodrie?

He's a fantastic SPL Manager - some of our fans are spoilt rotten

no answer? oh well

spoilt with what? the football on show is horrific, we go from one european embarrassment to another

lets agree to disagree then!

[ScottBF2 3,540]

You forget sometimes that he is just a Rangers fan. He wants the best for the club, and he'll do anything to make sure we get it, just like most of us would. Walter Smith's Blue and White Army.

[H72 265]

Fantastic read. Walter Smith is a living legend of Rangers Football Club. 40 years from now, I'll be sitting in Ibrox remembering how lucky I was to be brought up during his reign. A true great.