The Wee General 91 Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Just perusing our history and came across Mr Symon and his contribution to our great history. A man who, for some reason, is not held in the same regard as our other more well known legendary managers. Wilton, Struth, Waddell, Wallace etc. a man who played for us and then went to East Fife who won the league cup, to Preston North End who reached the FA Cup Final. Came back to his boyhood heroes The Rangers and led us to 6 league titles (including a treble) 5 Scottish Cup victories, 4 League Cup Victories, 2 European finals in 61 and 63.Disgracefully sacked in 1967 (informed by his accountant) Remember Berwick?I was fortunate to have witnessed his teams of the 60's as a wee boy and teenager, absolutely awesome, the older Bears will remember these times. Great team...great times..great manager and servant.Just to remember James Scotland Symon....one of our true Legends. Any other old RM Bears remember these times? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennyBlueNose 652 Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 What was the reason he was sacked? Weird that he's not had the acclaim he deserves. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Domthenbud 899 Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 Always been a legend in my eyes and memories. Don't think he was a direc casualty from Berwick but there were two or three. Great players great teams, Ritchie, Shearer, Caldow, need I go on. True blue. Agree about the sacking but remember again we had not won the league for a few years and, fuck it, for a few years after. Bad times after these fabulous teams. Wonderful manager and an indelible part of my growing up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shuggy 1,308 Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 What was the reason he was sacked? Weird that he's not had the acclaim he deserves.Lost to Berwick Rangers in that infamous cup game. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
danger ranger 922 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Always been a legend in my eyes and memories. Don't think he was a direc casualty from Berwick but there were two or three. Great players great teams, Ritchie, Shearer, Caldow, need I go on. True blue. Agree about the sacking but remember again we had not won the league for a few years and, fuck it, for a few years after. Bad times after these fabulous teams. Wonderful manager and an indelible part of my growing up.Times change, celtic had brought stein(a football coach) in and made Symon(executive manager) obsolete, Symon never ever visited the dressing room even when getting beat. Rangers brought in Davie White a football coach to tackle Stein, sadly Davie couldn't win crunch games and Willie Waddle came in and the rest is history. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wee General 91 Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 Symon took over the reigns from William Struth, who said of him "Scot is the man to take over from me. He will lead the club into orbit, and make them famous, not merely in Britain, but in world football. He has all that I seek in any Ranger - and I am, as you know, uncompromising when I speak of the club". James Scotland Symon didn't let the great man down. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
siddiqi_drinker 14,635 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Wee General thanks for posting. Like yourself, I was around Ibrox in the 60's and remember him well. One game in particular when I was about 7, my old man and I were guests in the directors box. The highlight of the day was being the walk up the marble stairs and being shown around the trophy room by Mr Symon. He was a gent and like the grandfather ome of us had and all of us wanted.He did not deserve to be treated the way he did by the club, but even back then there were some systems on the board. The same people who refused Baxter the wage he deserved.James Scotland Symon, legend. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedarvelmarvel 795 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 def. the best after his side of early 60,s showed signs of fading there were good boys comig thro to replace them ,the day john lawrence appeared was a sad day for us took 10 year to get back on track. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky True Legend 2,682 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 A true gentleman and a perfect exempler and pattern to all football managers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibroxholm 2,312 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Think Berwick and most likely the happenings across the city done for him. Forrest and McLean were made scapegoats for Berwick, don't think either played for Rangers again. Would be ironic if that ruthless decision was made by Symon as playing either Forrest or McLean might have swung the 67 ECWC final in our favour - and saved his job. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NixonRFC 1,563 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Routing Forrest after Berwick was a disgraceful decision, as was getting rid of Symon, despite the tims dominating at that time there genuinely wasn't much difference between the clubs, two very good teams at the time, there was no way he'd have taken another 7 years to win the Title back. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammer93 15,461 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 This is not a negative post but I remember reading a book called "Rangers in Europe " the book is a great read but they are pretty damning on Mr Symons tactics or as they put it lack of tactics. I'm not sure if that in anyway was also a reason behind his sacking at the time? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
siddiqi_drinker 14,635 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 This is not a negative post but I remember reading a book called "Rangers in Europe " the book is a great read but they are pretty damning on Mr Symons tactics or as they put it lack of tactics. I'm not sure if that in anyway was also a reason behind his sacking at the time?Two European finals during his career at managerial Rangers, yep obviously not tactically astute Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammer93 15,461 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Two European finals during his career at managerial Rangers, yep obviously not tactically astuteDon't shoot the messenger, I'm sure it was to do with not having eintract watched prior to the 1st leg semi final which we lost 6-1. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harlands plater 17,130 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I started going to Ibrox in 1962 so I was weaned on Scot Symon's Rangers. I idolised Jim Baxter and Wee Willie Henderson, at the time were completely dominant in Scottish football and as a wee boy I thought was the way it always had been, and always would be.Even in the late 60s when Ba'Face had revitalised the tarriers, I don't remember there being an awful lot between the two sides, I think history has remembered that mhob as better than they were, and our team as not as good as they were. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
minstral 5,375 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 This is not a negative post but I remember reading a book called "Rangers in Europe " the book is a great read but they are pretty damning on Mr Symons tactics or as they put it lack of tactics.I'm not sure if that in anyway was also a reason behind his sacking at the time?Could not have been that bad with his tactics as he reached 2 European finals. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammer93 15,461 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Could not have been that bad with his tactics as he reached 2 European finals.The book alludes to Scott Symons ethos that we are Rangers and others should worry about us Rather us worry about them.As I said I'm not the one being critical it was whoever compiled the book who felt he would highlight this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
minstral 5,375 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 The book alludes to Scott Symons ethos that we are Rangers and others should worry about us Rather us worry about them.As I said I'm not the one being critical it was whoever compiled the book who felt he would highlight this.It makes you wonder what they would make of Walters tactics in Europe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubaijim 44 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Think Berwick and most likely the happenings across the city done for him. Forrest and McLean were made scapegoats for Berwick, don't think either played for Rangers again. Would be ironic if that ruthless decision was made by Symon as playing either Forrest or McLean might have swung the 67 ECWC final in our favour - and saved his job.Pretty sure that the edict came from above Symon that McLean & Forrest were finished after Berwick - I have no complaints about that as they were responsible for the worst result in our history. Symon's biggest mistake was possibly playing 3 half backs in the forward line in the 1967 ECWC final and leaving Alex Willoughby out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluejim55 24 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Hammer is right try reading 'great scot' Scot Symons book. Symons tactics were "just give the ball to jim"(baxter) the board got rid of Forrest and McLean and then sacked the great man by telephone... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
minstral 5,375 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Hammer is right try reading 'great scot' Scot Symons book. Symons tactics were "just give the ball to jim"(baxter) the board got rid of Forrest and McLean and then sacked the great man by telephone...That is only the opinion of the guy who wrote the book. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibroxholm 2,312 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Pretty sure that the edict came from above Symon that McLean & Forrest were finished after Berwick - I have no complaints about that as they were responsible for the worst result in our history. Symon's biggest mistake was possibly playing 3 half backs in the forward line in the 1967 ECWC final and leaving Alex Willoughby out.Different times, so you may be right that Symon didn't make the decision on McLean & Forrest - will probably never know for sure. Although Berwick was a catastrophic result at the time, making scapegoats of our two main strikers, particularly Forrest, proved to be a poor decision. Then and now, making knee-jerk decisions on players based on their performances in one or two matches should be avoided. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
siddiqi_drinker 14,635 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 That is only the opinion of the guy who wrote the book. Yes but he is right up there with Scotland's best courageous journalists in terms of investigative journalism and integrity. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky True Legend 2,682 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Yes but he is right up there with Scotland's best courageous journalists in terms of investigative journalism and integrity. "Scotland", "Journalist" and "Integrity" in the same sentence? Ffs, I need a lie-down. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Hume 13,868 Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Yes but he is right up there with Scotland's best courageous journalists in terms of investigative journalism and integrity."Scotland", "Journalist" and "Integrity" in the same sentence? Ffs, I need a lie-down. Had a shit day today gentlemen ....... but these two posts gave me a wee laugh ....... thank you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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