Ray Wilkins – 1956-2018

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Ray Wilkins – 1956-2018


If any one man summed up the dignity, class, professionalism, kindness, grace and true sportsmanship of the Ranger, it was Ray Wilkins.

The beloved 61-year old passed away tragically today after a brief fight for life following a cardiac arrest, and the football world, and the world in general are poorer places for the loss of such a pillar of the sporting community.

Bears of an older vintage will remember his wonderful displays on the Hallowed Turf, a hard-fighting but classy midfielder with an eye for a pass and very much a forebearer to the Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard kind of player, and younger fans will know him from his TV gigs and coaching roles.

Speaking on his old friend today, Terry Butcher made a lovely point about him:

“When I saw his face after he scored against Celtic in the Old Firm; this was a guy who’d played Milan derby, Paris, London derby – but his face after scoring against Celtic topped the lot…”

Rangers were special to Ray Wilkins, as special as he was to us – to have a player of that calibre in Scotland was a truly incredible achievement, helped of course by English clubs being banned from Europe – but Wilkins could have chosen any massive club in Europe yet came to Ibrox.

And became one of us.

He carried himself with the distinction of a true Ranger, and while he was a Chelsea boy at heart, he was certainly an adopted Son of Ibrox.

He only spoke beautifully of his time in Govan, and his post-football career was a well-respected combination of punditry on TV (furnishing the viewer and host with so many words of wisdom – very underrated pundit to say the least) and manager or assistant coach at Fulham, QPR and of course Chelsea.

Few in the game commanded the respect Ray did, but with that disarming kindness of a complete gentleman, and the former England captain will leave a dreadful void behind him.

RIP Ray, we will miss you.

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18 COMMENTS

  1. Absolutely gutted. True gentlemen once a ranger always a ranger. RIP Ray I'll never forget that wonderful goal you scored against them and I'll never forget you!

  3. In my humble opinion he was one of the best i've ever saw at ibrox, couldn't believe how good he was when he arrived, i had always believed the " only passed sideways" nonsense. He was so cool under pressure, always wanted the ball, and as for that goal, can still see it as if it was yesterday. RIP. LEGEND. WATP.

  5. I was in the East enclosure when Ray scored that goal against shellic. And still talk about it to this very day. My thoughts and prayers to Rays family and friends. We have truly lost a true footballing man.

    • As was I my friend.I can still hear the roar and feel the sway when he scored one of the finest goals I have ever seen at Ibrox.He was one of my heroes in a team full of heroes.They don’t make players like that anymore.RIP Ray Wilkins a truly class player and a gentleman.

  7. He was in a word class. Everything he did, his play, his ability to lead, his ability to speak eloquently about the game in general and Rangers in particular and his general demeanor. He was everything that Bill Struth would describe as a Ranger. What a footballer. Pure and utter class

  8. Another good article summarising a wonderful footballer and human being. His knowledge of the game was enormous, pleasant to listen to, he was always respective too those who had failures and indiscretions on and off the park and was always polite in his criticism of those players.
    Many young players should look at his footballing abilities and how he conducted himself on and off the field. He wasn’t always the nice pleasant person on the field of play, had a tendency to be aggressive, but was shamed being sent off when he played for England and as many professionals in the modern game do not, Ray Wilkins did change and developed into the cultured midfielder we had the pleasure to witness at the end of his career at Ibrox.
    The footballing world is a sadder place with his dying, my thoughts like many Rangers supporters and all football lovers, go to his family at this sad time, but in the future can reflect on the pleasure he gave to the many thousands, like me who class Ray Wilkins a legend.
    Rest in Peace and may his God be with him.

    • Ray was sent off for England for throwing the ball at the ref, who wouldn't do anything about the physical treatment being dished out to Bryan Robson who had a dislocated shoulder, and was being targeted by the Moroccans. He just couldn't take the injustice of it. I saw him for Rangers and Fulham and he was top class as a player and a man. Don't think he could have been any less like Frank Lampard though (per IN). Completely different kettle of fish.

  9. RIP Ray Wilkins
    Complete Gentleman & Football Genius!

    Might have been a Chelsea boy at heart but he will always be a fond member of the Rangers Family! ⚽💙

    Will be sadly missed

    Thoughts are with the Wilkins Family at this difficult time x

  12. a true pleasure watching MR WILKINS play in our famous red.white.blue (how we could
    do with a player like this these days) {true class} R.I.P MR WILKINS -was in east enclosure the day of the GOAL never forget

    once a Ger
    always a GER

  14. Team for that famous goal: Woods, Stevens, Gough, Butcher, Brown, Durrant, I Ferguson, Wilkins, Walters, Drinkell and Walters. And Ray was better than them all. RIP Ray

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