Well respected Rangers physio Steve Walker, who of course has been at the club for around 25 years, has officially confirmed his departure to join Hearts.
In an extraordinary turn of events, the dyed-in-the-wool Rangers fan offered a very mild parting shot at the club. This was much like Jim McAllister back in the day, whereby Walker, with no axe to grind against Rangers, nevertheless did offer a little take on his view of what the club has become.
Walker hints at frustration with Rangers
We can understand 100% Walker’s decision to exit for Hearts.
Hearts are a much better run club, and Tony Bloom is going to take them to the next level. And probably already should have done so.
But Walker’s exit came with a very mild parting shot towards the Rangers hierarchy and the events at Ibrox.
In simple terms, the now former Ibrox physio and chief of medical at Rangers essentially called out the current regime as watered down, weak and not Rangers.
He did not say this in words, but instead praised all the Rangers core from over the years that he was proud to call lifelong friends.
He included so many great Rangers names from the past. The late great Walter Smith and Jimmy Bell, of course, Ally McCoist, Sandy Jardine, the list goes on and on.
Basically all the pure Rangers core from over the years that made the club what it is. Or at least what it used to be.
Rangers core is disappearing
The fact that he has left and has now joined Hearts tells everything that you need to know about where Rangers are these days and what Rangers are these days.
The soul is gone, and for someone who is probably the last remaining remnant of the pure Rangers hierarchy, that is Walker himself, to then move on, speaks volumes about the amount of Rangers core that is still in there.
Not very much.
Once upon a time, obviously there was Walter, there was Jimmy Bell, there were the Thomsons, there were all the different Rangers core type employees and indeed staff and players.
Management, recruitment, you name it, all knew what Rangers values were, all thrived in that and all were that.
But today, the fact that on the entire coaching staff we believe there is only one Rangers inclined man, and that would be Steven Smith, is deplorable.
Maurice Ross and the Rangers identity
Obviously Ibrox Noise spoke to Maurice Ross. He is a bluenose all the way, and he would love to be a help to the club.
But of course, the club’s nose is turned up at anything like that. It will not get anywhere near fruition.
Consequently, Steve Walker’s comments come as no real surprise, but do carry sadness with them. Sadness that Rangers have gone this route and are now a watered-down nothing. Certainly compared with the core that we used to be.
It is not about playing the sash and is not about walking along with a flute. It is not about ‘being orange’. That is neither here nor there.
It is about knowing Rangers’ values and actually understanding the club. Having pride in Rangers and Ibrox and what it means.
Now the soul of that is honestly as good as gone.
It just cannot feel like Rangers when there is so little Rangers in it.