Celtic’s Chairman Ian Bankier, interim Chief Executive Michael Nicholson and former club captain and Club Ambassador Tom Boyd made the short trip across the city earlier today to lay a wreath and pay respects to the Rangers legendary manager Walter Smith who passed away yesterday.
Here are the photographs with the Celtic officials being accompanied by senior staff from the Ibrox club.
(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Ordinary Celtic supporters are also making the trip to Ibrox to pay their own respects to Walter Smith who while always a rival was greatly respected among the Celtic support particularly for his outstanding contribution to the very sad loss of Tommy Burns in 2008.
(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Tommy’s son Jonathan has sent a message via social media to Walter’s family and sent a touching message to his dad’s old pal.
“Thoughts are with Walter’s family and friends at this time. A true legend of Scottish football, but more importantly just a brilliant man.
(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
And the former Celtic manager Neil Lennon has also paid his respects. “My thoughts are with Walter’s wife Ethel, his boys and the rest of the family,” he told Scottish Sun. “Walter was a great man, first and foremost. He was a class act with how he dealt with people and the respect he showed everyone.
“No one was ever in any doubt how big a Rangers man he was. What he did for the club, his incredible success, will rightly never be forgotten.
“But I always appreciated how well he spoke of Celtic too. He had nothing but respect for the club and its history. Of course the rivalry was always there, as it should be. But Walter always spoke well, carried himself brilliantly. He was very dignified.”
