James Tavernier has paid tribute to Rangers kitman Jimmy Bell, who sadly passed away today aged 69, as confirmed by the club this morning.
Bell had been with the club since 1986 and tributes have been paid by key figures in Rangers and Scottish football.
Tavernier pointed out that the kitman has been part of the fabric of Rangers since before he was born.
Tavernier said on Twitter: “Although he was officially a ‘kitman’, he was so much more than that.
“Few people are synonymous with a football club in the modern age, he was at Ibrox longer than I’ve been alive.”
The Rangers captain added: “The beating heart and soul of our club, the hardest working, most dedicated, he was rangers through and through.
“He will always be with us, we will never forget him.”
Loyal Rangers
The outpouring of emotion from fans and players past and present shows the respect Bell had for Ibrox.
Bell saw Rangers rise from the bottom of Scottish football to the top after being at the club for 30 years.
As the Glasgow Evening Times report, a Celtic fan traveled to Ibrox to pay his respects to the Rangers legend.
After a contested Old Firm Derby on Sunday, it’s refreshing to see two of the world’s fiercest rivals come together when football isn’t the priority.
It’s not the first time the Old Firm have put aside their differences after mourning a club legend.
In 2019, then-Celtic manager Neil Lennon traveled to Ibrox, as the Scotsman reports, with Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell to pay tribute to former Gers player Fernando Ricksen.
Ricksen sadly passed away at the age of 43 from motor neurone disease and Lennon and Lawwell laid a wreath in front of Ibrox to the cheers of the Ibrox faithful.
It’s nice to see that mutual respect will always emerge, even in the most bitter rivalries.
In other Rangers news, a Super Computer predicts whether they are on track to clinch the Europa League title.
