Gordon Smith takes a pop at John Greig in Open Goal interview

[Alex Venters]

Smith was asked and the question. And he answered it honestly. The answer which to most, isn’t that surprising.

A lot of sensitive wee petals on the forum these days

Gordon Smith, in my opinion,is a media whore. He is desperately trying to keep himself in the public eye. He's an irrelevance. He played for Rangers for 3 seasons,in one of which he did quite well.

John Greig is quite rightly considered, by any and all standards, a legend. A man who has given his entire adult life to the club.

A cheap shot from Smith.

John Greig was a very poor manager, but the bile spouted on this thread is bang out of order and shames those involved.

 

[JMCK]

Bobby McKean probably.

Any footage I've seen of him, and granted I haven't seen a lot, and he looked a technically gifted player. There's a goal in the 76 Final and he sets it up brilliantly. Back to JG. Some of the comments are unfair, in my opinion. Greig has been a very fine ambassador for the club and has a massive place in the club's history; he deserves respect.

 

[davyloyal]

I wish I could find the book where Smith wrote that his most memorable Rangers match was a defeat (Valencia). Also, although I couldn’t stand the man, Jim McLean once told a tale about Smith’s time as an agent, when the first question out of his mouth was ‘what’s in it for me?’

Never trusted Smith and even now he’s being sneaky, alluding to Greig having a go and him being meek and mild about it. Greig has higher standards than Smith and let him know.

 

[Mason Boyne]

JG has a deal in place that DC was going to Hibs and Ralph Callaghan was coming to us, it fell through because Eddie Turnbull changed his mind even though RC had traveled through for a medical.

Thank feck that fell through. I’d hVe taken Callaghan when at Hearts, but by the time he was at Hibs he was well past his best.

 

[dublinbluenose]

Gordon Smith, in my opinion,is a media whore. He is desperately trying to keep himself in the public eye. He's an irrelevance. He played for Rangers for 3 seasons,in one of which he did quite well.

John Greig is quite rightly considered, by any and all standards, a legend. A man who has given his entire adult life to the club.

A cheap shot from Smith.

John Greig was a very poor manager, but the bile spouted on this thread is bang out of order and shames those involved.

The bile on here in nothing compared to the bile coming from the east and west enclosure towards John greig when he was manager and it started from the minute he walked out of the tunnel.the day he resigned as manager and left Ibrox should have been a very sad but most of the support was overjoyed he was gone.

 

[Talktalk]

Thank feck that fell through. I’d hVe taken Callaghan when at Hearts, but by the time he was at Hibs he was well past his best.

Ralph was gutted.

 

[Truckerman]

I met John Greig, at Ibrox, whilst he was manager, only once. He was vile, odious and ignorant. I wish I had never met him. Thankfully, that same day I also met Willie Thornton, a real gentleman, who could not have been more accommodating.

Yeah they say never meet your heroes as you will be disappointed..I met my music hero Chuck Berry in Berlin in the early 70's...A horrible man!!!

 

[Melbbear]

Bit odd to even remember those comments 40 years later. Pretty innocuous stuff.

And wee Doddie.

 

[Alex Venters]

The bile on here in nothing compared to the bile coming from the east and west enclosure towards John greig when he was manager and it started from the minute he walked out of the tunnel.the day he resigned as manager and left Ibrox should have been a very sad but most of the support was overjoyed he was gone.

He was,in all fairness, utterly out of his depth as a manager. He should've gone at the very least 2 years earlier.

 

[Grant K]

Greig never fancied Smith as a player and punted him soon into his reign. I don’t think Greig fancied Cooper as a player either and did not select him much of the time and failed to get the best out of him. Greig’s choices of players was poor and the influence of Waddell was failing at the time adding to his problems.

Smith was a good player let go to soon by a poor Manager.

 

[songsofglory]

FF: Don't listen to the stories in the papers that have an agenda.

Also FF: I fucking hate Gordon Smith for a quote, in a paper, from a conversation 30 years ago.

Ridiculous.

 

[jweebear]

Smith and Jardine what an intimidating pair, I also thought of them as the good cop bad cop senario, legends of the club.

 

[Professor Yaffle]

They say you should never meet your heroes...

Met JG a few times. once outside old trafford he was fine to get a photo with and at a gers dinner where he signed a top or two again fine. Not as engaging as many of a certain generation but not an ignorant sod like some suggested.

 

[Albertz Loyal]

Aside from the JG comments, what did everyone make of it?

Few things I took away, he's progressive about the game, trying to make positive changes that make sense, wants to make a difference (probably why the SFA thing didn't work out where he seemed more of a puppet)

2) didn't seem to manage criticism well, be it a player, or in future roles.

3) never seemed to responsible/ instigator in any positions in his career, killie sold him, rangers sold him, didn't want the sfa job, didn't want the rangers job..seems a bit far fetched

4) he wasn't afraid to call people out (Scott Severin, Greig) and others, some of these interviews (like the Warburton interview which told us nothing we didn't know) get a bit bland, at least he put some names in the mix

5) clearly respected by respectable people McNeil, beckenbower (so) .. Learnt German, etc

 

[imager]

Yet Smith came in on loan when JG was Manager.

 

[GR6Ger]

Nothing wrong with what he said.

People getting their knickers in a twist because a club legend might be a bit of a dick from time to time.

 

[jimbear]

I wish I had never started this thread now. Not after it contains posts calling John Greig a vile, ignorant, impolite, thick, odious money grabber.

John Greig. The greatest on field leader of my lifetime. The man who carried us through glory and tragedy. The man who even other club legends call The Legend.

I can't believe any other fan forum would do that to the man widely regarded as the greatest to wear the shirt (which is the one thing I would find debatable).

I get maybe a bit oversensitive when it comes to my heroes.

I get where you are coming from with the above, but I think it has been a good thread. While I too was shocked by the comments about John Greig by some fellow Bears, I was also more than a bit surprised by what Gordon Smith had to say. Gordon's comments were a real eye opener to me and as I said in a previous post, they helped to explain to me some things that happened after Jock Wallace left us in 1978.

 

[GranvillusClutterbuckus]

I really don't see the comments as being a pop, he's just stated some things. He's not denigrated Greig or expressed hatred, just said that things never worked out between them. Personality differences happen, doesn't mean all of a sudden you despise someone because of it. It's part of being human, doesn't mean you respect the person any less.

 

[JMCK]

I really don't see the comments as being a pop, he's just stated some things. He's not denigrated Greig or expressed hatred, just said that things never worked out between them. Personality differences happen, doesn't mean all of a sudden you despise someone because of it. It's part of being human, doesn't mean you respect the person any less.

Because it's Rangers, it's hyped. Gordon Smith has always spoken well of his time at Rangers anytime I've heard him, but if that was his experience then he's obviously going to speak about it. I like John Greig, and reading of his time as manager from afar, it would probably have suited him to have had a slightly younger and more hands on Mr Waddle at the time; I think Jock Wallace found that important in his early days, although it apparently got strained at times, as is normal.

 

[madridista]

Yet Smith came in on loan when JG was Manager.

This stuck out for me, too.

I watched the whole interview and he loves to paint himself in a certain light;

- Didn’t want to go to Brighton, went to Brighton.
- Did want the SFA job, got it.
- Suggested changes at SFA - didn’t get them, but they implemented when he left.
- Suggested the DoF at Ibrox to CW, didn’t want it, got the job.

For me he was trying to paint himself as some sort of visionary who stumbled into positions. In reality, he seemed to be whoring himself out to every possible position.

 

[Red_White_Blue]

I don't think Greig is very nice and never was. I don't think he's especially intelligent either.

Thankfully neither qualities are required of a professional footballer.

What Greig did do, though, was 1. Run through brick walls for Rangers if you asked him to do and 2, Recreate his career a couple of times and be as about as effective in the mid 70s as he was in the mid 60s.

The guy was an absolute phonomenon and carried us through many a narrow strait.

Agreed. Football was different back then - wouldn’t have been the “cult of personality” it is today - no social media etc. A sparkling personality does not equal a great footballer or leader on the pitch.

 

[JMCK]

This stuck out for me, too.

I watched the whole interview and he loves to paint himself in a certain light;

- Didn’t want to go to Brighton, went to Brighton.
- Did want the SFA job, got it.
- Suggested changes at SFA - didn’t get them, but they implemented when he left.
- Suggested the DoF at Ibrox to CW, didn’t want it, got the job.

For me he was trying to paint himself as some sort of visionary who stumbled into positions. In reality, he seemed to be whoring himself out to every possible position.

In other words, he's an extremely clever man? In some walks of life the way you describe things would would be admired.

 

[Eckhailitchenko]

He’s done an interview and spoken of what it was like playing under Grieg, what’s the issue?

You’re talking about balls, but you’ve got to realise it was an interview and he’s a 64 year old man, not a 12 year old in the playground. I’m sure he can speak about it without having to march up in front of Grieg (now 76) to asset his masculinity.

Did Smith do something really wrong that I missed?

Guess my ( now 58 yr old ) interpretation of the standard that ex Gers player should live up to is higher than yours. To me he took an unnecessary swing and missed once again.

 

[Bordersbear]

The bile on here in nothing compared to the bile coming from the east and west enclosure towards John greig when he was manager and it started from the minute he walked out of the tunnel.the day he resigned as manager and left Ibrox should have been a very sad but most of the support was overjoyed he was gone.

To be fair the fans put up with a lot for a long time before realising that it was the wrong move. It was not the greatest time to be a Rangers fan as attendances proved. I do not think that he was exceptionally bad and some of his players at the time did not respect him or fully commited to him. perhaps he was too much in the old mould of a footballer and times were changing far too fast.

 

[dublinbluenose]

To be fair the fans put up with a lot for a long time before realising that it was the wrong move. It was not the greatest time to be a Rangers fan as attendances proved. I do not think that he was exceptionally bad and some of his players at the time did not respect him or fully commited to him. perhaps he was too much in the old mould of a footballer and times were changing far too fast.

I was there and some of the performances were the worst I have ever seen from any rangers team.anyone who had the misfortune to be at the Scottish cup semi v forfar in 1982 will tell you off the anger expressed that day towards John greig.we won the replay only to be cuffed 4-1 in the final by Aberdeen.a manager who doesn’t rate Davie Cooper really shouldn’t be sitting in our dugout.

 

[jackstar]

Or maby thats ploy so that u either go and prove him wrong or crumble.

Better to find out early what direction u I prefer men take.

Quality stuff

Sink or swim

I'm sure Jock Wallace done something similar to Gary Lineker no less too gee him up a bit,he didn't get it at the time but he now regards Jock as one of the bet Managers he had. Maybe there was a bit of that in there.

 

[madridista]

In other words, he's an extremely clever man? In some walks of life the way you describe things would would be admired.

I wouldn’t describe him as a very clever man, no.

I would say he’s not being particularly honest about things. Including his interactions with JG.

Oh, and, Hi Gordon!

 

[Mark Walters]

sometimes people just don't click for whatever reason, happens in every work place.

 

[BlueLagoonCo]

Gordon Smith does an interview and speaks honestly, he didn't get on well with John Greig so what many people have personality clashes with others. The fact this has been made into an article suggests an overreaction.

It's not like Gordon Smith is slating Greig just stated a couple of incidents thag led to them not being best of friends.

No disrespect but that’s another gone to the grave riddled with guilt and secrets

 

[Danger Zone]

Guess my ( now 58 yr old ) interpretation of the standard that ex Gers player should live up to is higher than yours. To me he took an unnecessary swing and missed once again.

So what you want is for your ex gers to behave like jumped up adolescent neds? Each to their own.

 

[Eckhailitchenko]

So what you want is for your ex gers to behave like jumped up adolescent neds? Each to their own.

What you on today mate ?
Pretty clear what I’m saying about bit part ex players going after Gers legends I’d have thought. But to clarify, just behave like you’re one of us and not a yahoo. Too many neds been in and around our club lately. .

 

[Skyy Bluenose]

Hardly having a pop. A couple of little anecdotes. Obviously Greig didn't fancy him as a player. Those of us who suffered through the early 80's can tell you he wasn't the greatest talent evaluator.

A bit like Ally. Great Rangers player - terrible Rangers manager.

Also like Ally, Smith and Johnstone were as good a goal scoring combination at Rangers as McCoist and Hateley. Just for a shorter period.

 

[Danger Zone]

What you on today mate ?
Pretty clear what I’m saying about bit part ex players going after Gers legends I’d have thought. But to clarify, just behave like you’re one of us and not a yahoo. Too many neds been in and around our club lately. .

I think the question is what are you on. Gordon Smith did an interview, he was asked and be answered honestly. Why is that a problem for you? You prefer the poet route of dishonesty?

I really don’t understand why anyone has an issue. And as someone else said, Smith played a part in some success, also stuck up for the club numerous teams. Not exactly getting much respect for it though is he.

 

[Eckhailitchenko]

So what you want is for your ex gers to behave like jumped up adolescent neds? Each to their own.

This is what you suggested I want Rangers players to act like. Never at any point did I suggest that and in fact the exact opposite.
You’re either replying to the wrong poster or in need of a nap.
My view is ex Gers players should not be making negative comments is ( even if invited to do so by the mhedia ) about ex team mates especially a guy who was his captain and yes a Rangers legend.

 

[Beer Belly Loyal]

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

I met John Greig, at Ibrox, whilst he was manager, only once. He was vile, odious and ignorant. I wish I had never met him. Thankfully, that same day I also met Willie Thornton, a real gentleman, who could not have been more accommodating.

Gimme examples of the vile. odious and ignorant?

He must have went full throttle on you, a new member.

PS, was it early doors or when he was thinking of resigning?

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

The bile on here in nothing compared to the bile coming from the east and west enclosure towards John greig when he was manager and it started from the minute he walked out of the tunnel.the day he resigned as manager and left Ibrox should have been a very sad but most of the support was overjoyed he was gone.

Bullshit.

He needed to go, of that there is no doubt.

I know I cried when he left (it was a Friday)

There was no celebration when he left.

 

[dh1963]

Bullshit.

He needed to go, of that there is no doubt.

I know I cried when he left (it was a Friday)

There was no celebration when he left.

My memory of John Greig resigning was just sadness that he was never going to succeed. I remember a demonstration outside Ibrox after a game we lost to Motherwell, but everyone I knew just found the whole thing inevitable but heartbreaking. Nobody disliked the man.

 

[dublinbluenose]

Bullshit.

He needed to go, of that there is no doubt.

I know I cried when he left (it was a Friday)

There was no celebration when he left.

I was at love street the day after he resigned and most bears I was standing beside were delighted he was gone

 

[dublinbluenose]

My memory of John Greig resigning was just sadness that he was never going to succeed. I remember a demonstration outside Ibrox after a game we lost to Motherwell, but everyone I knew just found the whole thing inevitable but heartbreaking. Nobody disliked the man.

Don’t think it was ever about disliking the man but from 79 onwards more and more supporters did not want him as manager,the 82/83 season there were banners in the ground one usually in the Copland with “greig must go” on it and one in the govan always brought out at half time which had “Simpson and greig must go” (Rae Simpson was chairman).the protests outside the main stand after the Motherwell was one of the biggest I have ever seen.

 

[club175]

Sounds like greig was a bit of a bully. Let’s be honest every successful team probably has one. I have no doubt Keane at Man Utd probably made some lads time a nightmare

 

[dh1963]

Don’t think it was ever about disliking the man but from 79 onwards more and more supporters did not want him as manager,the 82/83 season there were banners in the ground one usually in the Copland with “greig must go” on it and one in the govan always brought out at half time which had “Simpson and greig must go” (Rae Simpson was chairman).the protests outside the main stand after the Motherwell was one of the biggest I have ever seen.

It was no different to the end of the second Jock Wallace spell.

The fans discontent got louder, results were rotten, and most fans were happy that the great man was gone from the job.
But the vast majority were heartbroken it hadn't worked as the man himself was still loved.

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

I was at love street the day after he resigned and most bears I was standing beside were delighted he was gone

So was I (0-3)

I don't remember the festivities you mention (maybe I was too numb to listen)

Maybe that's the problem. We all get too het up and it's all too personal?

I think it's spooky.

John Greig signs Ally McCoist.

Two bona fide, gen-u-ine Rangers legends, who then go onto manage the club. And are a disaster.

Their managerial records shouldn't deflect away from what they did on the park, but it should never be ignored either.

 

[dublinbluenose]

So was I (0-3)

I don't remember the festivities you mention (maybe I was too numb to listen)

Maybe that's the problem. We all get too het up and it's all too personal?

I think it's spooky.

John Greig signs Ally McCoist.

Two bona fide, gen-u-ine Rangers legends, who then go onto manage the club. And are a disaster.

Their managerial records shouldn't deflect away from what they did on the park, but it should never be ignored either.

I wouldn’t describe them as festivities, more relief that he wasn’t manager anymore.i had just turned 18 and witnessed one of the worst seasons 82/83 where the attendances had fallen off a cliff such was the dire stuff served up and the 83/84 season was looking even worse.i can only speak for me personally but when it was announced on the Friday that he was gone I was ecstatic and so were most of the rsc bus I went to love street on.ill never question his commitment to the club and that he’s is club legend but at the same time I won’t rewrite history and pretend it was a sad day when he resigned as manager.

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

I wouldn’t describe them as festivities, more relief that he wasn’t manager anymore.i had just turned 18 and witnessed one of the worst seasons 82/83 where the attendances had fallen off a cliff such was the dire stuff served up and the 83/84 season was looking even worse.i can only speak for me personally but when it was announced on the Friday that he was gone I was ecstatic and so were most of the rsc bus I went to love street on.ill never question his commitment to the club and that he’s is club legend but at the same time I won’t rewrite history and pretend it was a sad day when he resigned as manager.

April 82, the replay v Forfar in the SC semi final.

That was the first time I ever heard Greig v Wallace chants.

I personally would have sacked Greig after Chesterfield.

But we beat the filth at the weekend, So who cared?

 

[dublinbluenose]

It was no different to the end of the second Jock Wallace spell.

The fans discontent got louder, results were rotten, and most fans were happy that the great man was gone from the job.
But the vast majority were heartbroken it hadn't worked as the man himself was still loved.

Personally speaking and I don’t know if it was because I had seen us beat Celtic and win trophies under jock Wallace on his return and being a couple of years wiser as where we were as a club but I wasn’t as vociferous about wanting rid of jock Wallace as I was about JG.i was 17/18 when I first went every week in the 82/83.

 

[dublinbluenose]

April 82, the replay v Forfar in the SC semi final.

That was the first time I ever heard Greig v Wallace chants.

I personally would have sacked Greig after Chesterfield.

But we beat the filth at the weekend, So who cared?

Yep I was at the first forfar game and the replay.at the first game the jock Wallace chant was louder but as you say it was also sang at the replay but because we were winning more fans were chanting “John Greig” defending him.i think the writing was on the wall for JG that day at fir park in 82 when jock Wallace came out as Motherwell manager and none of the bears present acknowledged JG and just focused on jock and gave him a rousing reception.

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

Personally speaking and I don’t know if it was because I had seen us beat Celtic and win trophies under jock Wallace on his return and being a couple of years wiser as where we were as a club but I wasn’t as vociferous about wanting rid of jock Wallace as I was about JG.i was 17/18 when I first went every week in the 82/83.

It was a bad, bad time. BAD, BAD, TIMES.

We won two trophies on Wallace's return (the same year, 1984) we also had our worst season statistically in 85/86 under Jock Wallace.

But I think we're getting away from the main drag.

 

[dublinbluenose]

It was a bad, bad time. BAD, BAD, TIMES.

We won two trophies on Wallace's return (the same year, 1984) we also had our worst season statistically in 85/86 under Jock Wallace.

But I think we're getting away from the main drag.

I was a couple of years wiser by then lol didn’t make it any more pleasent right enough

 

[wee bud's pit boots]

I was a couple of years wiser by then lol didn’t make it any more pleasent right enough

I thought Forfar in 82, was as bad as it could it get.

I got that one wrong.

But we'll live to spite another day. ;-)