WE CAN'T LET A FEW DRAG DOWN NAME OF OUR GREAT CLUB

WHEN John Greig signed for Rangers in 1958 the words his manager, Scot Symon, said to him stayed in his mind for the rest of his life.

Greigy MBE went on to be recognised by his country for services to football and became enshrined in his club's history when he was voted the Greatest Ranger of all time by fans.

But it was what Symon told him that had the strongest impact. Greig said: "I completed the contract and Mr Symon said to me, 'You've filled in a form to play football for this club.

But what I expect you to be is a Rangers man 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 52 weeks a year'.

"If I'm to leave any kind of legacy behind at Rangers beyond the achievements from my playing and managerial career then I hope it will be that I helped carry on the work done by men like Scot, Willie Waddell and Bill Struth.

"What they did was create standards beneath which they would not allow anyone associated with Rangers to fall.

"And that's why it angers me when the vast majority of Rangers supporters have their good name pulled down by the actions of what is a decreasing minority.

"For too long the majority have been denied a pat on the back for their good conduct because the spotlight has fallen on that minority for other reasons."

Greig was speaking out on a weekend in which Rangers will play league leaders Hearts at Ibrox and attention will be paid to what goes on off the park as well as on it.

But it is also the weekend when the club holds a gala dinner to celebrate 50 years of their involvement in European competition.

And Greig is a huge part of their continental memories because he captained the side when they won the European Cup Winners Cup in Barcelona in 1972.

In many ways Greig is Rangers. He was the one who stuck by them when Celtic became the first club to win nine titles in a row between 1966 and 1975, refusing to cut and run like the succession of players who left for English football.

Now he refuses to hide from the issue of Rangers addressing the problems which have recently had them investigated by UEFA, fined for the singing of inappropriate songs and threatened with even more punitive measures unless habits change among that element of the support letting the club down.

He said: "I hate it when Rangers are criticised for supporters' actions because I know how much the club means to the genuine fans and how much the fans mean to the players.

"It was a humbling experience for me to be voted the Greatest Ranger. But I never forget there were great Rangers before me and great men came after me at Ibrox. I want the fans to be proud to be Rangers supporters and allow us to be seen as a big club on and off the park."

The more immediate task is to beat Hearts today and ex-Jambo Greig relishes the challenge from the east.

He said: "The stakes have been upped for the Old Firm and there's nothing wrong with that. More clubs going for the title reduces the tension.

"The funny thing is there's a charitable aspect to the Hearts match. It's Bluenose Day with funds being raised for organisations helped by Rangers' Charity Foundation.

"When I saw Hearts play Rangers for the first time it was at Tynecastle in 1954 and I got in at half-time for nothing because I sold flags for charity outside before kickoff.

Football clubs and the good they do for charitable causes is another side of the game people don't see and don't highlight.

"It's like the respectful rivalry that exists between Rangers and Celtic. I had great affection and respect for my old adversary Jimmy Johnstone, who left us earlier this year.

"I was never in the game to hate anyone. I felt privileged to be part of football and especially a part of Rangers. That's the way I want the fans to feel about our club."

Taken from the Daily Record