Jim McAlister’s name isn’t one you hear mentioned too much around Ibrox and that's convenient for some people
An impressive array of shirts, pennants, boots and balls filled every bit of space. Priceless memorabilia celebrating Ibrox icons and legends of the past. From Davie Cooper to Brian Laudrup. Graeme Souness to Paul Gascoigne. Barry Ferguson to Fernando Ricksen. They were all there, in some shape or form. But this place was more than just a mini Rangers museum.
Bereft and devoid of any sort of tradition. It used to be part of the inner sanctum. The legendary kitman’s pride and joy, created over the course of decades of service. Yet as we speak, the stuff that made it so special is lying in a garage. Jimmy’s widow, Janice, removed it – such was her disappointment and disgust at the club’s treatment of her late husband’s successor.
Ruthlessly axed amidst a sea of incompetencies and false accusations. In February, McAlister won his unfair dismissal case against the club at an employment tribunal. Neither the club nor Bisgrove offered any form of defence at the hearing. The meagre payout and legal costs might not have dented Rangers’ balance sheet. But in terms of the irreparable damage done? Well, that’s two-fold.
Getting rid of people like McAlister and what he represented, particularly after Bell’s death, is a path a club like Rangers should never go down. Other Rangers-minded individuals have also been treated with contempt. How none of the current Ibrox board sensed that, beggars belief. Anyone who spoke to Bisgrove – and who truly had the club at heart – predicted his Ibrox ending. And those same people weren’t surprised when he jumped ship to Saudi, leaving a trail of devastation – and an unfinished Copland Road stand – in his wake.
And that’s aside from tactics, style of play or progress in Europe. Rangers won’t achieve anything until another huge hole is filled. They have to get the club’s heart and soul back, which has been ripped out in recent years.
Scottish Premiership Jimmy Bell James Bisgrove John Gilligan Graeme Souness Philippe Clement
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