Inner Rangers sanctum filled with a stench of regret – the story of how sacking an Ibrox diehard sparked disgust

It used to be a footballing shrine within Rangers’ training ground.

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.

It was a meeting point. A talking shop for players, coaches and staff alike. It was where new signings were brought as their first port of call. An induction centre. The hub, where anyone who didn’t know what the club was about quickly found out. They had no choice. The smell of history, prestige and success filled their nostrils as soon as they walked through the door. Whether they were from Aberdeen or Argentina, they were indoctrinated. This little area was a part of the Rangers fabric.

Now? Unless anything has been pinned up recently, it consists of four plain, white walls. It hasn’t just been rid of its artefacts. Its very essence has been emptied. That whiff of nostalgia has been replaced by a stench of neglect. This place is Jimmy Bell’s old kit-room at Auchenhowie. What used to be a Rangers treasure trove is now like any other kit-room.

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.

Now, in the grand scheme of Rangers’ current problems, this might not seem like a