Stuart McCall reveals nickname Rangers kitman Jimmy Bell used to rile him before touching tribute that meant the world

Stuart McCall finally knew he’d made it at Ibrox when he made it onto Jimmy Bell’s wall of fame.

Former Rangers ace McCall was back at Ibrox earlier this month for a dinner paying tribute to the legendary Light Blues kitman, who died in May 2022 aged 69. Signed from Everton in 1991, he was already a seasoned Scotland international - but he never felt in the frame with Gers until getting Bell’s seal of approval.

McCall said: “The dinner was a great night. There was a lovely tribute to Jimmy and it was great to catch up too with some of my old team-mates. And it was great to hear so many stories. Obviously I knew Jimmy from having played with the club for seven years before going back for that short spell as manager. But it was nice to hear some of the stories from other guys who’d played for the club at different times.

“My own favourite personal memory of Jimmy goes back to my first season. Jimmy had pictures of his favourites up on the wall in his kit room. At that time, Graeme Souness, Terry Butcher and the late great Davie Cooper were up there. And of course, Coisty and Durranty too.

“I remember going in the day before we played Airdrie in the 1992 Scottish Cup Final. I remember saying to him, ‘You know you’ve got six players up on the wall here but only Coops has won a Scottish Cup?’

"Now Jimmy was the type who didn’t suffer fools gladly and it took him a while to warm to you. He used to call me the ‘little English boy’, which would rile me up because deep down he knew I was a Rangers fan as a kid.

“So I go, ‘If this little English boy wins you this Cup, do I get on your wall?’ ‘Absolutely no chance,’ came the reply! Anyway, I’m back in on the Monday. We’d won the Cup against Airdrie and I was in collecting my boots