Derek Johnstone: Ally McCoist should be invited to Ibrox title party

[ian1964 10,416]

DEREK JOHNSTONE has urged the Rangers board to invite Light Blue legend Ally McCoist back to Ibrox to mark the Championship title celebrations.

 

Mark Warburton’s side will get their hands on the second tier silverware after the visit of Alloa in a fortnights time in their penultimate league outing this term.

 

The Gers clinched their Premiership return with victory over Dumbarton on Tuesday night and will now look to overcome Peterhead in the Petrofac Training Cup final before turning their attentions to the Old Firm Scottish Cup showdown next Sunday.

 

McCoist was instrumental for Rangers during their darkest days and led his side to the Third Division and League One crowns in successive seasons.

 

The Gers’ record scorer left Ibrox in December 2014 after a turbulent few months on and off the park before the Light Blues eventually went on to miss out on promotion via the play-offs.

 

McCoist is still held in high regard by supporters and Johnstone hopes he will be able to play his part in marking the end of The Journey and perhaps join the celebrations this month.

 

He told SportTimes: “Ally, in the end, took an awful lot of stick from so many people but he started off the recovery.

 

“He had a job to do in the Third Division and League One and that was to get Rangers through the leagues amid everything else that was going on at the club. He did that and he had a big part to play in The Journey.

 

“I hope that he is back at Ibrox for the game against Alloa in a couple of weeks. Ally is as big a Rangers fan as anybody out there.

 

"It must have been difficult for him in the end, having been such a legend as a player, to leave the club like he did. He was the manager of the club at the worst time in Rangers’ history.

 

“A few days before the season started in 2012, he only had a handful of players but he did what he had to do for Rangers.

 

“He could have said ‘this is a job for an experienced manager’ and left the club, but he stayed there and he played his part in the first couple of seasons.

 

“You can’t forget what Ally, and Kenny McDowall and Gordon Durie, did for Rangers during their time at the club.

 

“I think every one of them deserve a pat on the back. For the last home game, I would like to think they would be asked back to Ibrox, and perhaps some of the former players, to say thanks for what they did for Rangers over the years.

 

"I am sure if they asked Ally he would be there in a heartbeat.”

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/14412020.Derek_Johnstone__Ally_McCoist_should_be_remembered_for_his_role_at_Rangers_and_invited_to_Ibrox_title_party/

[barca72 440]

If we just think of him as a playing legend, I think we could manage to be magnanimous as a support towards him.

We're going up and all bears are welcome.

[the gunslinger 3,366]

Don't see why not.

 

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

[Frankie 8,150]

No need to invite him. If the fella wants to come, he can buy a ticket like the rest of us and, of course, will be made very welcome to join the party!

[RANGERRAB 3,258]

It will be up to the Rangers board to decide whether to invite McCoist .

If it's true he rejected DaveKing's offer to settle his exorbitant contract after he resigned then I'd say the Rangers board may well not wish to invite him

[gisabeer 409]

He still collected a wage after the three bears took over. What kind of rangers man would do that?

[JTP 0]

Playing legend? Absolutely. But then we have loads of them so why single Ally out for a special invite.

 

But that's where the line is drawn for me.

 

And DJ is correct he did start the journey but on his mission to get us through the leagues I'm sorry but "he did that" is a lot of balls, his terrible start to the Championship (and lets not forget Kenny was possibly worse) gave McCall mission impossible.

[Ser Barristan Selmy 222]

He was an utter abomination and will never work in management again. If he wants to attend our games he can pay at the gate like everyone else.

[gisabeer 409]

the only thing to come good about Mccoist hanging on as long as he did is that we might have missed the chance to get warburton. maybe it was our fate the way things panned out.

[cooponthewing 1,139]

Wow, this is a very emotional topic. Trying to be objective and play devils advocate here, I believe DJ knows there is a feeling of deep unease around McCoist's past and what happened during his time as Rangers manager. The fact he continued to receive money from the club while he was no longer actively employed and knowing the dire financial difficulties that we have faced while professing his undying love the club, I am positive does not sit well with many bears, many would say rightly so. Lets be honest here, if DJ hadn't wrote that article and brought this into the public domain and McCoist had just turned up "paying at the gate" as some would say, unannounced, I would suggest there may have been an issue with some bears regarding that, so for the sake of public order it made sense to bring this into the public domain.

As far as his legacy goes, yes, he did galvanise us when we were at our lowest, and its easy to forget that, he certainly hasn't helped himself with his dealing before he left, however he did bring us up and through two leagues through the darkest point in our history, and yes a lot of people would say anyone could have done that, however I didn't see a que of people lining up to ask for the job though.

I'm not on making a point either defending or attacking McCoist, just trying to put an objective view on it. Imo, any former manager should be welcome at ibrox, I agree he should pay at the gate but we all know that isn't going to happen as no other previous manager would be asked to do that either. He shouldn't be taking any bows in front of the crowd or lapping up any plaudits, however as a former manager and as someone who at least didn't jump ship like a lot of players did(he could have went back to his cushy media number) we should at least act like adults and acknowledge his positive achievements, mainly as a player, and a legendary player, if the board who we have entrusted to be custodians of our club invite him, and the same as any other manager afford him the pleasure of attending our title party.

Just my opinion guys, everyone entitled to their own. WATP.