John Greig: Sandy Jardine ‘like a little brother’

FORMER Rangers captain John Greig has paid tribute to Sandy Jardine after the man he described as being “like a little brother” passed away, aged 65.

The full back, part of the Rangers team which won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972, died on Thursday after losing his 18-month battle with cancer.

But Greig - like Jardine born in Edinburgh but a hero to the Ibrox support - hailed a man he has known for over half a century.

Greig - who was Jardine’s skipper as he led the club to their only European title when they beat Dynamo Moscow in Barcelona almost 42 years ago - said: “I have known for quite a while how ill Sandy has been and how hard he has fought. Unfortunately it was one battle he was not able to win.

“But irrespective of the fact I knew how ill he was, the news on Thursday night still came as a big, big shock.

“Sandy never failed to impress people when he met them. People should remember him as an excellent football player and a gentleman. For me, above all that, I will look back on him as an old and trusted friend to me.

“I first met Sandy 50 years ago and we travelled back and forward from Edinburgh to Glasgow on the train for years.

“We lived round the corner from each other and our kids grew up knowing each other. In many ways, he was like my little brother. I will never forget him.”

Sandy Jardine, left, with John Greig. The ex-Rangers captain described his team-mate as 'like a little brother'. Picture: TSPL

The coalition group the Union of Fans has called off a demonstration against the unpopular Rangers board planned for Saturday’s final home match of the season against Stranraer out of respect to Jardine.

Derek Johnstone, another former ‘Barcelona Bear’, told Radio Clyde: “People talk about legends these days but that word is bandied about far, far too easily.

“But Sandy Jardine was a Rangers legend. There will be many, many Rangers fans deeply saddened by this news.”