Running out at Ibrox, seeing that sea of light blue, and pulling on a Rangers shirt were things I never took for granted.
There’s nowhere else like it. Nowhere.
I had the privilege of doing it one more time on Saturday at the Legends game in the glorious Glasgow sunshine.
And I soaked it all in.
Thankfully I could rely on my team-mates to do the running for me. Clearly this Hammer’s been sitting idle for far too long but I did manage a brief cameo.
What mattered most was just being out there with my pals again, sharing a special atmosphere with the supporters and reliving some amazing memories.
That unity we once shared in the dressing room and that bond with the people in the stands – well, that lasts forever.
The daily dramas at my old club aren’t plastered across the newspapers in Germany, unlike in Scotland. But the old boys do have a WhatsApp group for former players.
All of the issues at the club are soon relayed back and forth. We chat, we look and listen – and at times it can be disheartening.
What should never be forgotten is that all of the Rangers Legends who lined up yesterday have given so much to the club.
Some faces were surprisingly absent so there was sadness too.
The club should take pride in these players and men such as Mark Hateley, Richard Gough and Derek Johnstone .
That’s why their removal as club ambassadors is concerning.
Having them around the club should be a given but is there a belief within the board that they are too aligned to former chairman Dave King? I don’t know.
It’s all a bit too insecure and lacking in respect for men who deserve better.
That’s not for argument and neither is the fact Rangers Football Club are nothing without the fans. Supporters need to be heard and taken seriously.
For a few weeks now the fall-out from the Sydney Super Cup has been brewing and now it’s spilling out with nasty statements.
It’s all getting a bit ugly and unbecoming of such a great club.
Someone from the board needs to take a lead and open a more constructive line of dialogue than just firing out statements.
Airing grievances in full public view does nobody any good. There must be a better way.
A channel of communication between the Rangers board and the fans is needed now more than ever.
What’s so wrong about someone like managing director Stewart Robertson sitting down with representatives of Club 1872 and clearing the air?
A more mature solution is required and both sides need to find common ground without the back biting. It cuts both ways, both the club and the fan groups need to step back from the name calling and accusations.
Talking things through is how this can be resolved and we need a quick conclusion.
Nobody wants the off-field distractions to cloud what could be a magnificent season.
Here we are, striving for success in the Europa League, the Premiership and Scottish Cup, yet it’s politics that we are talking about.
I’ve always kept myself up to speed with the goings on at Ibrox – and look how far the team have travelled in the last 10 years.
It has been achieved together, unity of club and support driving things forward – that’s why this whole affair is so sour.
The need for stability, strong leadership and a common goal has never been greater.
Rangers are once again reaching the latter stages in Europe, for goodness sake. That’s what people should be shouting from the rooftops. Instead we have a squabble over this Old Firm friendly in Australia that is meant to take place in November.
I understand the fans when they claim there shouldn’t be friendly games when it comes to the Old Firm.
This is being billed as Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou’s homecoming so that has put some Bluenoses out of joint.
The deal was done without consultation with the supporters so the board needs to show a bit of humility.
Sit down with Club 1872. Explain your thinking behind it and point of view. There could be a different outcome – not the mudslinging.
There are well-spoken and dignified individuals on the board and within the fan group.
So heads should be knocked together.
Maybe that will force the board to have a change of heart – but all of this anger and aggressive language has to stop now.
Rangers have had more than their fair share of infighting over the years. The situation with King, and the disconnect between him and the current board, appears obvious and another example of the politics at play.
