SFA Chief Smith Still Haunted By Tragedy

Mar 9 2008 By Kenny Macdonald

SFA chief executive Gordon Smith has spoken of his heartache at losing Rangers team-mate Bobby McKean - 30 years on from the winger's tragic death.

McKean accidentally died in his car after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning just days before Rangers played Celtic in the League Cup Final.

Now Gers are preparing to face Dundee United in the final of the same competition almost exactly three decades after his death at 25.

And Smith has revealed how he incredibly lost two team-mates in one season after joining Rangers from Kilmarnock.

He said: "I used to share a car with Bobby to training as I was coming from Kilmarnock and Bobby lived in Barrhead. We would also collect Derek Johnstone who didn't drive back then.

"We were devastated when he died and I also lost another friend and team-mate that season when Killie's Ian Fallis was killed in a car accident.

"Ian died just after I left for Rangers and it was a shock. So to lose Bobby six months later was awful."

Scottish football was hit by tragedy again this season when Motherwell's Phil O'Donnell died.

The Fir Park players got time off to deal with their grief but it was a different story in the 70s.

Smith recalled: "We played Celtic in the final just a few days after Bobby had died. Back then things were different and you never even had time off for the birth of your kids.

"Jock Wallace told us we couldn't lose for Bobby's sake. It was my first final and I set up Davie Cooper for the opener.

"Celtic equalised with a goal from Johannes Edvaldsson but I got the winner in extra time."

McKean (right) joined Rangers from St Mirren in 1974 and won his only Scotland cap against Switzerland two years later.

Smith added: "Bobby was a good player and scored a few goals. Ibrox was in total shock when the news came through about his death."