Celtic fans and Sir Alex pay tribute

Celtic fans show that Baxter transcended barriers

Sir Alex Ferguson, Chancellor Gordon Brown, Kenny Dalglish, Craig Brown and Denis Law have joined in the tributes to Jim Baxter, who died of cancer on Saturday at the age of 61.

Baxter is synonymous with Rangers, but even supporters of Celtic joined in to prove that his popularity transcended the often bitter barriers between the two Glasgow rivals.

Banners hailing him as "Simply the Best", a reference to the present Ibrox anthem, were displayed as a minute's silence was observed before Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final against Dundee United.

Manchester United manager Ferguson played alongside Baxter at Rangers in the 60s and said of one performance the midfielder put in against Borussia Dortmund: "You could have set his performance to music."

Fantastic footballer

The likes of Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup have worn the light blue in more recent times.

But Ferguson insisted: "Baxter was Rangers greatest-ever player and would have been a great player in any era."

A minutes' silence at Hampden Park

Indeed, Ferguson suggested the Fifer was "arguably the best player to play in Scottish football".

"He had immense skill, balance, confidence, grace and ability to pass and hold the ball.

"He was just a fantastic footballer. Fantastic."

Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown was friendly with Baxter, who hailed from the village of Hill of Beath in his Dunfermline East constituency and started his senior career with his beloved Raith Rovers.

Sense of humour

"One of my earliest memories of football is supporting Jim Baxter at Stark's Park," said Brown.

"He was one of the greatest players Scotland ever produced and went on to represent his country with great distinction.

Jim Baxter in his Rangers days

"I last saw Jim just a few weeks ago in Glasgow where, as always, his well-known sense of humour made the evening one that everyone present will never forget.

"The courage he showed in his final months was a mark of the man.

"Like every other Scotland fan, I will mourn and miss Jim Baxter and will never forget what he contributed to our game."

Scotland manager Craig Brown said Baxter was "an all-time great in Scottish football".

"When we won at Wembley in 1967 to become world champions, Jim was instrumental in the victory," he said.

Best-ever Scotland side

Former Scotland, Liverpool and Celtic star Kenny Dalglish said: "My lasting memory of him will be of Wembley in 1967.

"To keep the ball up just when it looked as though Scotland were going to beat them was beyond belief."

Law was also part of that famous line-up and said: "He was voted in the best-ever Scotland side recently and rightly so."

Former Dundee United manager and chairman Jim McLean added: "Today we lack the creative ability that he had in abundance. I played against him but did not get a kick of the ball."