How Warburton can make his mark with Weir at Rangers

Now it could be the partnership made in blue heaven that can get the Bears bouncing.

There were a few raised eyebrows in Scotland when David Weir made the move to Brentford in December 2013, and a fair share at Griffin Park as well.

His appointment as assistant manager came just days after Mark Warburton was named boss of the then League One club, with coaches Alan Kernaghan and Peter Farrell leaving as Warburton immediately made his mark on the training ground.

It didn't take him and Weir long to prove their worth on the touchline, either.

By the end of the season, Brentford were a Championship team and a club on the rise, the work of Warburton marking him out as one of the most interesting and talked about managers in the country.

His football story - the City trader turned youth coach and now boss - makes him stand out, but he has not travelled the journey alone in recent times.

With his sights set, remarkably, on the Premiership, Warburton was informed that he would not be Brentford boss next season as owner Matthew Benham elected to take the club in a different direction, putting his emphasis in numbers more than a manager.

Brentford would eventually lose out in the Championship play-offs and now Rangers hope the Bees' loss is their gain as they put their faith in the Warburton and Weir combination.

While the former Light Blues captain is accustomed to life at Ibrox, the move north of the border will present another change in surroundings and circumstances for the 52-year-old who has been tasked with revitalising Rangers' on-field fortunes.

But it is a challenge Warburton has been backed to rise to and to relish, with the help of his trusted right hand man.

"I am not surprised to see Mark go to Rangers, particularly as he was keen to continue the partnership with David, who obviously has a very strong history at Rangers," lifelong Brentford fan and former chairman of the Bees Trust Brian Burgess told SportTimes.

"That connection has been clearly been very influential. The relationship between them certainly did flourish.

"It was very much an unknown quantity to Brentford fans when Mark brought David in but it certainly went from strength to strength.

"I think that is a tribute to the motivational and leadership skills of Mark and David that they could keep the players focused on getting promotion this season.

"It was a very strong finish to the season. He ran a well motivated, high morale team."

While Rangers fans will need no introduction to former hero Weir, few will know the merits of Warburton and what has made him the man the board have put their trust in.

The former Watford youth coach and the brains behind the NextGen series will hope to make his mark quickly at Ibrox and has little time to prepare a squad for the new campaign.

But Burgess, who is leading a team that is working into a move away from Griffin Park for Brentford and is the chairman of Supporters Direct in England, is confident the first impressions will be good ones for the Light Blue legions.

"I think Mark and David together did a fantastic job at Brentford and the fans were really pleased with the style and the quality of the football we have played," he said.

"It has been a really exciting season. He delivered what the fans wanted in terms of attacking football.

"The credit has to rest as well with Matthew Benham, the owner of the club. It is his philosophy to play attractive football and Mark and David implemented that very well."

While fans will no doubt be excited at the prospect of an easy on the eye, free-flowing football approach under Warburton's command, it will be the results that will ultimately determine his longevity and legacy at Ibrox.

His meticulous, modern philosophy has won rave reviews in the Capital as he has made the transition from City trader to managerial success story and he has left behind fond memories and a lasting legacy at Griffin Park.

The rebuilding job required at Ibrox is significant, with every area of the football department requiring investment and vision as the new Gers board look to transform the club on and off the park.

It is Warburton that has been tasked with making the dream a reality as he writes another chapter in his remarkable story.

"He had a lot of experience before he became Brentford manager in coaching and youth development," Burgess said.

"Mark had done a lot of homework since he left the City and built up his knowledge and experience in a number of different roles for the club.

"He built up our youth development system and the support structure in terms of the medical team, the analysis, and he had done a lot of groundwork before he took over as manager. His City experience means that he is a very mature and balanced individual.

"That is the job he has done at Brentford, he has overhauled the whole club, with the assistance and encouragement of the owner.

"It depends what brief he is given by the board at Rangers. But if that is the kind of job that they want done then Mark is very capable of doing that."

Warburton's rise has been impressive, yet there was no fairytale finale at Brentford as his side were beaten in the play-off semi-finals by Middlesbrough last month.

It was a disappointing end to a tenure that has laid the foundations for the future under new head coach Marinus Dijkhuizen and professional gambler Benham.

But the parting of ways has not soured the relationship between Warburton and the Bees support after his four-year association with the club came to an end.

"I am not sure that he has changed markedly in the time he has been here," Burgess said.

"He has always been a very articulate, intelligent, level-headed man. He has gone about his business in a very professional way and built the club very strongly.

"Brentford fans are very pleased with the job he has done. They are excited about the new future at the club and everyone supports the ambitions of the owner.

"But we think that Mark and David have done a great job and we wish them well in the future. They will always be welcome back at Griffin Park."