The scenes at Rugby Park on May 15, 2011 were the perfect way for Walter Smith to bow out as Rangers manager, when the team clinched three titles in a row in emphatic fashion.

The championship went to the final day. Rangers held a one-point lead over Celtic who were facing Motherwell at home, and for the third time the SPL hired a helicopter to deliver the trophy to the winners. Smith’s side scored three times inside the first seven minutes, making Celtic’s 4-0 win irrelevant.

Rangers won 5-1 to claim the championship for the 54th time and give their manager his 21st major honour in two spells as boss. Outwith the nine-in-a-row period, it was the first time Rangers had won three successive titles since the 1930s.

“Sometimes when you are coming to the end and everyone knows you are leaving, the focus goes on you and that’s unfair on the rest of the boys,” Smith said. “I was worried that it would be about me rather than all of us, but the boys handled that aspect of it the way they have handled all of the problems we have encountered over the past few years – extremely well.

“It was a fantastic way to go out. We had a lot of difficulties, but we overcame them and if ever a group of players deserved to win the Championship it was them. You just have to look to a couple of years ago when all of them were up for sale and yet they committed themselves to the club.”

Rangers also produced a performance of strength and purpose to defeat Celtic in extra-time in the League Cup final. Smith’s side were without a win against Celtic in four matches, but Steve Davis scored the opening goal. Joe Ledley equalised and the match went to extra time, when Vladimir Weiss surprised Celtic with a quick free-kick that sent Nikica Jelavic through and he slipped the ball past Fraser Forster.

“My team was excellent that day and everyone played exceptionally well. I was delighted for every one of the players because they had taken some criticism in the previous matches with Celtic.

“We created more chances and had far more opportunities to score and we probably should have won the game in 90 minutes, so there were concerns that things could go wrong in extra-time because Celtic had dangerous forwards who were capable of getting a goal out of nothing.”

The Hampden triumph was the catalyst for Rangers to secure the championship, with the team winning nine and drawing one of their remaining 10 fixtures. There were two other major moments in the campaign, with Ally McCoist officially announced on February 22 as the man to replace Smith, and then just nine days before the end of the season the club changed hands when Sir David Murray concluded a deal with Craig Whyte.

“I must admit when I go back to the start I think about all of the great moments,” Smith said. “There were great Rangers managers before me who brought successes to the club and I’m just pleased and feel very fortunate that I have been able to follow them. To become Rangers manager was the biggest thing in my career and I feel honoured that I was given the chance not once but twice.

“I am also fortunate that I have had some great people around me in both periods, in terms of staff and players. No manager can succeed without that, regardless of whatever talents he may have. People talk about ‘grooming’ Ally McCoist, but that’s not the case because I knew the talents that he had. Many people see the jovial character and the bubbly personality – and he has that – but he has a hard edge to him and a desire to be successful at whatever he does. I always felt that he had managerial qualities and hopefully with a bit of help from everyone at Rangers he will be successful.

“I will be back as a supporter. I won’t be back that often initially, because when you make a break like I am doing then I feel it is better to stay away. However, I will be watching with interest. I have been fortunate that my boys were brilliant for me – Alastair, Kenny McDowall, Ian Durrant, Jim Stewart, Paul Jackson, Pip Yeats and all of the backroom team. I sincerely hope that they all give the same backing to Alastair and they can all continue to bring a great level of success to Rangers.

“There will be parts of the job I will miss, particularly the camaraderie of your colleagues. The players were great to work with. I can count on one hand the number of times I had to step in and lift training because the boys always worked hard. Their commitment could not be faulted. We had some disappointments along the way, but they always attempted to bring success to the club. I feel fortunate. Rangers is a fantastic club.”