Rangers fans plead with council to clean-up Ibrox legend's statue after it is left in 'sad' condition

Rangers fans have called on the council to restore a statue of Scotland and Gers icon Davie Cooper after one of his former team mates looks "sad" and in need of "TLC".

During the late 1990s, the Ibrox icon was given a bronze monument in his hometown of Hamilton to honour his legacy in Scottish football after he died tragically aged just 39 but recent photos have shown that words on the plaque have been worn away and several letters missing.

Cooper, who was capped 22 times by Scotland and won 15 trophies during his time with Rangers and has been included in the Scottish Football Hall of Fame. His death due to a brain haemorrhage while he was training young footballers and came at a huge shock to the Scottish football community.

Following his passing in 1995, a statue was sculpted by Kenny Mackay and later unveiled by South Lanarkshire Council but it has fallen into a "sad" condition claimed his former team mate Dave MacKinnon.

Taking to social media, McKinnon wrote: "Sad situation at Hamilton Palace grounds, where the statue of my former team mate #DavieCooper needs some TLC. Erected by @SouthLanCouncil maybe @RangersFC could refurbish and move to the club's museum Coop was a legend in the game and deserves better."

His post led to several Rangers fans calling for the local council to help repair the memorial, with one claiming they should even move it to the home of Rangers FC, Ibrox.

"Pretty sure Rangers could take care of it or move it to Ibrox permanently but then it was the fans who raised funds for the restorations of the founding fathers and others graves and not the club" replied one fan, while another claimed: "When monuments are erected they're not for gratification, they're for generations. Davie Cooper is one of our most beloved heroes, his statue deserves the prerequisite care and respect that his illustrious Rangers career deserves."

Another supporter who lives local to the memorial added he would like to see the statue moved to Ibrox, adding: ""My boy is lucky enough to see Davie every week but it would be good for other young Gers to get to see him outside Ibrox" with another saying: "Rangers should relocate the statue to Ibrox where it can be properly cared for".

One comment tagged the local council in his reply, pleading: "A true legend of Scottish football.@SouthLanCouncil @SouthLanLabour, Davie Cooper deserves better. This needs fixed. Can the local East Kilbride MP candidates who are ten mins away and Hamilton MPs @mgshanks and Angela Crawley arrange to sort this out."