David Murray looking for Rangers get-out clause

Graham Spiers

Sir David Murray will celebrate 20 years in charge of Rangers this coming weekend and there is to be yet another sumptuous bash to mark the occasion. The pity for Murray is that quite a few Rangers fans are growling over his continuing stewardship. The moral of it is that, in football, you shouldn't over-stay your welcome, however much in Murray's case that seems a bit harsh.

It hardly seems 10 years since James Traynor and I - then of the Daily Record and Scotland on Sunday respectively - were invited out to Jersey to commemorate Murray's 10th year in charge. Yes, yes...that was the famous occasion of Jim's knife "slicing through some of the most succulent lamb I've ever tasted in the company of His Highness, the Rangers chairman..."

Murray has always been the subject of drooling journalism but, beside that, we still need to acknowledge his amazing durability in his post.

Those Rangers fans who have good cause to want him out of Ibrox still need to acknowledge the great things he did for the club. In those first 11 or 12 years Murray literally minted Ibrox, with such players as Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne and Stefan Klos arriving to play for Rangers. For quite a while during Murray's stewardship there was also a regular panning of Celtic, which for many Rangers supporters was all that mattered. Notwithstanding the odd embarrassment in Europe, these were heady and thrilling times to be a Rangers fan.

The problem Murray faced came when the inevitable feasting was over. His ambition for Rangers bordered on fiscal recklessness, and he even scoffed when some of us in the press began to point out that Rangers' bank-borrowing appeared to be becomig dangerous. At the time in early 2002 I wrote that there was "financial vandalism" being done to Rangers, and Murray never forgave me for the phrase, signalling the end of a sweet relationship. By 2003, when the Ibrox net-debt rose to £82m, the plain fact was that Murray's governing of Rangers had led the club to near-ruin. Rangers, I still maintain, have paid long and hard for these damaging days.

One example of the lasting effect of it all was in the appointment of Paul Le Guen in June, 2006. This was a brilliant appointment for Rangers at the time, a real coup for Murray and the club, yet Rangers FC was hamstrung. The club appointed one of Europe's most sought-after coaches while not being able to give him much money to spend. "We have to go down the road of youth," Murray said at the time of Le Guen's arrival, acknowledging the on-going frailty of Rangers.

Le Guen made many mistakes at Rangers but the episode remains the great lost opportunity at Ibrox. The Frenchman's appointment could and should have heralded a new golden age for the club. Now a new set of circumstances has washed over Murray.

The current recession means he is locked into Rangers, unable to escape. He has wanted out of the club for two years but has unsuccessfully searched for a buyer. And all the while his asking price for Rangers, just like some of us trying to sell a house, has gone down and down: £70m, £60m, £50m, £45m. Le Guen's time was supposed to be the Murray get-out on a high: here is a great coach, here is another title, thankyou and goodnight. But the plan failed and Murray is still mired in Rangers.

The many great things he did for Rangers should not be forgotten. History, however, will remember David Murray as someone who was very good for Rangers, and then became very bad for the club.

Comments

[GRAHAM Glasgow]

Duncan from Falkir, How can you be so blinkered ?
The Celtic Board may well have gone to the support for financial assistance, but the difference is they got it, and they got it big time !!!
The Rangers support were quite happy to see Murray dig in to his "own" wedge to bail them out. Yes thats his own wedge thats been swelled massively by the ibrox faithfull cash in terms of outsoursed merchandising, catering, pr etc etc not to mention the rent his companies receive from he leasing back of murray park and also his shareholding dilution which again boosted his ready cash by quite a few quid

Dont make him out to be some sort of later day knight in shining armour, he is, was and always will be in it for the money mate. Unfortunatly for him time is running out for a quick profit sale as the clubs value plummets on a daily basis

[Martin M]

re John Thorburn
Please do not tar the reputation of all Scottish clubs with the actions of Rangers "fans" in Manchester, especially compared with the history of violence associated with EPL clubs - banned from Europe for 5 years.
Also, by comparison, the number of foreign players plying their trade in the EPL will be far higher as a percentage against the SPL, most weeks the top 4 will have as little as 20% of their first team as English.

[Rab Simpson]

Good article and Traynor is still eating the lamb and spinning the Murray yarn
Got to agree with Posted by: John Thorburn | November 18, 2008 at 05:16 PM
There is no chance of either entering the EPL after Rangers hit Manchester in May.
Once again they let themselves and Scotland down.

[Richard Hudson]

Reasonable piece, I agree his transfers and the amount of money spent has brought Rangers some great players however it should be pointed out that SDM has never used his personal money in his ownership of Rangers. He bought the club for £6M he saddled the club with enormous debt. He has successfully diluted his shareholding which meant he received over £80M and then bought these shares back for £28M, his companies have made a lot of money from their supply to Rangers of everything from pies and computers to Training grounds so SDM has done very well out of our club!!

[Brian]

Rangers owe Murray an enormous debt for his stewardship of the club. Good businessmen know when the time is right to move on and he has tried to hand over the reigns. I'm not sure in this climate who would buy the club, so once again we should be thankful for his continued loyalty and personal investment. Sure he has his detractors, and yes there have been bad decisions, but overall it is a hard minded person who sees these few negatives ahead of a majority of positives. His loyalty and achievements deserve our support.

[Mick]

I remember very well Murray's arrival at Rangers. I remember Graeme Souness being appointed as manager and I remember players from - the then English champions - Everton joining the Ibrox club. At the time I scratched my head at this turning of nature on its head.
The fact is, for people of my generation, Murray is the man who put Glasgow Rangers on the map. Prior to his arrival Rangers meant nothing...not even a blip on the radar. It is vital that this is remembered. Credit is due for what he tried to achieve and he is owed a massive debt of gratitude by Rangers fans and fans of Scottish Premier League football as a whole. He tried to achieve the impossible, to make Glasgow Rangers a true giant.
As those in charge of Celtic know, it is all too big an ask to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear ... at the end of the day it seems your own people will never appreciate your efforts.
Mr. Murray is the latest victim of the proverbial hiding to nothing. He deserves nothing but praise for his efforts.

[Hugh]

Lets remember what was at the heart of Murray's "financial vandalism" at Rangers: a desperation to match Celtic's European Cup triumph in 1967. I've always hated the petty one-upmanship between the Old Firm but this surely was the most destructive of them all.

[Robert MacFarlane]

As a Celtic fan I get amazed by Rangers fans like Ian Wilson who seem to have an incredibly skewed version of the history of their club. "he has taken a Club that were miles ahead of their nearest rivals and now has them trailing miles behind" Really? Check your facts - Rangers had won something like 3 titles in 24 years when Murray took over (compared to Celtic's 14 or 15 in the same period). Since he took over there's been 13 or 14 titles and ultimately, at a football club that's what it's all about - winning trophies.
Fact is Murray saved Rangers and for that alone you should all be eternally grateful.

[Craig]

A good piece, but again the fawning over Paul Le Guen I can't do.

Le Guen arrived here on the back of success at Lyon, that much is certain, but he had inherited an excellent squad from Jacques Santini and merely kept it going for a couple of years.

I agree to a point that we didn't quite see the best of Le Guen, but his signings were an utter disaster, Papac aside and there was no heart in the performances.

I believe, like Alex McLeish before him, they were the victims of Murray's "financial vandalism" and were left to carry the can for the years of reckless spending.

Murray has been great for Rangers and his dedication to the club will not be forgotten, but the last 20 years hasn't all been a rip-roaring success.

[Jim Kay]

Another good piece from Mr Spiers.
It's hardly SDM's fault that football TV money has become so absurdly huge in England.
I think history will be kind to SDM and perhaps show that he arrived at Rangers just a few years too late.
I might also add in passing - and for the benefit if the unititiated - that John Thorburn's comments are patent nonsense.

[John Thorburn]

It does not matter Rangers and Celtic are the root cause of Scottish footballs declining standards. Both are built on the back of religious bigotry. Now of course they are trying to distance themselves from their history.
Having destroyed Scottish football they want to join the English FA.
Celtic is doing so badly now in the Champions League even their financial standing will go into decline.
Both clubs are a bad investment as there is no competition in the Scottish league. Any decent player does not want to play in that league. The decline of Scottish football is reflected by the lack of participation of Scottish players in the EPL.
My advice to the English FA and EPL or Football League do not let them or their supporters in. Remember Rangers fans in Manchester earlier this year. It would be a weekly event.

[Duncan, Falkirk]

Sir David Murray has done more for my club than any other individual in our history and his efforts should be applauded. Unlike our rivals from across the city, he has bank rolled the majority of this himself without constantly going "cap in hand" to the fans that already pay good money on season tickets, merchandise, etc.
Yes, there have been occassions where the books have certainly not balanced however these are far outweighed by the investment SDM has made to Rangers.
As for Paul Le Guen, I was as excited as most other fans when he was appointed. PLG however bought poorly (remember Sebo!!) and, in the end, failed to get results on the park.

[Ian Wilson]

History may well be kind to David Murray but I for one don't believe it should be. In simple terms he has taken a Club that were miles ahead of their nearest rivals and now has them trailing miles behind.

Lets' not forget when he arrived Souness was in place, Rangers were League Champions and had a stadium the envy of most. Celtic on the other hand were penniless, almost homeless and rudderless. The arrival of Fergus McCann, who it must be said was an astute but by no means brilliant businessman, saw what proficient stewarding can do to stabilise a club. As his 20 year mark comes around (and much as it pains me to say) Murray has managed to leave Rangers comparing badly to Celtic in terms of finance, structure and on field activities.

Only today Diego Maradona is in every news item holding up his Celtic shirt whilst the PR at Rangers seem only to eager to join the bandwagon in slating the Rangers support at every turn.

He has, in my opinion, taken every opportunity to profit from Rangers whether it be by his increased profile or his outsourcing all things Rangers related to Azure or Response.

[John, Renfrew]

As far as i am concerned David Murray should be held in nothing but the highest esteem by Rangers fans.

As someone who has followed Rangers home & away for 33 years, i have witnessed both successful & unsuccessful periods for the club.

Having gone from Trebles won in the late 70's to the barren years of the 80's, the David Murray inspired years of the 90's undoubtedly brought about the happiest years of my life following the club.

Now, we are all aware of the price we have had to pay in recent years for chasing European glory but i can honestly say, hand on heart, that having had the privelige of watching Brian Laudrup, Paul Gascoigne, Ronald De Boer and the like gracing the Ibrox pitch i am more than willing to put up with some difficult years.

Unfortunately, most of the people with a gripe against Murray appear to have only started watching Rangers during the 9-in-a-Row era and have never experienced barren times like we are going through just now.

These people just have to realise that although none of us like watching Celtic dominate for a few years, it won't last forever and when we do rest the league title back from them it will be so much sweeter having gone without it for a period.

[C. Scully]

Finding a buyer for Rangers will prove difficult....A team that can at best offer last 16 participation in the champions league is never going to see any significant returns for any potential investor, couple that with the loose change television revenue from Setanta (compared with the EPL) and you'd need to be either deranged or have a very blue nose.

You can't blame McCoist for bringing up the Old Firm in the Premiership debate again, it's the only way forward for Rangers.

[Pat McHugh]

Great piece. History will, and should, be kind to Murray as he brought some great players and enormous success to Rangers. However, to sanction the £12 million transfer of Tore Andre Flo was bordering on lunacy, and the debt that was accumulated in this period still has ramifications even now.