Sir David Murray's Rangers mea culpa is 14 years too late but his other £10 gesture still makes me laugh today
I had a complex relationship with the former Ibrox chairman but something he did back in the day still makes me laugh
The Murray mea culpa is 14 years too late.
It's unable to undo the damage suffered by Rangers due to his decision to sell the club to a man of dubious character. But it's a terrific hook on which to hang on a new book, I'll give him that much.
I had a complex relationship with Sir David Murray.
In the good times, I was the one who got the quote from him about Celtic putting down a fiver and him putting down a tenner.
It was a line I splashed all over this newspaper three decades ago.
There were some awkward times with him too. One day, I picked up the sports desk telephone and, when he heard my voice, David said: 'Ah, my former friend.' End of conversation.
The best part of his Ibrox legacy might be that he had complete faith in Walter Smith and let him take charge of the team when Graeme Souness left for Liverpool.
It was the best thing Murray ever did for Rangers. The saddest part came on the day they took down the sign saying Murray Park at Rangers' training complex and started to call the place Auchenhowie instead.
It was a move that symbolised a name being removed from a club's history. But I still laugh at the day when I was sitting in his office in Edinburgh and he called on his secretary to bring me in a bottle of wine to take home as a present.
And he told her to make it a good one.
Of course, I Googled the name on the bottle later on to see just how expensive it was. Then I could decide whether I could drink it or put it up on eBay.
It cost ten pounds. Once again, Sir David had put down a tenner.
You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.
We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Hayato Inamura to Celtic transfer on the brink as timeline for 'expected' Albirex Niigata arrival revealed
The Japanese youngster is reportedly on Brendan Rodgers' radar Albirex Niigata defender Hayato Inamura will complete a move to Celtic next week, according to a report. The left-sided centre back only joined Albi last summer and has made 15 league appearances in Japan's top tier, with his side currently in the midst of a relegation battle. While more midfield players are high on Brendan Rodgers ' wish list following the capture of Benjamin Nygren, Inamura, 23, is said to be a summer transfer target for the Hoops and reports in Japan claim that a deal is almost done. Sponichi state that Inamura will play his final game for his current club against Machida Zelvia on Sunday before jetting off to Europe to undergo a medical and put pen to paper at Parkhead. The left-sided defender stands at 6ft tall and is a renowned set piece specialist. Should he make the switch to Glasgow's East End then he will become the ninth Japanese export to pull on the famous green and white. Curren Celtic stars Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate have become fan's favourites since their respective arrivals in 2022 and both have been linked with big money moves elsewhere this summer. Compatriot Kyogo Furuhashi enjoyed three and a half productive seasons with the club before joining Rennes in a £10million deal last January. Tomoki Iwata left the club last summer to join Birmingham while Yosuke Ideguchi and Yuki Kobayashi were also moved on after failing to make an impact. Winger Koki Mizuno made 12 appearances for the Hoops between 2008 and 2010 and he was preceded by arguably the most celebrated Japanese player at Parkhead - Shunsuke Nakamura. After arriving from Italian side Reggina in 2005, the former midfield maestro went onto net 34 times in 166 appearances, including two memorable free-kicks in the Champions League against Manchester United. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. here and our Celtic community here.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Kwame Poku breaks silence on why he chose QPR over Rangers as he makes ‘next level' claim
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) KWAME POKU has revealed why he chose Queen's Park Rangers over Glasgow Rangers. The Peterborough United Player of the Year was one of Russell Martin's key transfer targets before he opted for a move to Loftus Road instead. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 1 Kwame Poku speaking to QPR TV after sealing his move Credit: QPR Poku, 23, was unveiled by the Championship side as their latest summer signing this afternoon in a major blow to the new Ibrox gaffer. The QPR social media admin rubbed salt into the wounds by trolling the Light Blues with an official announcement which read: "Kwame Poku signs for THE Rangers", followed by a winking face emoji. The Ghana international, who scored 12 goals and provided eight assists in EFL League One last year, has made the step up a division after being a standout in the third tier last season. But he also had the option of European football at Ibrox, with Martin keen to bring him in as a direct replacement for Vaclav Cerny. Poku lifted the lid on his decision to snub Gers in his first interview after becoming a QPR player. Asked why he chose the Loftus Road side, Poku said: "I think speaking to the manager, and speaking to everyone here, the project they are building here excites me and I want to be part of taking QPR to the next level. "When I was speaking to (new QPR boss) Julien Stephan he was talking about where he sees me fitting in and where he thinks I can influence the game. That's what really attracted me. "Being 23 turning 24, I'm not quite young anymore so I want to come in and make my mark from the jump." Chief executive Christian Nourry claimed his side fended off competition from across Europe to land the wide-man. He said: "His decision to join the football club today in the face of interest from Europe-competing teams abroad and Championship teams with significantly bigger budgets than us is a fantastic validation of the direction we are moving in, including a specialised focus on individual player development." New Rangers chiefs Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe's first interview Legendary Peterborough chief Barry was hopeful Poku would choose to make another English club his next home, as it meant Posh would receive a bigger development fee than if he moved across the border. And current club chairman Darragh MacAnthony said: "I am delighted that Kwame has decided to join a club whereby the football club secured a solid transfer fee and a fantastic sell-on clause to continue to share financially in his success in going to the top. "We wish Kwame and his family nothing but the best for the future." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Rangers owners 49ers get their chequebooks out for £22m bill as mega cost of World Cup hosting duties revealed
The 49ers Enterprises investment group have taken control of Rangers - but the American football giants will also have to fork out for the 2026 World Cup Rangers fans are dreaming of a glorious future under the banner of the 49ers Enterprises investment group – but the Ibrox club aren't all they're spending their money on. New Ibrox chairman Andrew Cavenagh has pledged to immediately inject £20million into the football department to help Russell Martin shape his squad ahead of the new season. Lyall Cameron has joined Gers from Dundee while full back Max Aarons has completed a loan switch from Bournemouth. And more are expected to follow with Leicester City defender Conor Coady in talks over a move north of the border while the likes of Dor Turgeman and Matija Frigan have been heavily linked. After years of turmoil, the Light Blues now look to be in good hands on the financial side of things, with health tycoon Cavenagh and vice chairman Paraag Marathe now working alongside CEO Patrick Stewart. 49ers Enterprises - who are the investment arm of the famed American Football (NFL) team San Francisco 49ers - also own Leeds United, and are set to splash the cash even further this summer to ensure the Yorkshire team enjoy a successful season back in the Premier League. But reports across the pond also now claim that 49ers chiefs could spent up to $30million (£21.9million) to host six matches at next year's FIFA World Cup. The 49ers will open their doors for six matches at the Levi's Stadium in Santa, Clara, California as the biggest show in town hits North America. Yardbarker state that hosting those games will cost the city $50million (£36.4million) and that 49ers will not be able to use taxpayer money to pay the bill. They add that in turn, FIFA will contribute $13million (£9.4million) of the overall figure and with the state of California coughing up $7- 8.5 million (£5-6million), the 49ers will have to front the rest of the bill, a total of around $30m (£22m). On top of that, the mega franchise are also in the midst of renovating Levi's Stadium ahead of the finals at reported cost of $200 million (£145.7million). As well as the World Cup, the Calafornia team will also host the Superbowl on February 8, 2026. It is the first time the Levi's Stadium has hosted the world famous event since 2015 and only the third time the sporting landmark has ever been held in the San Francisco Bay Area. Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.
