Latest news with #CourageandTitles'
The Herald Scotland
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Celtic chief Peter Lawwell 'revelled' in Rangers' downfall
The pair knew each other well through their work in the steel and mining industries before Lawwell took on the role of Celtic chief exec in 2003. However, it was at this point that Murray claims Lawwell, now chairman of Celtic, had 'completely changed trajectory'. In his new autobiography 'Mettle: Tragedy, Courage and Titles' - on sale from Thursday, July 3 with royalties going to Esrkine Hospital - Murray insists Lawwell held too much power with those who were influential in Scottish football. He wrote: 'Peter was someone I knew previously. One of my companies, GM Mining, did business with Scottish Coal where Peter worked. 'I once invited him and his wife to Ibrox for a game. He was delighted to accept and back then was good company. 'But by the time he rose to become chief executive of Celtic, he was on a completely different trajectory. Read more: 'For nearly two decades he tried to build up a seat of power and I honestly believe he was wielding far too much influence in Scottish football. 'At one point, after I sold Rangers, it seemed he was positively revelling in the demise of the club. 'With very few influential or credible figures working to Rangers' benefit he was a pivotal figure.'
The National
9 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Celtic chief Peter Lawwell 'revelled' in Rangers' downfall
Sir David Murray has opened up on his relationship with the then-Celtic chief executive during his ownership of the Ibrox club. The pair knew each other well through their work in the steel and mining industries before Lawwell took on the role of Celtic chief exec in 2003. However, it was at this point that Murray claims Lawwell, now chairman of Celtic, had 'completely changed trajectory'. In his new autobiography 'Mettle: Tragedy, Courage and Titles' - on sale from Thursday, July 3 with royalties going to Esrkine Hospital - Murray insists Lawwell held too much power with those who were influential in Scottish football. He wrote: 'Peter was someone I knew previously. One of my companies, GM Mining, did business with Scottish Coal where Peter worked. 'I once invited him and his wife to Ibrox for a game. He was delighted to accept and back then was good company. 'But by the time he rose to become chief executive of Celtic, he was on a completely different trajectory. Read more: 'For nearly two decades he tried to build up a seat of power and I honestly believe he was wielding far too much influence in Scottish football. 'At one point, after I sold Rangers, it seemed he was positively revelling in the demise of the club. 'With very few influential or credible figures working to Rangers' benefit he was a pivotal figure.'
Scottish Sun
13 hours ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Former Rangers supremo Sir David Murray admits his decision to sell to Craig Whyte ‘tarnished' his Ibrox legacy
He says his decision was taken "in good faith" BAD CALL Former Rangers supremo Sir David Murray admits his decision to sell to Craig Whyte 'tarnished' his Ibrox legacy Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SIR DAVID MURRAY still looks back with immense pride on the heart- pumping highs of his Rangers tenure. He recalls the night they secured nine in a row at Tannadice. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 5 David Murray with Paul Gascoigne and Walter Smith 5 Craig Whyte arrives at Ibrox and waves to the fans at the front door 5 David Murray book serialisation – collect pix from PR Book cover for Mettle Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk He remembers battling Marseille for a place in the first ever Champions League final back in 1993. And he thinks back to the thrill of sealing deals to sign Paul Gascoigne, Brian Laudrup and a world-class cast of superstar players. But the former Ibrox owner is also dogged by regrets over what came next. Rangers plunged into administration and liquidation after Murray's £1 sale to Craig Whyte in 2011. They fell to the fourth tier of Scottish football. When once it was Marseille and Ajax, now it was Montrose and Annan. Now, 37 years after he first bought Gers from Nevada-based Lawrence Marlborough in a shock £6million deal, Murray opens up on the pain of watching the catastrophic collapse at Ibrox. And in his new autobiography — 'Mettle: Tragedy, Courage and Titles' —he speaks of a legacy tarnished by one of the worst spells in the club's history. Murray said: 'Ask me if I regret the manner in which the club finally changed hands in 2011 or dealing with the man I ultimately sold it to and then sitting right inside the lion's cage for the subsequent circus: Of course I do. 'My decision was taken in good faith. 'I thought, 'I hope to God I have done the right thing. I've passed it on'. New Rangers chiefs Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe's first interview 'It has now been 14 years since I relinquished control of the club and there is no doubt that my legacy was tarnished. 'The first 15 or 16 years of my tenure were outstanding — but the final few years were tricky and took a lot out of me. 'When we were in that tight period, I ploughed a lot of money into the club. 'I worked out that our company had put just short of £80million into Rangers during my time at the club. 'Ultimately, when the crash came, I took the fall. 'No one else. I was captain of the ship.' Ironically, Murray had worked with and signed some of the greatest club captains of all time in the likes of Terry Butcher and Richard Gough. 5 Rangers chairman Sir David Murray at the training centre which was named in his honour He inherited close pal Graeme Souness as manager then appointed title winners in Walter Smith, twice, Dick Advocaat and Alex McLeish. Gers won nine straight titles and made a mark in Europe, even reaching the 2008 Uefa Cup final in Manchester during Smith's second spell at the Ibrox helm. But Murray now admits he was ready to walk away from the club by the time Whyte arrived at his door in 2011. He said: 'The question I still frequently get asked is, 'Do you regret selling Rangers?'. And the answer is always, 'No'. My time was up — 23 years was too long. We had enjoyed the greatest success in the club's entire history but it was clearly time for change.' As Whyte applauded skipper David Weir lifting the SPL championship trophy at Rugby Park just days after taking over from Murray, few could have predicted the calamitous collapse that followed. It left Gers teetering on the edge of the abyss — and remains a source of regret to the Ayr-born steel tycoon. 5 David Murray announces proposals for a new club deck on the main stand Murray added: 'It was undoubtedly a low point in the club's history and even now, more than a decade later, I still feel responsible. 'It's still difficult to believe that it got as far as it did but I will never try to hide. 'Thankfully for the fans, Rangers have survived. 'And across the past few years they have remained competitive, even reaching another European final.' He also lifts the lid on Gers' battles with their Old Firm rivals over his 23 years at Ibrox — and the shift in the balance of power in Glasgow. SIR DAVID MURRAY: A TIMELINE 1951 - Born in Ayr 1974 - Founds Murray International Metals aged 23 1976 - Loses both legs in a car crash 1984 - Awarded Young Scottish Businessman of the Year 1988 - Buys Rangers FC for £6million 1989 - Rangers win the first of a record-equalling nine successive league titles and buy first high profile Catholic, Maurice Johnston, for £1.5m from under the noses of Celtic. 1991: Walter Smith succeeds Graeme Souness as manager. 1992 - Wife Louise - mum of their two sons - dies after a cancer battle. 1993: Rangers sign Duncan Ferguson for a record transfer fee between British clubs of £4million. 1995: Paul Gascoigne signs for a club record £4.3m. 1998: Dick Advocaat is appointed manager and club break their transfer record three times that summer by signing Arthur Numan (£4.5m), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (£5m) and Andrei Kanchelskis (£5.5m). Murray declares that for 'every £5 Celtic spend, we will spend £10.' 2000: Rangers smash transfer record by signing Tore Andre Flo from Chelsea for £12m. 2001: Murray Park is opened at a cost of £14m. 2007 - Knighted for services to business 2009 - Sir David steps down as Rangers chairman and as a member of the board, with the club having won 15 titles and 21 cups during his tenure May 2011 - He sells his controlling interest in Rangers for £1 to Wavetower Limited, owned by businessman Craig Whyte. Gers fans, however, remain split over Murray's true legacy to the club. Many recall the on-field highs of the 1990s, the spending power of Advocaat and legend Smith's emotional return after the failed gamble on Paul Le Guen. But others still apportion blame for the financial slide and insist he should have done more to probe Whyte's background — and his ability to take Gers forward. Murray said: 'I hope, in hindsight, Rangers fans will understand that there were a number of key factors going on in business and my life that they were simply not aware of at the time. 'I was caught in the perfect storm of a bank collapsing, a shocking result in Europe against Kaunas that cost us millions, a club essentially in financial difficulty and a medical condition that I couldn't announce publicly but put my life sharply into focus.' Football's scoop of the century By Roger Hannah IT'S The Sun Wot Broke It. But Sir David Murray didn't mind that his historic swoop for Maurice Johnston was first revealed on the front page of this newspaper in 1989. He was just relieved he'd managed to help Graeme Souness pull off a transfer swoop which rocked Scottish football. Even now, 36 years on, landing the Scotland striker from Celtic's grasp — and making him the first high- profile Catholic to play for Gers — is regarded as the most audacious swoop of all time. And Murray recalls: 'All the talk was of Johnston joining Celtic. But Graeme came to me and said, 'Apparently he's not signed, the paperwork's not done, we can get him'. 'I asked for a day to think about it, phoned him and said, 'Yes, I think we should do it for numerous reasons — for football reasons and to remove an area where we can be criticised for not signing Catholic players. And why not make it the best one, who can come in and contribute?' 'Even though at that time Mark Hateley and Ally McCoist were the strikers and had an excellent partnership. 'Finally, just 24 hours before we were due to unveil the player, we took a call from a young journalist at The Sun in Scotland ahead of a story being published. 'On July 10, 1989, The Sun ran half of its front page with the simple headline MO JOINS GERS. 'It certainly didn't spoil the unveiling. If anything, it ramped up the tension!' Johnston, who had played with Celts before a spell at Nantes in France, was pictured with Hoops boss Billy McNeill in 1989 but hadn't signed his contract to return. Gers boss Souness, who had played with Johnston for Scotland, realised the move hadn't been concluded and kickstarted the monumental move. The Champions League qualifying defeat in Lithuania, just months after the Uefa Cup final loss to Zenit St Petersburg, was a bodyblow to Gers. The club was wrestling with debts and the spectre of a major HMRC probe also hung over Ibrox after the controversial use of EBTs. Liquidator BDO ultimately reached a £56m agreement with HMRC to close its tax case against Gers' use of employee benefit trusts. BDO revealed 'formal settlement documentation will ensure that HMRC will not raise any further claims in the liquidation'. The Supreme Court had ruled against the club in 2017 — fully five years after Whyte placed Gers in administration, leading to the company's liquidation and the appointment of BDO. BDO says it 'represents an agreed reduction to HMRC's initial submitted claim in the liquidation'. - Mettle: Tragedy, Courage & Titles by Sir David Murray, is on sale Thursday July 3 from Amazon and all good bookshops. Preorder on Amazon here. Sir David is donating his royalties to Erskine Hospital. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Scottish Sun
13 hours ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
‘I can't do this' – Sir David Murray reveals how he almost sold Rangers for £40million in 2005
Things could have been very different COSTLY MISTAKE 'I can't do this' – Sir David Murray reveals how he almost sold Rangers for £40million in 2005 Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ONE flourish of his expensive Mont Blanc pen and the history of Rangers would have been rewritten. Sir David Murray sat in an exclusive London hotel with his club's destiny on the line. Sign up for the Rangers newsletter Sign up 2 Former Rangers owner Sir David Murray Credit: PA:Press Association 2 The famous gates at Ibrox Stadium Credit: PA:Empics Sport On the opposite side of the polished table was Sir Jack Petchey, the English entrepreneur who had once bought Watford from Elton John and sat on West Ham's board. Petchey had agreed the £40million purchase of Rangers to end Murray's then 17-year reign as owner and chairman. All that was needed to conclude the deal was Murray's signature. But he stalled. Now the former Gers supremo has broken his silence on the hush-hush sale which fell through at the 11th hour back in 2005. In his new autobiography — 'Mettle: Tragedy, Courage and Titles' — he reveals: 'A deal had been agreed six years before the actual sale. 'I walked out on a room full of lawyers and accountants in a suite at a London hotel when only my final signature was required to complete the transaction. 'I look back now and think, 'Did I really do that?'. 'I had been introduced to someone telling me that a gentleman called Jack Petchey, later to become Sir Jack and who recently passed away, was seriously interested in buying Rangers. "Jack's credentials were quite impeccable. Papers were drawn up. 'We had agreed a deal. Jack would become the new owner of Rangers and the price was to be £40million. New Rangers chiefs Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe's first interview 'With a layer of paperwork on the desk I was handed a fine black Mont Blanc pen to make the final signature — something I do so many times every day — but I hesitated. 'Something stopped me. 'I endeavoured to renegotiate an additional sum and then realised that I just couldn't sign it. In his new autobiography 'Mettle: Tragedy, Courage and Titles', Murray discusses his relationship with Lawwell and Parkhead powerbrokers including Fergus McCann and Dermot Desmond. Football's scoop of the century By Roger Hannah IT'S The Sun Wot Broke It. But Sir David Murray didn't mind that his historic swoop for Maurice Johnston was first revealed on the front page of this newspaper in 1989. He was just relieved he'd managed to help Graeme Souness pull off a transfer swoop which rocked Scottish football. Even now, 36 years on, landing the Scotland striker from Celtic's grasp — and making him the first high- profile Catholic to play for Gers — is regarded as the most audacious swoop of all time. And Murray recalls: 'All the talk was of Johnston joining Celtic. But Graeme came to me and said, 'Apparently he's not signed, the paperwork's not done, we can get him'. 'I asked for a day to think about it, phoned him and said, 'Yes, I think we should do it for numerous reasons — for football reasons and to remove an area where we can be criticised for not signing Catholic players. And why not make it the best one, who can come in and contribute?' 'Even though at that time Mark Hateley and Ally McCoist were the strikers and had an excellent partnership. 'Finally, just 24 hours before we were due to unveil the player, we took a call from a young journalist at The Sun in Scotland ahead of a story being published. 'On July 10, 1989, The Sun ran half of its front page with the simple headline MO JOINS GERS. 'It certainly didn't spoil the unveiling. If anything, it ramped up the tension!' Johnston, who had played with Celts before a spell at Nantes in France, was pictured with Hoops boss Billy McNeill in 1989 but hadn't signed his contract to return. Gers boss Souness, who had played with Johnston for Scotland, realised the move hadn't been concluded and kickstarted the monumental move. 'I looked up then told everyone in the room, 'I can't do this. The deal's off'.' Sir Jack, who passed away 12 months ago, was a highly-respected businessman in London. He set up the Jack Petchey Foundation in 1999 which was created to provide opportunities for young people across London and Essex through sport, science and art. He also lifts the lid on Gers' battles with their Old Firm rivals over his 23 years at Ibrox — and the shift in the balance of power in Glasgow. SIR DAVID MURRAY: A TIMELINE 1951 - Born in Ayr 1974 - Founds Murray International Metals aged 23 1976 - Loses both legs in a car crash 1984 - Awarded Young Scottish Businessman of the Year 1988 - Buys Rangers FC for £6million 1989 - Rangers win the first of a record-equalling nine successive league titles and buy first high profile Catholic, Maurice Johnston, for £1.5m from under the noses of Celtic. 1991: Walter Smith succeeds Graeme Souness as manager. 1992 - Wife Louise - mum of their two sons - dies after a cancer battle. 1993: Rangers sign Duncan Ferguson for a record transfer fee between British clubs of £4million. 1995: Paul Gascoigne signs for a club record £4.3m. 1998: Dick Advocaat is appointed manager and club break their transfer record three times that summer by signing Arthur Numan (£4.5m), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (£5m) and Andrei Kanchelskis (£5.5m). Murray declares that for 'every £5 Celtic spend, we will spend £10.' 2000: Rangers smash transfer record by signing Tore Andre Flo from Chelsea for £12m. 2001: Murray Park is opened at a cost of £14m. 2007 - Knighted for services to business 2009 - Sir David steps down as Rangers chairman and as a member of the board, with the club having won 15 titles and 21 cups during his tenure May 2011 - He sells his controlling interest in Rangers for £1 to Wavetower Limited, owned by businessman Craig Whyte. The foundation has invested more than £170m into youth projects and he received his knighthood in the 2016 New Year Honours for his work with the foundation. Sir Jack was also involved in football for almost 50 years. He was appointed director of West Ham in 1978 before purchasing Watford from Sir Elton in 1990. - Mettle: Tragedy, Courage & Titles by Sir David Murray, is on sale Thursday July 3 from Amazon and all good bookshops. Preorder on Amazon here. Sir David is donating his royalties to Erskine Hospital.
