Latest news with #Mettle:Tragedy
Glasgow Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Ex-Rangers owner accuses Celtic chief of 'revelling in demise'
In his autobiography, 'Mettle: Tragedy, Courage and Titles,' Murray discusses his relationship with the former Celtic chief executive during his tenure as owner of the Ibrox club. Both men had previous connections through the steel and mining industries before Lawwell became Celtic's chief executive in 2003. Murray claims that Lawwell, now Celtic chairman, had "completely changed trajectory" when he took on the role. 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." Murray further claimed that Lawwell had "far too much influence" in Scottish football and that after he sold Rangers, "it seemed he was positively revelling in the demise of the club." He added: "With very few influential or credible figures working to Rangers' benefit, he was a pivotal figure."
The Herald Scotland
8 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
8 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
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
‘I still have shards in my leg', says ex-Rangers supremo Sir David Murray as he breaks 50-year silence on car crash hell
Sir David Murray is speaking in detail about the nightmare for the first time 'THE UNTOLD STORY' 'I still have shards in my leg', says ex-Rangers supremo Sir David Murray as he breaks 50-year silence on car crash hell SIR David Murray has revealed how he still has shards in his leg from the wreckage of the sports car that nearly killed him in a horror crash almost half a century ago. The ex-Rangers owner was just 24 when he had both legs amputated after the flash motor careered into a tree following a tyre blow-out in 1976. Advertisement 10 Sir David Murray has broken his decades long silence on his horror car crash 10 Ex-Rangers owner pictured with then-manager Walter Smith Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 10 Sir David Murray shared the details in his new book, Mettle Despite the horrific accident, he refused to let the ordeal define him and went on to become a towering figure in Scottish society through his metals business and Ibrox tenure. But everything could have been very different had medics not been able to save his life after he crashed near Longniddry, East Lothian, while driving home in his purple Lotus Elite after playing rugby. Speaking in detail about the nightmare for the first time in new book Mettle: Tragedy, Courage & Titles , he said: 'As I made my way along a dual carriageway, the front left tyre just blew. 'There was nothing I could have done. Advertisement 'The car lurched to the side, I left the road and smashed headlong into a tree. 'Memories of the exact moment are hazy. 'The vehicle was made of fibreglass and the impact forced the engine block right through the facia and into the driver and passenger seat. 'I was immediately shunted right through the door and lay unconscious and bleeding next to the wreckage. Advertisement 'A number of rugby supporters who had actually been at the game stopped their cars and raced to my side. 'There was lots of blood and they applied tourniquets with their ties to try to halt the flow. 'They somehow kept me alive and even though I can remember nothing about it, an ambulance was called and arrived quickly to take me 18 miles to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.' 10 A newspaper clipping from the time of Sir David's horror crash Advertisement 10 Sir David had his legs amputated following the crash Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd 10 The ex-Rangers supremo was able to phone his late wife Louise to tell her he was 'in a bad way' Despite his life hanging in the balance, Sir David was able to phone his late wife Louise from a payphone while on a hospital trolley and said 'you have to come. I'm in a bad way.' Incredibly, he lost 13 pints of blood on the first evening and medics immediately amputated parts of his 'mangled' legs through the knees. Advertisement Tragically, he then caught an infection which forced the docs to take off even more of his shattered limbs. He said: 'Louise, my family and friends took turns to sit by my bedside during the following days as I struggled to recover. 'The anaesthetist Ned Trench and a surgeon fought to give me a better chance of a partial recovery, but five days after the accident they were finally defeated after an infection set in. 'I ended up having a further nine inches of my legs removed.' Advertisement 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. Incredibly, Sir David said he still has some of the purple bodywork from his Lotus embedded in his upper limb - and the tree that took the brunt of the crash also still has the marks almost 50 years on. He said: 'How that tree is still standing I don't know, but remarkably it is. I recently stopped at the same spot again and nearly 50 years after the accident, there are still marks on the base of the tree. 'Equally amazingly, there are also still purple shards of the car's bodywork embedded in my upper leg. 'Revisiting the scene much, much later, I realised that just a few yards before the tree and a few yards after it, there was nothing but open fields.' Advertisement After he was stabilised, Sir David - who was once estimated to have a £500m fortune - was transferred to the Princess Margaret Rose Hospital in Edinburgh for ten weeks of intensive care. The budding entrepreneur was left pondering his future over and over again - but his inner steel drove him towards recovery and, ultimately, huge success. And he now uses his experiences to offer advice to others at their lowest ebb. 10 Under Sir David's stewardship, the Ibrox side saw a period of unparalleled success Advertisement 10 Sir David saw a period of great success along with manager Graeme Souness Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd He said: 'I must have spent days and hours wondering how I might cope with the rest of my life. 'I was still a young man, with a wife and young family and I was passionate about business and playing sports.' 'In life, I never try to look back. Advertisement 'We all have decisions to make – some of them big, reflective moments – and I am a great believer in the fact that you either turn left or you turn right. 'If anyone I know is ever in trouble or facing adversity, I always tell them that every problem has a solution and to always look ahead. 'Be decisive. Stay positive. I had no intention of quitting.' Sir David, 73, became a millionaire with company Murray International Metals and purchased Rangers for £6million in 1988. Advertisement INSPIRATIONAL LETTER AN inspirational letter from hero World War II pilot Sir Douglas Bader helped in the ex-Rangers chief's remarkable recovery from his double amputation hell. Sir Douglas wrote to the then 24-year-old Sir David as he faced up to a lifetime without his limbs following the horror crash in 1976. He still treasures the note sent to him out of the blue nearly 50 years ago and has it framed in his home. Bader was a highly decorated flyer during WW2 despite losing his legs during aerobatics in 1931. The letter read: ''I gather that you have got hold of the problem and decided to get on with life which is the only thing to do. 'Well done. 'That is the only attitude of mind to adopt. 'I just wanted to write to you and tell you how much I admire your courage and to wish you well.' Sir David added: 'I would later telephone the number he had left at the top of his letter to thank him for his encouragement and tell him exactly what it meant to me… and still does. 'Almost two months earlier, I had what Douglas Bader might enthusiastically have described as a rather miraculous escape. It was certainly life-changing.' Under his stewardship, the club embarked on a period of unparalleled success with iconic managers Graeme Souness and Walter Smith - and fan favourites Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup. He was also instrumental in the club smashing their sectarian signing policy by buying their first high profile Catholic player Mo Johnston from under Celtic's noses in 1989. Sir David faced further tragedy in his personal life when beloved first wife Louise - mum to their sons David and Keith - died from cancer in 1992. Dad Ian was also locked up for a spell before dying at 50. Advertisement 10 Sir David pictured with Richard Brandson 10 Sir David pictured with his mum, second wife Kae Tinto and son after being knighted by the Queen in 2007 Credit: Andrew Barr - The Sun Glasgow He split from second wife Kae Tinto in 2018 after seven years of marriage and is now understood to split his time between Perthshire and France, where he owns vineyards. He remains the chairman of Murray Capital Group and his sons play key roles in the running of the business. Advertisement - 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.
Scottish Sun
12 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
