DavieCooper.com Editor’s Blog

Somewhere high above the dripping streets of Glasgow, a private jet cuts through the night sky. Onboard a chief executive is deep in thought, pondering a career of tumultuous highs and farcical lows. He’s weary, but sleep evades him – running a football club, for the last 20 years, has nurtured a penchant for nervous tension.  

A few hours later and he is relaxing in the charming countryside of Provence. It’s a pleasant summers evening and he’s unwinding on a farmyard balcony; sipping fine wines and nibbling Camembert. He gazes down at the valley below, marvelling at a rural tapestry of winding streams and quaint stone villages. The dark streets of Govan seem a million miles away. After several glasses of Pinot Noir, Sir David Murray leans back into his wicker chair, closes his eyes and breathes a deep sigh of relief - this dapper bear is now in hibernation.  

Murray’s first decade as Ibrox chairman (1988-1998) was impressive: 9 Scottish league titles, glamorous international signings, stadium expansion, high profile managers. For a while he had the Midas touch. During the early 90s he vowed to make Rangers a credible force in Europe. It was a bold and daring vision that, aside from a few famous victories, was never fully realised. But the fans got caught up in the moment, and some of the Champions League nights were magical.

Murray’s final tenure as Rangers chairman (2004-2009) was an unconvincing cameo. The clubs crumbling finances forced him to adopt the role of a frugal accountant. It didn’t sit well with a man who had previously quipped, ‘that for every fiver Celtic spend I will spend a tenner’. He started making noises about leaving and it seemed the job he once loved had become a dull grind. You can understand why: no money to spend on star players, European success unrealistic, entry to the English Premiership a fantasy, mounting club debts, paltry TV revenues. The ball was on the slates. 

Sir David Murray’s resignation does not bode well for the Old Firm, or Scottish football in general. One of the countries most successful, respected businessmen wants out. What kind of message does this send out to future buyers of Scottish clubs? Surely even the most romantic of billionaires would wince at the financial practicalities of owning one. Right now, Scottish football is a hard sell. 

This entry was posted on Monday, August 31st, 2009 at 3:36 pm and is filed under Editor's blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.