"Dodgy" David Murray

Sir David Edward Murray (born Ayr, 14 October 1951) is a Scottish entrepreneur, businessman and Chairman of Rangers Football Club. David Murray, live in Warsaw, Poland, April 2003, PD image by WojPob This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... David Murray, live in Warsaw, Poland, April 2003, PD image by WojPob This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Ayr (Scottish Gaelic, Inbhir Àir) in the south-west of Scotland is a town situated on the Firth of Clyde. ... is the 287th day of the year (288th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic) Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic and Scots1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... Rangers Football Club is a football club from Glasgow, Scotland, which plays in the Scottish Premier League. ...

Business life

By the age of 23 Murray had formed Murray International Metals Limited, which was to become a leading distributor of structural steel. Subsequently, the Murray Group of companies grew to become one of the United Kingdom’s most successful privately-owned enterprises. Added to the core business of steel were interests in surface mining (GM Mining), commercial property development (Premier Property Group), venture capital (Charlotte Ventures) and call centres (RHL, trading as 'RESPONSE' from February 2007 onwards, formerly Response Handling Limited). In 2006, the Murray group collectively reported turnover of £550 million, representing a fivefold increase on the figure five years previously, largely as a result of growing involvement in property development.^[1] Corporate success was also reflected in Murray's growing personal wealth, estimated in the Sunday Times Rich List 2007 at £750 million, making him the 95th wealthiest person in Britain (and the seventh richest Scot).^[2] This is the steel company owned by Rangers Chairman, Sir David Murray. ... The Sunday Times Rich List 2007 was published on 29 April 2007. ...

Alongside his high-profile business activities, other Murray interests have helped cement his prominence in Scottish life. In 1991, Murray established the Sunday Scot, a tabloid newspaper which ceased publication after only 14 weeks.^[3]

Murray has also provided occasional contributions to Scottish politics. In the lead-up to the 1999 referendum on the establishment of a Scottish Parliament, Murray endorsed the 'no' campaign, reflecting a long-held support for Unionism and opposition to the devolution of power from London. In the lead-up to elections to the Scottish Parliament in 2007, Murray reiterated his Unionist sentiments as one of 150 business signatories to a newspaper advertisement proclaiming that "the break up of Britain would damage Scotland" ^[4] For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... The Union Flag, perhaps the most significant symbol of Unionism in the United Kingdom Unionists in Scotland are, in the broadest sense, those who support the continued existence of the United Kingdom in its present structure as a union between its main constituent countries. ...

David Murray's success in business has been recognised through a number of awards over the course of his career. In 1984, at the age of 33, he was awarded Young Scottish Businessman of the Year. In 1986 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University. Murray was knighted in the New Year Honours 2007 List^[5] Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... An Honorary degree (Latin: honoris causa ad gradum) is a degree awarded to someone by an institution that he or she may have never attended, it may be a bachelors, masters or doctorate degree - however, the latter is most common. ... The entrance to main reception at the Edinburgh campus. ... A statue of an armoured knight of the Middle Ages For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... The New Year Honours 2007 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 30 December 2006, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2007. ...

Football life

Murray’s involvement in football has overshadowed his business and personal lives and explains much of his prominence within Scottish society. In the 1980s Murray made a bid for Ayr United which was rejected 56:60 by the shareholders of the club. This setback saw Murray focus attention on acquiring Rangers, a club which, following the appointment of Graeme Souness as manager in 1986, had regained its ascendancy in Scottish football and, through the purchase of a number of English internationalists, enhanced its standing within British football more generally. Attracted by the idea of owning what at the time was Scotland's highest-profile football club, on 23rd November 1988 Murray secured the purchase of Rangers from the club's then owner, the Nevada based Lawrence Marlborough, for a sum of £6 million^[6] Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Ayr United F.C. is a Scottish Association football team currently playing in the Scottish Football League. ... Rangers Football Club is a football club from Glasgow, Scotland, which plays in the Scottish Premier League. ... Graeme James Souness (IPA: []) (born 6 May 1953 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager. ... there is a jungle in nevada by the park This article is about the U. S. state of Nevada. ...

Throughout what was later to transpire as his first period of chairmanship, Murray continued and extended the ambitious strategy he had inherited from David Holmes. His investment saw further development to Ibrox stadium, which had already undergone extensive remodelling in the aftermath of the Ibrox disaster of January 2 1971, which claimed the lives of 66 fans following an Old Firm derby with Celtic. Murray oversaw the construction of a third tier on the existing Main Stand, raising the ground's capacity by 7,300. Accompanying this were changes on the pitch. 1989 saw Rangers secure a first trophy under Murray's chairmanship, the first of what was to become nine successive Scottish League Championships over the period 1989-1997. This period was to be significant for more reasons than footballing success. In 1989 Murray and manager Graeme Souness signed Mo Johnston, the first high-profile Catholic to play for the club since the Second World War, from French club Nantes for £1.5 million. As Johnston had previously played for (and had recently committed to re-join) Celtic, this transfer was highly controversial. Other high profile players were to follow in later years, including Paul Gascoigne, Brian Laudrup, Ronald de Boer and Tore André Flo. David Holmes is a Scottish businessman. ... Ibrox Stadium, originally Ibrox Park, is the stadium of Rangers F.C. It is located on the south side of the River Clyde in the Ibrox district of Glasgow, Scotland. ... Ibrox disaster refers to two accidents which led to major loss of life at Ibrox Stadium (formerly Ibrox Park) in Glasgow, Scotland. ... Crowd at football match between Celtic F.C. and Rangers F.C. at Celtic Park. ... Celtic Football Club (pronounced seltik in IPA; AIM: CCP)[1] is a Scottish football club, competing in the Scottish Premier League, the highest form of competition in Scotland. ... Graeme James Souness (IPA: []) (born 6 May 1953 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish former professional football player and manager. ... Maurice Thomas Mo Johnston (born April 30, 1963 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a former Scottish football striker, who made his name playing with Celtic and Rangers. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... FC Nantes Atlantique is a French football team, playing in the city of Nantes. ... Paul John Gascoigne (born 27 May 1967 in Gateshead, England), often referred to by his nickname Gazza, is a former English football player. ... Brian Laudrup (born February 22, 1969 in Vienna, Austria) is a former Danish professional football (soccer) player, who won the 1992 European Football Championship (Euro 1992) with the Denmark national team, and he was a vital part of that Rangers FC team which dominated the Scottish Premier League in the... Ronald de Boer (born May 15, 1970 in Hoorn, Netherlands) is a Dutch football midfielder for the Dutch national team as well as a host of professional clubs in Europe. ... Tore André Flo (born 15 June 1973 in Stryn) is a Norwegian footballer, who is currently playing for Leeds United as a striker. ...

Following Graeme Souness’s departure to Liverpool in 1991, Murray appointed his former assistant Walter Smith as manager. Under Smith, and his eventual replacement in 1998 Dick Advocaat, Rangers embarked upon a sustained period of success that saw the club win 11 Scottish championships over 14 years. Regrettably for Murray, who asked that he be 'judged on Europe', this domination was not accompanied by success in European competition. Aside from the 1992-93 UEFA Champions League campaign, in which Rangers twice came within one victory of reaching the final, the club's record in Europe from 1989 was one of consistent frustration and under-performance, interrupted only by sporadic victories against top European sides. However, in 2005-06 Rangers secured qualification from the group stage of the Champions League, becoming the first Scottish side to reach the financially rewarding last-sixteen knockout stage of the competition. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... Walter Smith OBE (born February 24, 1948 in Lanark) is a Scottish former football player, but is better known as a football manager. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Richard Advocaat (born September 27, 1947 in The Hague, Netherlands) is the Dutch coach of the Russian pro soccer team Zenit. ... The 1992-93 season of the UEFA Champions League football club tournament was won for the first time by Olympique de Marseille in the final against A.C. Milan. ... The UEFA Champions League 2005-06 was the 51st edition of the European UEFA Champions League football club tournament. ...

In 2001-02, Murray abandoned his previous insistence that Rangers would never leave Scottish football, arguing in support of a move by the Old Firm to the better-resourced English leagues, and ultimately the Premiership. This, Murray and others argued, would provide substantially increased income from growing television revenues, and with it the potential for the club to operate in a more competitive environment which could help boost performance in European competitions. The 2001-02 season was the 105th season of competetive football in Scotland. ... The original FA Premier League logo, used until 2007 The Premier League (officially known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons, previously known as The Premiership), is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top echelon of the English football league system (above The Football League). ...

Reflecting the success Rangers experienced on the playing field, Murray's first period as chairman saw him benefit from the kind of support, from fans of the club and from the media, relatively uncommon for football club owners in Britain. However, in a quest to fulfil Murray's ambitions for Rangers in Europe, a period of unprecedented spending under the managership of Dick Advocaat saw the club's debts spiral, as anticipated television revenues failed to materialise and the club's income failed to offset the growing cost of transfer fees and player salaries. The result was that, for the first time, Murray's effectiveness as the club's chairman and owner began to be questioned. By 2001, with the appointment of Alex McLeish as manager, Rangers' indebtedness had reached a level that, to some observers, potentially jeopardised the club's solvency. A radical programme of cost-cutting was instituted in an attempt to re-establish the club on a stable financial footing. In July 2002, Murray relinquished the chairmanship and limited his day-to-day involvement in its running. His status as by far the club's biggest share-holder remained, however, and Murray was said by some to continue to exercise a significant behind-the-scenes role in the management of Rangers. In September 2004, Murray announced his return to the chairmanship, and with it a rights-issue to raise the funds with which to reduce - and ultimately eliminate - the club's debt. In doing so, Murray also saw his shareholding in the club increase to around 90% of the total stock. Richard Advocaat (born September 27, 1947 in The Hague, Netherlands) is the Dutch coach of the Russian pro soccer team Zenit. ... Alexander McLeish (born January 21, 1959 in Barrhead, Scotland) nicknamed Big Eck, is a former professional footballer and is currently manager of the Scotland national team. ...

Rangers' comparative lack of success after 2001 was attributed by some critics to excessive caution in Murray's stewardship of the club. To the critics, league championship successes in 2003 and 2005 came in spite of an overall strategy geared towards reducing the club's indebtedness. Spurred in part by this criticism, Murray responded in 2006 with the coup of securing as manager Paul Le Guen, the former coach of Olympique Lyonnais, whose talents were said to be coveted by many of the highest profile clubs, most in leagues considerably more prestigious than Scotland. The capture of Le Guen was seen by some as a return by Murray to the boldness of his earlier approach, and perhaps a rejection of the 'living within our means' conservatism of the period after 2001. However, Le Geun's tenure at Rangers - by far the shortest of any of the club's managers - ended with his resignation in January 2007. Some ascribed blame for Le Guen's failure to Murray's apparent reluctance to sanction appropriate transfer spending for what was widely agreed to be an inadequate squad of players. Paul Le Guen (born March 1, 1964 in Pencran, Brittany) is a former French international footballer and a football manager. ... Olympique Lyonnais (popularly known as OL, or simply Lyon) is a French football club based in Lyon. ...

By 2006, there was a growing consensus that Murray's enthusiasm for Rangers had waned. For some, fiscal conservatism was the result not of unavoidable prudence in the club's management after the excesses of the Advocaat era, but of a desire by Murray to limit debt and increase Rangers' attractiveness to potential buyers^[7] Murray himself continued to articulate a more ambiguous stance on his desire to sell or retain ownwership of the club: "It's not a 'For Sale' sign per se, but obviously I don't want to do this forever"^[8]

Personal life

Murray's achievements in business have come in spite of the personal tragedy of the loss of both legs in 1976, following a serious car crash after a Rugby match. Murray became a longstanding supporter of amputees, reflected in his establishment of the Murray Foundation in 1996. Further personal tragedy followed with the death of Murray's wife Louise in 1992 due to cancer. Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the 1976 Gregorian calendar. ... A BCRFC match at Boston College Rugby football, often just referred to as rugby, refers to sports descended from a common form of football developed at Rugby School in England. ... Partial hand amputation For the song Amputations by Death Cab for Cutie, see You Can Play These Songs with Chords Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma (also referred to as avulsion) or surgery. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ...

On 3 May 2000, Murray's Learjet crashed while being leased by Formula One driver an friend David Coulthard. The Learjet developed engine trouble while on route to Côte d'Azur International Airport in Nice, and crashed while attempting an emergency landing at Lyon-Satolas airport, France. Coulthard, his then girlfriend the Canadian model Heidi Wichlinski and personal trainer/bodyguard Andy Matthews survived; whilst Murray's personal pilot David Saunders and co-pilot Dan Worley were killed.^[9] is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Learjet is a manufacturer of business jets for civilian and military use. ... Formula One - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... David Marshall Coulthard, often called DC, (born March 27, 1971 in Twynholm, Kirkcudbrightshire {Dumfries and Galloway since 1975}), is a Scottish Formula One racing driver. ... Côte dAzur International Airport (French: ) (IATA: NCE, ICAO: LFMN) is an airport in Nice, in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Saint-Exupéry International Airport (French: ) (IATA: LYS, ICAO: LFLL), formerly known as Lyon Satolas Airport, is an airport located near Lyon, France. ...

After being named on the New Year's honours list, Murray received his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth on July 4, 2007 at a ceremony at Holyrood Palace. The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... A 19th century view of Holyrood Palace from Calton Hill. ...

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