Latest news with #Murray
The National
8 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Time has not restored Murray's battered Rangers legacy
The former Ibrox chairman has been busy promoting his new book, entitled 'Mettle', a play on the industry where he made his fortune and the quality he undoubtedly showed in abundance to overcome personal tragedies and live the life that he has. The one challenge though that it seems impossible for him to overcome is to rebuild his shattered reputation in the eyes of the Rangers support, to the vast majority of whom he will always be the man who sold the club to Craig Whyte. And for a sum 22 times less than the RRP of his book, no less. The subheading to the book's title – 'Tragedy, courage and titles' – is telling, because that only gives the story up to a point. Anything that came after that is deemed unworthy of inclusion in this short summation of Murray's life, while anything that came before his fateful exit from Rangers now, sadly for him, seems irrelevant to the Ibrox fanbase. (Image: SNS Group Steve Welsh) The book itself does include Murray's telling of his thinking leading up to that fateful sale to Whyte, and the context was that he, undoubtedly, was in a difficult situation. Lloyds were seemingly turning the screw on the Rangers chairman (though he downplays this) and urging him to offload the club, which owed the bank around £18m. There was the tax liability on top of that stemming from Murray's ill-judged use of the EBT scheme, which at that time was thought to be as high as £70m, though it was later reduced to around £20m or thereabouts after HMRC admitted to errors in their calculations and a subsequent settlement agreement. The bottom line is this, though. Without Murray embarking upon the use of EBTs, no matter how much he may still stress the legality of the scheme, HMRC would never have had cause to darken the Ibrox doorstep. Furthermore, Rangers would never have been in a position where they could be sold for a quid to a character such as Whyte. Most damning of all - and this is the part that doesn't pass the smell test - is that Murray argues he had no notion of the ruinous path he had set Rangers on when he handed the keys to Whyte. In his book, he says that he took that decision 'in good faith', and that he 'went on the facts in front of me'. 'A journalist asked me at the time if our due diligence should have been more thorough,' Murray writes. 'It's easy to look back and say: 'Yes, of course it should' but anyone typing Whyte's name into Google back in 2011 would have found one article from years before. Nothing else.' The fans are expected to believe that this feted businessman, who had spent years cultivating an image as a meticulously shrewd, savvy and abundantly connected operator, simply didn't know who he was dealing with when it came to passing on the club he had spent 23 years leading. That his background checks on the man went as far as a simple Google search. In short, they don't. Instead, the narrative that has gained most traction is that Murray knew exactly where Rangers were heading, and he didn't want to be the captain at the helm when the ship went down. That Whyte was a convenient fall-guy. If this is true, and I should stress there is no evidence to prove it, then as an exercise in saving face and safeguarding his legacy, it was entirely redundant. Instead of protecting his name, he has instead been christened with a new soubriquet – Sir 'Duped'. The inverted commas are, of course, always included to denote sarcasm. Whether he did know who he was dealing with in Whyte or not, neither position reflects well on him. If he didn't, he should have. Many Rangers supporters will never forgive him either way. (Image: SNS Group Bill Murray) In some ways, it is a great pity that it has all ended like this for Murray. The good times he brought to Ibrox were among some of the most memorable ever seen at the club. He broke down barriers, signing Mo Johnston. He was at the helm as the team brought home nine-in-a-row. Away from football, his fortitude is commendable and impossible not to admire. The proceeds of his book, incidentally, will go to Erskine, the veteran's charity. Ultimately though, the hubris that spawned his famous quote of spending a tenner for every fiver that Celtic put on the table was the same that led to his – and ultimately, to Rangers' – downfall. Not only do the supporters place the blame for what happened back in 2012 firmly at Sir David's door, but for the sorry state they have found themselves in for most of the time since. For the single league title in the 14 years since he left the club. For Celtic's subsequent domestic domination. And now, just as an exciting new era is dawning at Rangers at long, long last, even the timing of his re-emergence to shift the narrative away from the positive changes taking place at Ibrox this summer has hardly helped to restore his battered image. After 14 years, it appears nothing, not even the passage of time, will.
The Herald Scotland
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Time has not restored Murray's battered Rangers legacy
The one challenge though that it seems impossible for him to overcome is to rebuild his shattered reputation in the eyes of the Rangers support, to the vast majority of whom he will always be the man who sold the club to Craig Whyte. And for a sum 22 times less than the RRP of his book, no less. The subheading to the book's title – 'Tragedy, courage and titles' – is telling, because that only gives the story up to a point. Anything that came after that is deemed unworthy of inclusion in this short summation of Murray's life, while anything that came before his fateful exit from Rangers now, sadly for him, seems irrelevant to the Ibrox fanbase. (Image: SNS Group Steve Welsh) The book itself does include Murray's telling of his thinking leading up to that fateful sale to Whyte, and the context was that he, undoubtedly, was in a difficult situation. Lloyds were seemingly turning the screw on the Rangers chairman (though he downplays this) and urging him to offload the club, which owed the bank around £18m. There was the tax liability on top of that stemming from Murray's ill-judged use of the EBT scheme, which at that time was thought to be as high as £70m, though it was later reduced to around £20m or thereabouts after HMRC admitted to errors in their calculations and a subsequent settlement agreement. The bottom line is this, though. Without Murray embarking upon the use of EBTs, no matter how much he may still stress the legality of the scheme, HMRC would never have had cause to darken the Ibrox doorstep. Furthermore, Rangers would never have been in a position where they could be sold for a quid to a character such as Whyte. Most damning of all - and this is the part that doesn't pass the smell test - is that Murray argues he had no notion of the ruinous path he had set Rangers on when he handed the keys to Whyte. In his book, he says that he took that decision 'in good faith', and that he 'went on the facts in front of me'. 'A journalist asked me at the time if our due diligence should have been more thorough,' Murray writes. 'It's easy to look back and say: 'Yes, of course it should' but anyone typing Whyte's name into Google back in 2011 would have found one article from years before. Nothing else.' The fans are expected to believe that this feted businessman, who had spent years cultivating an image as a meticulously shrewd, savvy and abundantly connected operator, simply didn't know who he was dealing with when it came to passing on the club he had spent 23 years leading. That his background checks on the man went as far as a simple Google search. In short, they don't. Instead, the narrative that has gained most traction is that Murray knew exactly where Rangers were heading, and he didn't want to be the captain at the helm when the ship went down. That Whyte was a convenient fall-guy. If this is true, and I should stress there is no evidence to prove it, then as an exercise in saving face and safeguarding his legacy, it was entirely redundant. Instead of protecting his name, he has instead been christened with a new soubriquet – Sir 'Duped'. The inverted commas are, of course, always included to denote sarcasm. Whether he did know who he was dealing with in Whyte or not, neither position reflects well on him. If he didn't, he should have. Many Rangers supporters will never forgive him either way. (Image: SNS Group Bill Murray) In some ways, it is a great pity that it has all ended like this for Murray. The good times he brought to Ibrox were among some of the most memorable ever seen at the club. He broke down barriers, signing Mo Johnston. He was at the helm as the team brought home nine-in-a-row. Away from football, his fortitude is commendable and impossible not to admire. The proceeds of his book, incidentally, will go to Erskine, the veteran's charity. Ultimately though, the hubris that spawned his famous quote of spending a tenner for every fiver that Celtic put on the table was the same that led to his – and ultimately, to Rangers' – downfall. Not only do the supporters place the blame for what happened back in 2012 firmly at Sir David's door, but for the sorry state they have found themselves in for most of the time since. For the single league title in the 14 years since he left the club. For Celtic's subsequent domestic domination. And now, just as an exciting new era is dawning at Rangers at long, long last, even the timing of his re-emergence to shift the narrative away from the positive changes taking place at Ibrox this summer has hardly helped to restore his battered image. After 14 years, it appears nothing, not even the passage of time, will.
STV News
19 hours ago
- Business
- STV News
Murray: Newspaper tycoon wanted to merge Celtic and Rangers into one club
Sir David Murray has revealed that former newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell wanted to merge the Old Firm into one club. The ex-Rangers owner says he received a phone call from Maxwell in the late 1980s, not long after he had taken control of the Ibrox club. The controversial media proprietor, who owned the Mirror Group Newspapers from 1984 until his death in 1991, told Murray he planned to buy Celtic and asked if he would be interested in merging the two Glasgow clubs. In an interview with the BBC, Murray said: 'Shortly after I bought the club, I got a phone call at my house and my son answered. A voice said 'Is David Murray there' and it was Robert Maxwell. 'So I went to the phone and he said 'I am thinking about buying Celtic and we can put both Celtic and Rangers together as one and be a big force'. 'I told him 'I don't think you know the script up here, I don't think it's practical and I don't think it would work' and that was the end of the story. 'He wanted to merge Celtic and Rangers.' In another interview that was released on Monday, Murray, who is promoting his new autobiography, says he has apologised to Rangers fans for selling the club before it collapsed into financial ruin. He sold the Ibrox side for £1 to businessman Craig Whyte, and was at the helm when Rangers gave £47m in tax-free loans to players and staff between 2001 and 2010. The HMRC brought a case against Rangers centring on the club's use of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs), which were also used by other clubs. The EBTs enabled the club to pay players, managers and directors through the tax-free loans, but HMRC argued the payments were earnings and should be taxable. Two tribunals – in 2012 and 2014 – ruled in Rangers' favour. But the Supreme Court found in favour of HMRC after an appeal in 2015. The club had been bought in May 2011 by Craig Whyte after Sir David initially struggled to find a buyer willing to take on a potential 'big tax case' bill. Mr Whyte was later cleared of fraud in relation to the takeover. Under Whyte's ownership, Rangers went into liquidation in February 2012 – just a year after the sale. The tipping point for administration was a £9m tax bill due to HMRC, and total debts reached more than £100m. The club was admitted to the third division of Scottish football. Murray, speaking to broadcaster Ewen Cameron and Up Next Studios, said he has apologised to Rangers fans and staff for his part in the collapse. 'I have apologised, but I did a lot of good things for the club. If you want to remember the negative, that's their choice,' he said. When asked if the EBT scandal led to Rangers' downfall, he answered: 'That plus Craig Whyte. 'The interpretation of the EBT by HMRC and Craig Whyte… I think they could have survived the first one but not the two put together.' He added: 'Craig Whyte was a mistake – I'm prepared to admit that. But on the evidence of the money, what he was going to do, it seemed the only course of action.' Sir David continued: 'I was disappointed for the fans first of all and I was also so disappointed for the people that worked there – people who had been so loyal to me – and all of a sudden their jobs were in jeopardy. 'How many plates can you spin? The average Rangers fan doesn't care about my other businesses – but so many in Scotland – a joiner in Fife a haulage firm in Melrose – were affected by the banking crises.' Sir David's autobiography Mettle is out on Monday, and all proceeds will go to the Erskine Charity. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court's Birthright Citizenship Ruling Is ‘Enormous Win' for Trump and ‘Death Blow to the Rule of Law,' MSNBC Legal Analyst Says
The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling on Friday that limits nationwide injunctions against President Trump's executive orders — including one EO ending birthright citizenship — is a 'death blow to the rule of law,' according to one MSNBC legal analyst. Melissa Murray, a law professor at New York University, shared the comment just minutes after the decision was made on Friday while appearing on MSNBC's 'Ana Cabrera Reports.' Murray said the ruling was a 'huge win' for the president, allowing him to target 'undocumented persons' without 'the benefit of due process.' 'The court has essentially kneecapped lower courts from stopping this administration when it engages in lawless and unconstitutional behavior,' she added. MSNBC's coverage followed the Supreme Court's ruling that curtailed the ability for federal judges to temporarily pause executive orders. The ruling did not make a decision on the legality of President Trump's push to end birthright citizenship, however. President Trump signed EO 14160 in January, which said citizenship should not be granted automatically to people born in the U.S. The president said at the time that the Fourteenth Amendment was 'noble' and 'meant for the children of slaves,' but not meant to grant citizenship to everyone born on American soil. 'The Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States,' the president's executive order stated. 'The Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not 'subject to the jurisdiction thereof.'' EO 14160 was thwarted soon after it was signed, with multiple federal judges issuing national preliminary injunctions to stop it from being enforced. MSNBC, during its Friday coverage, included text from the Supreme Court decision, which was written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, on the screen. 'Federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch; they resolve cases and controversies consistent with the authority Congress has given them,' the ruling noted. 'When a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted lawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too.' Soon after Murray gave her thoughts on the decision, former U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg agreed it was a big win not only for President Trump, but all presidents moving forward. 'I would think of it in a slightly different way — a huge victory for the Executive Branch and the office of the president,' he said. 'If a Democrat is president, the same rule applies. If a Democratic president issues an executive order, one federal judge in one federal district, under this ruling, could not enjoin that ruling nationwide.' The post Supreme Court's Birthright Citizenship Ruling Is 'Enormous Win' for Trump and 'Death Blow to the Rule of Law,' MSNBC Legal Analyst Says appeared first on TheWrap.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Good and bad news for Scotland U20 ahead of World Championships amid Freddy Douglas blow
Murray challenges team to give a better account of themselves in England opener Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There was good and bad news for Scotland Under-20s ahead of their World Rugby U20 Championship opener against England in Italy. On the plus side, the spectre of relegation has been removed because the tournament is expanding from 12 to 16 teams next year. The young Scots have worked hard to return to the top-tier tournament so knowing they are going to remain there comes as a relief. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad On the debit side, they will go into the England match without Freddy Douglas, their talismanic co-captain who has suffered a concussion. Scotland U20s' Oliver Duncan (L) and Jack Brown. | SNS Group / SRU Douglas, 20, is already a full Scotland international and made a big impact on Kenny Murray's under-20 side when he returned from injury midway through the U20 Six Nations, scoring three tries in the Scots' final three matches. The hope is that the openside flanker will be available for Scotland's second game at the World Championship, against Australia next Friday. In the meantime, Edinburgh's Oliver Duncan moves over from six to seven to cover Douglas' absence and Montpellier's Charlie Moss comes in to the side at six. Coping without Freddy Douglas 'Freddy took a wee bit of a bang in a maul in training,' explained Murray. 'Following the return-to-play protocols and all things going well, he'll be available for game two. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We were probably going to start Freddy at seven but it doesn't really weaken us too much. Charlie and Oliver Duncan are both good sixes. It gives us a bit more size as well which, against England, is obviously something you want to have.' Scotland U20 head coach Kenny Murray. | SNS Group / SRU As well as England and Australia, Scotland will also face South Africa in Pool A. It is a daunting draw and there will be two play-off classification games which follow the group stage to decide the final positions. In previous tournaments, the 12th team were demoted to the second-tier World Rugby U20 Trophy competition, a fate which befell Scotland in 2019. A combination of Covid and failure to win promotion in 2023 meant they have remained out of the elite for six years but victory in the Trophy last summer secured their return and the absence of relegation this time has been welcomed by Murray. 'It took a wee while, but we always knew there was a possibility that it might happen this year,' said the coach. 'They were looking to extend it to 16 teams, so it takes a bit of pressure off in terms of not having to worry about relegation and going into game four and five. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Atoning for heavy Six Nations defeat 'Not a lot of changes, we still want to perform well and win our games and give a good account of ourselves but we can now try to do that without the added pressure of relegation.' England defeated Scotland 57-13 in the U20 Six Nations and are the defending world champions at this level and Murray has urged his team to give a better account of themselves in Verona on Sunday than they did in Newcastle in February. 'The England game in the Six Nations was probably our worst performance of the tournament,' he said. 'I don't think we gave a good account of ourselves in that game and nothing really went for us. We want to go out there on Sunday and have a much better performance and have a real crack at them.' Conditions will be tough, with temperatures in northern Italy above 30 degrees. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland U20 (v England U20, Payanini Center, Verona, Sunday, 2.30pm BST, live on RugbyPassTV 15. Jack Brown (Edinburgh); 14. Nairn Moncrieff (Edinburgh); 13. Johnny Ventisei (Glasgow; capt), 12. Kerr Yule (Glasgow), 11. Fergus Watson (Glasgow); 10. Matthew Urwin (Glasgow), 9. Noah Cowan (Brunel University/Ealing Trailfinders); 1. Jake Shearer (Glasgow), 2. Joe Roberts (Glasgow), 3. Ollie Blyth-Lafferty (Edinburgh). 4. Bart Godsell (Loughborough Univ), 5. Dan Halkon (Glasgow), 6. Charlie Moss (Montpellier), 7. Oliver Duncan (Edinburgh), 8. Reuben Logan (Northampton).
