disgruntled_bear 157 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 When Rangers fans look back on the chairmanship of Sir David Murray one fact should stand alone - without him there would have been no nine-in-a-row glory. There will be those who have their own memories, their own highs and lows and feelings about what was achieved. But for me that world record-equalling achievement will be the main legacy. Without a man of Sir David's vision, drive and determination at the helm, that feat would never have been achieved. Rangers would never have had the managers or the players he brought in to take the club to the peak of its history. It was his vision - and financial backing - that brought the whole thing together. Sir David was a man who shared the same drive as characters such as Graeme Souness, Walter Smith, Ally McCoist and Andy Goram. He plunged his life into the club and today every Rangers fan should be thankful to him. He is part of the history at Rangers and has been highly successful during his 20 years. In my opinion, he must go down as one of the greatest custodians of the club. I think it is safe to say he has taken the club further forward than anyone else. Had he not arrived when he did, who knows what would have happened? It wouldn't have enjoyed the success it has over the past two decades, I'm sure. I'm told there was an interview with Sir David when he celebrated his 20th year as chairman and he said his best moment came on the day we beat Aberdeen 2-0 to clinch the title in 1991 and I scored both goals. From a personal point of view, it was nice to get a mention. Sir David was an in-your-face kind of guy who didn't pull any punches. I thought we were similar characters and perhaps that's why we had such a good relationship. For him to highlight that day in 1991 seems fitting because I believe it was probably the defining day of his chairmanship. It kept the nine-in-a-row bid alive after Walter had replaced Graeme as manager and was a victory achieved from the type of backs-to-the-wall situation Sir David loved. When the club needed something, he never fell short. Everyone will have a memory of Sir David's chairmanship and I'm no exception. Early in my Rangers career, I remember he used to come down to the dressing room before big European ties. His presence used to scare the young players to death. I remember having a quiet word with him and saying it might not be a good idea to come at that time. Some of the youngsters had been psyching themselves up for the game for a week and all their mental preparation was disrupted when the most powerful man at the club walked into the room. He took what I said on board and that summed the man up. He wanted to help and be part of things but Sir David never overstepped the mark or interfered because he trusts people. That is the secret of every successful businessman. They employ people to do a job and let them get on with it. Some chairmen can't help meddling and end up ripping the heart out of their clubs. Sir David backed his people to do the job properly and was, in my opinion, a fabulous chairman. No Rangers fan could say the majority of his reign was anything other than exciting and successful. There were one or two moments near the end of his chairmanship when some of them started to get on his back. Football fans are like that. Every person who walks into the ground and hands over money is entitled to feel he or she is part of Rangers and has a passion for the club to see things done well. But they can also be fickle. You are only as good as your last game is the way they see some players, managers and chairmen. I can see that logic but Sir David was different and the vast majority of Rangers supporters would applaud and admire him for all he did. That sort of drive and determination can, of course, take its toll on a person. He has been a remarkable man, considering the circumstances of his physical disadvantage. I think it's fair to say that because it would have been a hard toll on a fully-fit individual, yet he kept pushing himself to the limit for the good of Rangers. He gave me the opportunity to come back to Rangers for the nine-in-a-row success and I never thought that would happen. I will always be indebted to him for that. There is something quite fitting about the timing of his departure. As he goes, Rangers are the champions of Scotland, the Scottish Cup holders and will today go into a draw for the Champions League group stages with the elite of European football. For what he has done for Rangers and for Scottish business, he deserves the chance to go away and enjoy the rest of his life. Sir David may no longer be at Ibrox in person but he will forever be a part of Rangers FC. http://blogs.<No links to this website>/markhateley...ine-in-a-r.html I apologize in advance, if this has already been posted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw69uk 123 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 For me, this is getting to the realms of the Boyd discussion. We dont know how the team would have played without Boyd in previous games, or, whether he would have made a fdifference in some. At the same time, we dont know if we would have without Murray, we certainly were in a strong position when he took over! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Manticore* 1,893 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Without a man of Sir David's vision, drive and determination at the helm, that feat would never have been achieved Who knows? Why would we assume that in his absence we would have been run by somebody without 'drive and determination'? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperonthewing 0 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Without a man of Sir David's vision, drive and determination at the helm, that feat would never have been achieved Who knows? Why would we assume that in his absence we would have been run by somebody without 'drive and determination'? The thing is, people actually believe that people like Gazza and Laudrup were funded by SDM's own pocket whereas they were funded by the Rangers support pumping money into season tickets, merchandise etc. I would credit him for persuading these players to come to Rangers but he did not personally fund them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangersAndy 0 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 no steven pressley = no nine in a row Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperonthewing 0 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Maybe we could have had 9IAR and not been a laughing stock in Europe for most of these years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
damien1 29 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Maybe we could have had 9IAR and not been a laughing stock in Europe for most of these years. Maybe we could have won the European Cup and missed out on 9IAR, who knows Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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