SIR David Murray’s dad was banged up in Glasgow’s tough Barlinnie Prison after being convicted of fraud.
Ian was locked up for 12 months after he ‘took the fall’ for a disastrous business deal.
4
4
4
Recalling the trauma of the jail term, Sir David said: “He was initially sent to Glasgow’s Barlinnie jail and it was a daunting experience going there to visit him.
“But within weeks, he had been transferred to Penninghame Open Prison near Newton Stewart in south-west Scotland.
“My father struggled to recover from his experience there.
“He died in Ballochmyle Hospital on September 20, 1975 at the age of just 50.”
4
Elsewhere in his new book, Sir David told 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.
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.
Sir David, 73, became a millionaire with company Murray International Metals and purchased Rangers for £6million in 1988.
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.
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.
He remains the chairman of Murray Capital Group and his sons play key roles in the running of the business.
– 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.
