If you were to read through most of the Scottish Press, and the current pantomime which is our beloved football club, you be forgiven if you hissed at the mention of Craig Whyte and cheered when mention was made of Sir David Murray. But of course just like panto...all is not as it seems.
Its ironic that one of the few Scottish journo's who has criticised SDM's financial stewardship of Rangers Football Club was one Graham Spiers aka Odious Creep. But don't be fooled for a minute that this was done out of journalistic conscience...the truth probably lies in a conversation SDM had with Spiers some years ago where he referred to him as “the Judas Iscariot of Scottish journalism”. Spiers has been like the proverbial scorned woman ever since, allowing his festering bitterness to betray his journalistic integrity and impartiality. Its not without coincidence that the 2 newspapers he has worked for recently have seen their sales figures drop and both have decided that Spiers was dispensable.
But this is not about Creep...this article is about something significant...the portrayal in the press of 2 Rangers Chairmen.
David Murray rode into Rangers like a Knight Champion embracing and taking ownership of a football club which was going through a dramatic resurgence under the direction of David Holmes. The latter had shocked Scottish Football by appointing Graeme Souness as player manager and made monies available which lifted this great club out of a period of stagnation and failure. It seemed like a marriage made in heaven Scotland's greatest football team and one of Scotland's most successful businessmen. An Ayr United supporter as a boy, David Murray had sought to involve himself with his boyhood heroes but had been knocked by by the board. It looked like their loss would be Rangers gain.
Perhaps Murray's first AGM gave an insight to the future. A shareholder had the temerity to ask a difficult opening question and was swatted down by an ebullient David Murray. Another shareholder then pointed out to Murray that that was no way for a Rangers chairmen to behave, particularly towards the Rangers support. An apology was duly forthcoming...but alas the lessons were never learned.
As Laudrup's and Gascoigne's amongst others adorned the famous blue shirt, this squad of superstars triumphed, as did David Murray's profile. He had the press eating out of his hand but behind the scenes all was not as it seemed. Despite what some sadly still believe to this day, the money for all these superstars was not coming from David Murray's pockets but Rangers FC, and the amounts involved were simply not sustainable. In short David Murray ran up huge debts which eventually caught up with him and Rangers FC. When the bad news emerged, David Murray disappeared from the board leaving the hatted John McLelland to face the angry Bears. When the going got tough...David Murray got going...into voluntary obscurity. He re-emerged, surprise, surprise, when football matters took a turn in the right direction.
Some argue to this day that David Murray got caught up in the dream of Euro success, he took a gamble to raise Rangers to a higher profile, and it failed. Whatever the reasons his actions crippled our club financially and the Laudrup's gave way to the Ostenstad's. Its perhaps misplaced loyalty that many Bears still viewed the now Sir David Murray as a hero, despite the fact the bank's trust in his ability to manage the business side of Rangers appeared to have all but evaporated.
Under the stewardship of Sir David Murray Rangers FC had been run into the ground financially. Despite previous promises that his sons would take over the legacy of Rangers FC, alas the only legacy the outgoing SDM left was a tax case which has the potential to lead our club into administration.
Craig Whyte on the other hand has been a Rangers supporter all his life, as was his father before him. And that is not the only difference between the 2 chairmen. Craig Whyte has taken over a club few would relish owning at this time. A shambolic financial mess, and having to deal with a potentially ruinous tax case, courtesy of the previous administration.
He is walking where other fear to tread. And I would hazard a guess its not to raise his own profile, nor as some Rangers haters based in Donegal would like us all to think...to make a quick buck. Furthermore Craig Whyte appears to feel the urge to defend Rangers FC and the support, something the previous administration appeared not to have the stomach for.
Craig Whyte has not come out with bombastic statements or press friendly soundbites, instead he plays his cards very close to his chest, only time will tell how good a chairman he will be for Rangers FC.
And yet despite all this it is the latter chairman who attracts the negative press attention.
2 chairmen – One Knight.
I know which one I want defending my club's honour and future.
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