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Jimmy Calderwood lifts the lid on David Murray, Dunfermline, Gavin Masterton and Bank of Scotland

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David MurrayJimmy Calderwood has revealed the role that David Murray played in getting him the Dunfermline manager’s job in 1999.

Calderwood was working in Holland at the time when he was approached by Murray on behalf of Dunfermline and given the incentive that it would be a stepping stone to taking over from Dick Advocaat at Ibrox.

Despite two years of success at Dunfermline alongside Jimmy Nichol there was no follow up from Murray who brought in Alex McLeish to replace Advocaat after the little general had been turned over by Martin O’Neill’s Celtic side.

In an interview with Radio Scotland Calderwood discussed his move to Dunfermline explaining: “The big carrot for me was David Murray, he said that if I did well I’d be going to Rangers, I’d be the next manager of Rangers but obviously that didn’t come to fruition.

I was always a Rangers supporter, it was just a dream. Anytime when Rangers were playing in European games, in Holland or near Holland I’d be at the games.

So I took the bait a little bit, Gavin Masterton was on the phone as was big John (Yorkson). At that time Dunfermline was a great club, I don’t know if Sir David had a lot to do with it, he was very close to Gavin Masteron with the bank (Bank of Scotland).

I was close to Sir David, he just told you ‘we’re bringing you across with a view to being the next manager of Rangers’ and I took the bait.

I went to Ibrox to watch a few games with Jimmy Nic, he’d (Murray) say I’ve told you you are going to be the next manager, you don’t need to come to games. That was about it, it was disappointing.”

In 1988 the Bank of Scotland funded Murray’s £6m purchase of a controlling interest in Rangers from the Marlborough family.

In 1999 Bank of Scotland took on sponsorship of the SPL and held the accounts of all top flight clubs except Celtic.

In 2001 Halifax took over Bank of Scotland inheriting the horrendous old boys network set up by the Edinburgh establishment bringing the spending power of Murray and Rangers under new ownership.

In 2001 Rangers started to use Employee Benefit Trust’s having previously used the Discount Option Scheme to attract Tore Andre Flo and Ronald de Boer to Ibrox.

In 2003 Dunfermline, with Calderwood in the dug out and Masterton in the boardroom, lost 6-1 to Rangers at Ibrox on the final day of the season clinching the title for Alex McLeish’s side and a guarantee of £10m from a place in the group phase of the Champions League.

In 2009 Lloyds Bank took over HBOS.

In 2011 Dave Murray sold Rangers to Craig Whyte for £1.

In 2012 Rangers Football Club were put into liquidation for failing to pay Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and 275 other creditors, debts stood at £55m.

In 2015 after various debt for equity swaps Lloyds Banking Group put Murray International into liquidation with debts of £615m.

Unlike Fred the Shred Goodwin, Murray remains a knight of the realm.

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