It was one of the biggest porkies of an era characterised by spin or to be more accurate moonbeams.
For over 20 years Dave Murray controlled the narrative with success and trophies at Ibrox covering for a basket-case of a club and a failing business model.
Ultimately the club died and the tax payer bailed out the business as bankers and politicians covered up the mess.
Among the many laughable claims from the former Rangers (IL) owner was the one that he had been duped by Craig Whyte.
Murray knew the background, schooling and footballing preference of every journalist in Scotland. Over decades he knew every detail of those that enjoyed hospitality at Ibrox which covered most of the Scottish business community.
Whyte wasn’t an error of judgement, he didn’t slip through the net. With the glory disappearing, his empire crumbling and Lloyds TSB applying pressure Murray didn’t give a damn who he sold Rangers (IL) to. A month after the club entered administration Murray told his favoured news sources that he had been duped by Whyte.
In a preview of Whyte’s book the John James site reveals: “As the deal progressed, Craig’s enthusiasm grew. He took over the reins from Andrew Ellis telling him: ‘This is my deal.’
“A meeting with David Murray was arranged at his home in the south of France in autumn 2010. Craig found in Murray a man desperately keen to progress a deal and someone not remotely interested in where the money was coming from.
“As is normal in such negotiations, the source of funds was not disclosed. Neither was the scale of Rangers debts.”
Should the book ever reach print the revelations will be devastating for those involved at Ibrox, the SFA and SPFL.
The Charlotte Fakes twitter account provided audio reporting of numerous meetings, there can be no doubting the validity of Whyte’s take on the death of Rangers.
