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LADS WERE HOOPY WE DIDN’T LOSE
By Fraser Mackie
Graeme Murty was caught up in crazy celebrations after guiding Rangers to a DRAW against Celtic.
And he knew then whoever won the title of their dreams would be an Ibrox legend forever.
Murty admits he never thought he’d be the boss to deliver that ultimate prize.
But he was delighted to see Steven Gerrard steer Gers to No 55 last season, and wreck Celtic’s dream of ten in a row.
Murty, who had two spells as Ibrox caretaker-boss, got two draws against the Hoops — results which boosted the morale of the Gers support.
He recalled: “I remember driving away from Celtic Park, seeing Rangers fans pouring out of pubs and clapping the team bus, because we got a 1-1 draw.
“I said to David McCallum, ‘Whoever wins the league for Rangers, they are going to be legendary, and this place is going to be absolutely amazing’.
“The fans were so hungry, desperate to win again. That expectation, pressure, and angst.
“You had to appreciate where that came from, and not take it personally, although that’s hard.
“I understood what it meant to be Rangers or Celtic, from my old man.
“No one in England understands what that rivalry means. To get a result, the overall feeling of vindication was amazing.
“Walking back into the changing room, looking at our scorer Clint Hill’s face, seeing a bit of belief kindle. What an experience.”
Clashes with the Hoops also provided Murty with crushing lows of his caretaker stints.
With Gerrard watching, he tried to steer Gers to within three points of Brendan Rodgers’ stars at Ibrox.
But ten-man Celtic fought back twice to win 3-2, and powered to a seventh straight crown.
Murty’s men then suffered a 4-0 Hampden hammering and a 5-0 Parkhead pummelling.
Infamous flashpoints with Andy Halliday, Lee Wallace and Kenny Miller made the Scottish Cup exit much worse. And a fortnight later, Murty was dumped.
He added: “That defeat at Hampden was the worst one. I tried something slightly different with the formation and we never got to grips with the occasion.
“The 5-0 defeat at Celtic Park was against a team in their pomp playing with all the confidence in the world.
“Two days later, as I drove away from training, journalists phoned me knowing I’d been relieved of my duties before I had the chance to call my wife.”
Murty, 47, insists he always knew he was only keeping the hotseat warm for someone else.
He said: “I talked to an experienced manager recently who had a hard time. He detailed to me how he led the club through it.
“He said, ‘Graeme, you were never the leader of Rangers, there always another manager in the background’.
“We played some really good stuff after the winter break, but I don’t think there was ever a point I felt the job was mine. Did that get to the players? Possibly.
“Even though you’re doing the job, you’ve no ultimate authority.
“I’m not moaning in any way. That was just the situation. If I was under consideration that shows at some point I showed potential to hit the club’s aspirations.”
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