Murray: Newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell wanted to merge Celtic and Rangers into one club

Sir David Murray has revealed that former newspaper tycoon Robert Maxwell wanted to merge the Old Firm into one club.

The ex-Rangers owner says he received a phone call from Maxwell in the late 1980s, not long after he had taken control of the Ibrox club.

The controversial media proprietor, who owned the Mirror Group Newspapers from 1984 until his death in 1991, told Murray he planned to buy Celtic and asked if he would be interested in merging the two Glasgow clubs.

In an interview with the BBC, Murray said: “Shortly after I bought the club, I got a phone call at my house and my son answered. A voice said ‘Is David Murray there’ and it was Robert Maxwell.

“So I went to the phone and he said ‘I am thinking about buying Celtic and we can put both Celtic and Rangers together as one and be a big force’.

“I told him ‘I don’t think you know the script up here, I don’t think it’s practical and I don’t think it would work’ and that was the end of the story.

“He wanted to merge Celtic and Rangers.”

In another interview that was released on Monday, Murray, who is promoting his new autobiography, says he has apologised to Rangers fans for selling the club before it collapsed into financial ruin.

He sold the Ibrox side for £1 to businessman Craig Whyte, and was at the helm when Rangers gave £47m in tax-free loans to players and staff between 2001 and 2010.

The HMRC brought a case against Rangers centring on the club’s use of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs), which were also used by other clubs.

The EBTs enabled the club to pay players, managers and directors through the tax-free loans, but HMRC argued the payments were earnings and should be taxable.

Two tribunals – in 2012 and 2014 – ruled in Rangers’ favour. But the Supreme Court found in favour of HMRC after an appeal in 2015.

The club had been bought in May 2011 by Craig Whyte after Sir David initially struggled to find a buyer willing to take on a potential “big tax case” bill.

Mr Whyte was later cleared of fraud in relation to the takeover.

Under Whyte’s ownership, Rangers went into liquidation in February 2012 – just a year after the sale.

The tipping point for administration was a £9m tax bill due to HMRC, and total debts reached more than £100m.

The club was admitted to the third division of Scottish football.

Murray, speaking to broadcaster Ewen Cameron and Up Next Studios, said he has apologised to Rangers fans and staff for his part in the collapse.

“I have apologised, but I did a lot of good things for the club. If you want to remember the negative, that’s their choice,” he said.

When asked if the EBT scandal led to Rangers’ downfall, he answered: “That plus Craig Whyte.

“The interpretation of the EBT by HMRC and Craig Whyte… I think they could have survived the first one but not the two put together.”

He added: “Craig Whyte was a mistake – I’m prepared to admit that. But on the evidence of the money, what he was going to do, it seemed the only course of action.”

Sir David continued: “I was disappointed for the fans first of all and I was also so disappointed for the people that worked there – people who had been so loyal to me – and all of a sudden their jobs were in jeopardy.

“How many plates can you spin? The average Rangers fan doesn’t care about my other businesses – but so many in Scotland – a joiner in Fife a haulage firm in Melrose – were affected by the banking crises.”

Sir David’s autobiography Mettle is out on Monday, and all proceeds will go to the Erskine Charity.