Murray Park

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Murray Park is the Rangers training ground, located in Auchenhowie. It cost a total of £14million and an extra £2million per year in running costs. The training complex was first proposed by Dick Advocaat and it was officially opened on 4th July 2001 by Advocaat and then-chairman David Murray. The facilities include six full size pitches, two half size pitches, a practice area and a synthetic indoor pitch. There is also a dining room for the players to have lunch after training, changing rooms, kit store, lecture room, gym and medical suite. Each machine is programmed with a code for each individual player and this will tell them what they need to work on etc...


The gym cost £150,000 and the machines make doctor Paul Jackson and Head of Sports Science Adam Owen's job easier. It also includes an isokinetic machine, which allows players to work within the constraints of an injury by testing muscle strength and reaction during a workout. The floor on the pool moves at different angles and speeds if a player needs to use these types of exercises when coming back from a specific injury and they have the luxury of jets to massage them at the same time. It's without a doubt the best training facility any club in Scotland has, maybe even Britain.


Seven security guards are employed at the training complex, which was named after longest serving chairman David Murray. The naming of the centre after him was decided by the board and supporters clubs, without Murray's input, and was a big surprise to the Chairman apparently.

Contents

Before Murray Park

Away back in the early years, the Rangers squad would train on the pitch they played their home games, Glasgow Green. They continued to train at the ground for a long time until Ibrox was built. The running track around the pitch allowed the players to do all their fitness work without causing damage to the playing surface. In 1929, the famous grandstand was built and included was an indoor training area that ran the length of the pitch. It was one of the best training facilities in the world at the time.


It stayed this way until the 60's when the Albion Race Track became available. This was used for proper football training whilst the indoor area was used primarily as a gym from then on in. Following failed planning applications off the council, players such as Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne were traveling around Glasgow in mini-buses looking for a public park to train on. When Dick Advocaat was appointed, he couldn't believe a club like Rangers didn't have its own training ground. You now know why the Dutch are so good at football as every football club has its own training complex. So after a few years of looking for suitable grounds, Milngavie was discovered and Murray Park was built.

The Struth Park Proposal

Rangers bought land across from Ibrox in the 90's hoping to build a training complex, along with shops and a train station. Chelsea have something similar in London whilst FC Barcelona have the same in Catalonia. These plans were agreed by the council so we destroyed the Albion and just before we started to construct it the council decided to look over their decision. They thought about all possible things that could be harmful to the environment, society etc... basically an excuse. Possible ground contamination was asked about and it was suggested that the construction works could cause traffic congestion. It's hard to believe how construction work could cause further traffic congestion to a place that has 50,000 people every other Saturday. After reviewing their decision, the council got back to the club. The answer was no. If Rangers wanted to build on the land they would have to change their plans. That didn't happen and the search continued at the time. It made no sense for the council to reject these plans though.

Murray Park Graduates

The following is a list of players who have came through the Murray Park ranks and have played for the Rangers first team:

Images

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