Advertisement

Ian Murray slams Raith Rovers sacking and the 3 minute phone call that confirmed his fate

Ex-Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray
-Credit: (Image: BBC Scotland)


Ian Murray has opened up on his bombshell sacking by Raith Rovers and admits: 'It still doesn't make any sense'.

Murray led Rovers to the brink of top-flight promotion after finishing second in the Championship last season, only to lose out to Ross County in the play-off final. Kirkcaldy chiefs surprisingly opted to wield the axe just one day into the new campaign after Rovers lost 1-0 to Airdrieonians having also failed to progress from their Premier Sports Cup group.

The decision sent shockwaves throughout Scottish football given the club's unexpected title challenge in 2023/24. Neil Collins has since taken over the reins but ex-Hibs and Rangers defender Murray admits he's still baffled at losing his job.

READ MORE: EA FC 25 review: Celtic and Rangers upgrades will have fans Rush-ing for more

READ MORE: How to watch Rangers vs Dundee LIVE: TV channel, stream and PPV details

He told BBC Scotland: "I wasn't expecting it. It was a less than three minute phone conversation. I was told that they wanted to go in a different direction. They felt that they'd regressed in recent months and that they were going to terminate my contract and that was kind of the end of the conversation.

"That was kind of the end of the conversation. After that, it was up to other people to sort it out. I told them I didn't agree with the decision 100 per cent and I didn't expect that decision to be made and that was kind of the end of it. I did say to them, 'Look, I'm not going to sit here and beg for my job. I'm not going to do that, I don't feel I need to do that.'

"I felt I had enough credit in the bank to at least have had a conversation before a decision was made where we could maybe sit around a table, shake hands even and walk away. But to do it over the phone, I felt it wasn't right. You obviously try and evaluate the reasons that they gave, which still don’t make any sense to me."

Murray led Rovers to seventh place and the Scottish Cup quarter-finals in his first year at the helm and left the club having won 47 of his 105 games in charge.

The 43-year-old believes he was a victim of his own success as he said: "20 wins out of 36 so it was a really successful season for us. Again, I think when people get a wee sniff of success they maybe feel a wee bit entitled to go and do it again. Expectancy rises, which is dangerous, and I tried to tell everybody that in the pre-season because this league is so difficult.

"I think we're seeing how tight it is this season again. I'm very proud of what we achieved. We did so much in such a short time, albeit we never got to the pinnacle where we wanted to be but I did feel it was going to get there eventually."