Michael Murray admits he is lucky to be heading to Ibrox in his first season as Fraserburgh chairman – especially because he never had any plans to take on the role.
The Broch tackle Rangers in round four of the Scottish Cup on Sunday (2.15pm kick-off), with the game being shown live on BBC One.
Murray joined the Bellslea board in November 2023 and was content with just being a director, but after Finlay Noble stepped down as chairman last May, he ended up taking on the top job.
Murray feels fortunate on two counts to have landed a tie like this early in his chairmanship.
On a personal level, he’s looking forward to soaking up the occasion, and from a club perspective, the financial benefits of this cup run – and Sunday’s tie in particular – are also very welcome.
Being chairman wasn’t in Murray’s plan
Murray said: “I feel very lucky with what’s happened in my first season as chairman. It’s a huge thing for everyone involved with the club.
“In my first year as chairman, to be able to walk into the boardroom of one of Scotland’s biggest clubs is something I’m in awe at really.
“When I came into the club, I was quite happy to be in the background and to let everyone else get on with what they do, but things have maybe turned out a little differently to what I expected.
“Finlay said he was resigning and wanted to step back from being on the board and that side of running the club, then a handful of other faces looked around at me and asked me to step in – it certainly wasn’t planned from my side.
“When I was invited to become a director it was really just to sit quietly at the back and support the club in the background with various things, then, come the end of the season, I was sort of pushed to the forefront of things.
“Becoming chairman was never on my radar – and I promised my wife I wouldn’t become chairman!
“I had nine years on Fraserburgh Harbour Board, five of which were as chairman, and I said to my wife I wouldn’t be doing that again.
“I actually stepped down from a few boards I was on so I could just focus on my business and the football club role was just meant to be a role in the background.
“I’m delighted to be the chairman. It just wasn’t the initial plan.”
‘I told her very quickly’
Having promised his wife Linda, who will accompany him to Ibrox this weekend, he wouldn’t become Fraserburgh chairman, Murray joked that he didn’t particularly look forward to breaking the news.
He added: “I didn’t tell Linda the night it happened, and then in the morning I told her very quickly while she was eating breakfast and then stayed silent for a while.
“She admits herself she sort of expected it to happen because she knows I wouldn’t have turned it down.
“We didn’t discuss it for two days, and then she said: ‘I think I’ve been very good about this.’
“And I said: ‘You’ve been exceptional!’ That was how it went and she’s been fine with it ever since.
“She’s been to a couple of games and she’s coming to Ibrox as well, which is brilliant.”
Great showcase for the Broch
Looking ahead to Sunday, Murray believes the game against Rangers is a great opportunity for Fraserburgh to showcase themselves on the big stage.
He also hopes some Broch stars of the future will be inspired by this tie.
Murray said: “It’s great for us to try to show Fraserburgh Football Club at its best on a national stage.
“The way people and businesses are getting involved has been great.
“There’s businesses with black and white in their windows and there are houses that are the same.
“It’s great knowing people who follow us are going to get the chance to go to Ibrox to watch their team.
“We’re also taking our under-18s and U21s squads to the game.
“Our beliefs are to try to bring through young local players and we want every U18s and U21s player to be there to experience the atmosphere and what this is like so they can aspire to that in the future.”
Beach build-up is no problem for Broch’s Greg Buchan
Greg Buchan is optimistic Fraserburgh’s beach boys can bridge the difference in levels when they face Rangers.
Ahead of visiting Ibrox on Sunday, the Breedon Highland League outfit haven’t played since December 28 due to the recent inclement weather.
Training as normal has also been difficult at times, which has led to the Broch utilising Fraserburgh beach as a training facility, something that’s been a regular occurrence down the years.
Although their preparation differs from their opponents this weekend, who will be getting ready at their state of the art training centre, midfielder Buchan says it won’t have an impact on the game.
The 27-year-old said: “Our preparation will have been different to Rangers. We haven’t had a game for a couple of weeks, we’ve had to train indoors and then on the beach over Christmas and New Year.
“That probably does show the difference between ourselves and Rangers, but training on the beach and things like that is just what it’s like at Fraserburgh.
“It’s well renowned that if you can’t get on an astroturf somewhere or train at Bellslea because of the conditions, then we go to the beach – we’re all used to it and it’s part of playing for the club.
“We’re all excited to test ourselves against the players Rangers have.
“Some of us might not get this chance again. We’ve got to embrace it and see how we get on.”
Buchan hoping to play his part
Apart from a season (2021-22) at Huntly and a short loan stint at Deveronvale in 2020, Buchan has been at Fraserburgh since the summer of 2016.
He was an unused sub when the Broch played Rangers at Bellslea in Scottish Cup in 2018, and during the year he was away, Fraserburgh won the Highland League title.
Buchan added: “I was one of the younger lads the last time we played Rangers, but hopefully I can feature this time.
“You maybe could call me unlucky because as well as that the season I was away the boys won the league, but I don’t see it like that.
“It’s just part and parcel of what happens in football.
“I enjoyed my time at Huntly, and although I missed out on winning the league, it was great for my game to play as much as I did and be quite an important player in a team.
“Then since coming back to Fraserburgh I’ve managed to nail down more of a regular spot, which has been good.
“I’ve been here quite a long time. I love the club and being part of the squad here.”
Cowie’s day to remember at Ibrox
Dean Cowie has beaten Rangers at Ibrox and the Fraserburgh coach insists they have to believe they can do the same.
The Broch take on the Gers on Sunday in the Scottish Cup and Cowie has happy memories of a previous trip to Govan.
He was in the Peterhead team who triumphed 2-1 in a Third Division encounter at Ibrox in April 2013.
Cowie – who is the brother of Broch boss Mark – joined Fraserburgh’s management team this season and wants to see the Buchan side play with confidence this weekend.
The 37-year-old said: “It was unbelievable winning at Ibrox and the hype was the same as what we’re getting at Fraserburgh just now.
“Things were slightly different because Rangers had been demoted, but they still had players like Lee McCulloch and Lee Wallace in their team.
“It was an unbelievable experience going down there a couple of times that season (2012-13).
“The memories from those games are things I’ll never forget.
“After we won we went over to the Peterhead fans to clap them and celebrate with them, then when we were coming back across the pitch there were a lot of Rangers fans who had stayed to applaud as well.
“It was a great achievement.
“At Peterhead, we went down there with a similar gameplan to what we’ll have on Sunday and stranger things have happened in football than us winning.
“There’s nothing to lose for us. It’s something you want to go and enjoy – we want the boys to be brave on the pitch.
“It’s a great thing for the players. It’s something they’ll be able to tell their kids and grandkids about and it’s something they’re never going to forget.
“Hopefully at the end of the game we’ve enjoyed it and we’ve got no regrets.”
Coaching enjoyment
During his playing career, Cowie had two stints with Fraserburgh and Peterhead, as well as spells with Deveronvale and Turriff United.
He played in 2018 when the Broch took on Rangers, but was forced to retire at the end of that season due to persistent knee problems.
Since then he’s become involved in coaching and joined Fraserburgh’s first-team set-up this term, having been involved with the U18s and U21s.
He added: “I’ve really enjoyed being involved with the first-team this season and being back among the boys after having to stop playing quite young.
“It was frustrating having to stop, but I was struggling with my knee and wasn’t able to give 100%.”
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