Murray Bill Image 1 Sunderland 1930

Description

Aberdeen born right back Bill Murray began his football career with Hall, Russell & Co and joined hometown Scottish League club Aberdeen in 1920, making his first team debut in a Robertson Cup defeat to Dundee in May that year, however he failed to make the breakthrough into their League side and moved to Cowdenbeath in 1921. Over the next six years at Central Park he was a key member of their team that won promotion to the Scottish First Division in 1923-24 and maintained top flight status, Murray scoring 8 goals in 121 appearances for Cowden before being sold to Sunderland in the 1927 close season. He is a member of the Cowdenbeath Hall of Fame.

Murray made his Football League debut in a win at West Ham United at the start of September in Sunderland’s second match of the new season and was then ever present for the remainder of it. Indeed he was a regular during each of his nine seasons at Roker Park until losing his place in November 1935, having helped Sunderland finish in fourth place in the League Championship in 1928-29 and as runners up in 1934-35, as well as playing as they were defeated in the 1931 FA Cup semi final by Birmingham at Elland Road, Leeds.

Having made his final appearance for The Wearsiders in April 1936, after 328 appearances for Sunderland he signed for St Mirren in January 1937, where he made 83 appearances for The Buddies before being released upon his appointment as manager of Sunderland on 24th March 1939 and went on to lead the the club for eighteen seasons, albeit disrupted by the Second World War, a record at Sunderland. During his managerial reign at Sunderland, he failed to win a trophy, whilst being in charge for 513 matches, although they finished in third place in the League Championship in 1949-50 and were twice FA Cup semi finalists in 1955 and 1956. Murray’s resignation in June 1957 came amid an inquiry at Sunderland into illegal payments to players and he was eventually replaced by Alan Brown on 26th June 1957.

NB in the image he is shown with Sunderland team mates Ernie England, Sam Morris and Patsy Gallacher.