Murray: Tommy

1960-1961 (Player Details)

Outside Right

Born: Bellshill, North Lanarkshire: 14-01-1933

Debut: v Southampton (a): 03-09-1960

5’7” 11st (1960)

A Scottish Junior International, he played for Ayrshire side Dalry Thistle Juniors before joining Falkirk via Army football in 1955. He was acknowledged as the "Man-o-the-Match" when he won a Scottish FA Cup winners’ medal in 1957 with Falkirk. In the Final which took place at Hampden Park on 20th April 1957, Falkirk had failed to capitalise on their superiority in the first half and led by a John Prentice penalty at half time. The play was dictated by the wind and Murray used it to good effect with a string of corners, one of which was headed over by George Merchant. Murray was having a great game and his crosses were the cause of constant concern to the Kilmarnock defence and he was also receiving a buffeting from the aggressive defenders as they sought to negate his threat. A goal was a long time coming and after Merchant had been brought down in the box in the thirty-third minute the Falkirk skipper gave the keeper no chance with a powerful shot. Kilmarnock were fortunate to profit from a rare mistake by John Prentice who allowed Willie Harvey to head the ball back into the goal area for David Curlett to volley past Bert Slater, very much against the run of play, in the time added for injuries at the end of the first half. The game went to a replay, again at Hampden Park, four days later, in front of an 80,000 crowd. It was "Man of the match" Tommy Murray that gave them the perfect start, when, after twenty-five minutes, he cut inside past two defenders to fire in a cross which was perfectly flighted for George Merchant to head the ball home from seven yards. The Bairns had plenty of chances to put the game beyond the Ayrshire side, but just as George Merchant had repeated his strike in the first game, so David Curlett repeated his with a goal to equalise with ten minutes left on the clock. The game went into extra-time and after ten minutes Dougie Moran, with a fine solo effort, scored the winner for Falkirk as they finished the stronger of the two teams. Murray had become a consistent performer for the Bairns with four goals in nineteen League games in 1956-57, four goals in twenty-four in 1957-58 and five goals in twenty-four games in 1958-59. A total of thirteen goals in seventy-eight League games in his time at Brockville Park. However, when Falkirk suffered relegation he moved on to Dumfries team, Queen of the South on 30th January 1960 but after six goals in nine games he was sold to Leeds United for £3,000 on 6th August 1960. Unfortunately, the nippy, box-of-tricks Scottish winger never really hit top form at Elland Road and Gerry Francis or Billy Bremner usually had the Right Wing spot. United sold him to Tranmere Rovers for £3,000 in March 1961. His time at Prenton Park was disrupted by injuries and he was restricted to ten League appearances and one goal. He left Tranmere at the end of the 1961-62 season and joined Queen of the South once more, scoring four goals in twelve appearances but left at the end of the 1962-63 season.