Short-term stability, long-term ambition: Elgin City's new chairman Alan Murray 'proud' to take on role
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ELGIN City's new chairman is hoping to stabilise the club off the park before working with an "ambitious" management team to move things forward.
Local businessman Alan Murray – who runs George Innes Ltd and has more than 35 years experience in the construction industry – was confirmed in the role on Tuesday.
Mr Murray was formerly chairman of Dufftown FC and also played junior football for the club, as well as two short spells with New Elgin.
He has been close to joining the board at City on a number of occasions previously, but the timing is now right for him to step up and lead the club he has regularly attended Borough Briggs to watch as a supporter.
"I can assure our supporters I will be giving everything I have to the club," he said. "It will be a significant task replacing Graham (Tatters, former chairman) as he is a one-off and done a great amount of work for the club.
"The commitment he gave to the club is unsurpassable, but I'm proud to take on the role.
"I have been sitting in the stands regularly for the last few seasons and I can see first-hand the level of commitment from supporters and volunteers and how much Elgin City means to people.
"This club has been here for more than 120 years and it is important for everyone to understand they are there for the benefit of the club.
"I am charged with steering the ship for what is essentially a five-minute period in the club's history so it's important to me that supporters know I'm there for the club and not for myself.
"The response from fans and the local community has been very flattering. It's been great to get so many good luck messages."
Talking short-term, the keyword for Murray and Elgin City is stability, but long-term there are plenty of ambitions for the Black and Whites, who have been in League Two for a quarter of a century.
He is looking forward to working with a manager in Allan Hale who he first crossed paths with a decade ago when he was Dufftown chairman and Hale, then in his mid-20s, was manager of Maud.
"Short-term the aim is to get a bit of stabilisation," Murray added. "2023 was a tricky year on and off the pitch so stability is really important.
"The appointment of Allan Hale and Stefan Laird looks really good and the upturn in fortunes on the pitch has been obvious. We want to harness their ambition in a sustainable manner. I'm looking forward to working with them moving forward.
"We are ambitious and hopefully there are fresh ideas for the club on and off the pitch and we can improve it all around.
"It goes without saying that skirting with relegation every year is not a safe place to be, or somewhere we want to be. Progress would be a comfortable finish in the league and the medium-long term aim is to be pushing at the top of the division.
"That is what supporters want – to come and watch a winning team on the park and everyone involved wants that. Short-term we have to get that stability so we can be clear of the relegation spots. If promotion comes our way then that's fantastic."
Murray is well aware of the threats posed to City, but prefers to focus on the strength of support available to the Black and Whites.
He added: "The biggest threat comes from teams in the central belt who are well-backed coming through the junior ranks.
"The difference between them and us is that Elgin City has history and soul and is a community club. We have never had one single backer feeding the club.
"We have to work hard and use the generous business community and individual sponsorships we have benefited from.
"Geography can be viewed as a negative, with difficulty with player recruitment, but a close-knit community can bring benefits.
"When you look at crowds we probably have best gates in League One or Two, other than Falkirk and Hamilton. There is a support and they come through the gate when they see that ambition and potential."
The women's team will also play a big part in Murray's work – his business George Innes Ltd are the main shirt sponsor of the women's side.
"Manager Mo Morrison is an old friend of mine and they have done a great job," he added. "They are second in the league and that's testament to the work that Mo and his staff have done, as well as our directors and volunteers. It's refreshing that Elgin has a women's team now."
Isla Benzie, who has been chairwoman since Graham Tatters stepped back in December, will become Elgin's vice-chairwoman going forward.
