Former Hibs and Rangers star sacked 1 game into the season as ex-Hearts + Wolves ace takes interim charge

He has left Raith Rovers | SNS Group

Ian Murray has departed his position as Raith Rovers manager in a shock exit for the Hibs hero.

The former Easter Road captain who also featured for Rangers and Norwich City in his playing days guided the Kirkcaldy club to the Premiership play-off final last season, having been in charge for two seasons. Just one game into the Championship season - having lost 1-0 to Airdrie - Murray now exits Stark’s Park.

Former Hearts star and Scotland international Colin Cameron takes interim control. He also counts Wolves, Coventry City and MK Dons as his former clubs, alongside coaching experience with Berwick Rangers, Cowdenbeath, Airdrie and Raith.

A statement reads: “Raith Rovers Football Club can confirm it has parted company with First Team Manager Ian Murray. The board expresses its gratitude to Ian for his contributions since joining the club in May 2022.

“Despite finishing 2nd last season, results and performances since the turn of the year have fallen short of expectations. The board has therefore decided to terminate the manager’s contract. The process of appointing a new manager has begun. In the interim, Colin Cameron and John Potter will take on First Team duties until a successor is appointed.”

Murray said after the defeat to Airdrie: "It was frantic but it wasn’t a good game. We were poor, both teams were actually poor. The first game of the season is about winning and we didn’t do that. We probably didn’t deserve to lose the game on the balance of play.

“The quality is not there. We didn’t give our forward players enough ammunition. We have really good players but we are crossing from wide areas into the goalkeeper’s hands, shooting well over the bar and not showing confidence one v one to go up against centre-halves.

"We aren’t getting to the areas on the pitch we need to get to at the moment. I could have played in goals for Airdrie today and kept a clean sheet because we didn’t put them under any pressure.

“I am a wee bit concerned about our fitness and very concerned about our sharpness. The hunger is attitude is there and the players are giving everything – we just don’t have any quality. We will have to fix it very quickly. Last season counts for nothing.

"Maybe we are too comfortable. We have to change that quickly. We need reinforcements. My gut feeling is that something isn’t right – we need to weed that out. It is going to be a tough 24/48 hours.”