David Murray started swimming competitively at primary school in Motherwell before going to the town’s Dalziel High School, and in 1938 was part of their team that won the Scottish Schoolboys Team Championship. Having finished runner-up in many individual competitions, Murray had his breakthrough in 1940, when he won the West of Scotland 100 yard junior backstroke title. By the mid-1940s, Murray had turned his attention from swimming to water polo, and joined the crack Motherwell Swimming and Water Polo Club. They were the most dominant team in Scotland in the post-war years, and were also one of the leading British teams. Murray was in their side when they won the ASA title in 1949 and 1950, and also when they were beaten finalists in each of the next three years, 1951-53. Motherwell also won 12 consecutive Scottish titles 1947-58 and Murray captained the team to many of those successes. He also captained Scotland, and won 13 Scottish caps between 1948-56. Murray was in the Great Britain squad for the 1947 European Championships at Monte Carlo, and the 1948 London Olympics, when he was one of seven athletes from Motherwell at the Games.
Great Britain