How Peter Swales became City chairman

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Andrew Keenan

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Manchester City
I’ve noticed there have been a lot of threads about Peter Swales over the years, but none have provided the answers people are looking for.

I’m a former financial journalist and have been researching the Swales era for the last few years. Back in the day I created the Purely Man City blog, and have now relaunched it on Substack. I’m starting with a serialisation explaining how Swales became chairman. I’ve just published the first installment, which details a secret deed of covenant signed by City’s directors in 1964 that inadvertently paved the way for Swales’ rise to power.

It’s free to view via the link below:

https://mcfchistory.substack.com/p/how-peter-swales-became-city-chairman
 
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Andrew Keenan said:
There is a lot of betrayal in this story, but not only by Swales...
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Interesting and thanks for publishing your research (to date). Clearly there are business shenanigans going on but I'd be interested to know how goings on at City fitted into the context of what other clubs were doing. Was that benign face of our war veteran chairman disguising the power struggles behind him typical?
 
Stiff Little Wingers said:
Interesting and thanks for publishing your research (to date). Clearly there are business shenanigans going on but I'd be interested to know how goings on at City fitted into the context of what other clubs were doing. Was that benign face of our war veteran chairman disguising the power struggles behind him typical?
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I have been researching City’s ownership during other eras, and there’s usually been some shenanigans at work. I suspect the same is true of every other club boardroom. The 1960s was also not the first time an Alexander had boosted his shareholding through unusual methods.

One of the things that fascinates me most about City is how our ownership has reflected the wider business world. For instance, the increasing power and influence of Gulf money in the West is one of the biggest economic developments of modern times. And no club in the world reflects this more than City.

Back in the 1960s, the era of the “corporate raider” was beginning. I believe that, once again, no club reflected this more than City. That said, other clubs ran us close.
 
Thanks for sharing this, Peter Donoghue was my mum's cousin (her mum and his dad were brother / sister) and to my knowledge (unless as a baby) I never met him and he passed away in the mid 80's.
I didn't know he was a Labour councilor. Sadly my mum passed away 4 years ago so can't ask her about him.

Do you have any info on the rally he organised at The Free Trade Hall?
 
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Mad Eyed Screamer said:
Thanks for sharing this, Peter Donoghue was my mum's cousin (her mum and his dad were brother / sister and to my knowledge (unless as a baby) I never met him and he passed away in the mid 80's.
I didn't know he was a Labour councilor. Sadly.my.mum passed away 4 years ago so can't ask her about him.

Do you have any info on the rally he organised at The Free Trade Hall?
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Donoghue was also chosen as a Labour candidate for the 1964 General Election, but stood down due to ill health. Considering his insane workload I suspect he worked himself into an early grave.

I'll check my cuttings and let you know what I have about the rally .
 
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