Interesting to reflect how far we have come since that period 1995-98, as a City fan it seemed every day was a disaster day, managers coming and going, inept boardroom decision-making, clueless on and off the pitch... And yet it was actually a period of just 3-seasons where we nosedived into near oblivion and 3-season more to arrive back in the Prem, albeit just for one season but with solid foundations laid for Keegan, Sven and the rest to build upon (we'll ignore Pearce!).
As for Ball's appointment, we all know how that came about (Lee's bezzie mate, having no other available/interested alternatives) and starting with the stupid decision to sack Brian Horton, a man who, despite everything thrown at him - including initial abuse and doubt from City fans ("who the f**ks Brian Horton!?"), went on the produce arguably our finest football at any point between 1981 (early Bond) and 2001 (Keegan) with limited funds and a new chairman who wanted rid almost from the start... He needed Lee's backing and a few quid for a decent centre half but didn't get either. Ball was a joke and the first of a whole string of jokes so bad Bob Monkhouse would blush; Hartford, Coppell, Neal (wtf!?), and remeber the 'chase' for Dave Bassent!!?? Then Clarke - who despite some of the comments on here (which I don't dispute) actually appeared initially to turn us around - 2nd half of 1996-97 we played some decent stuff, started winning matches quite comfortably, he signed Horlock and a number of other half decent players. It was being said that had we appointed him earlier we would have made the play-offs that season at least...
Something happened that close season of 1997- older fans will remember the kit change to Kappa, the new badge, a few million to spend in the bank, the real sense of hope/expectation that the era of Francis Lee was about to come good and promotion back to the Prem was a decent bet... It didn't happen. Why?? No idea. Lee Bradbury ("couldn't hit the parish he was born into!" - thank you Tommy Doc!!) was a plain BAD signing and one of a few that close season - Ged Brennen anybody..? but it can't all be down to just that? But something changed the mood and morale of the squad and, starting badly, then just getting comically worse - down we went, Clarke was fired off and Royle came in too late to save us. The rest is history.
I'm glad I'm old enough to have witnessed it, to have suffered to doom and gloom, the comic-book disasters, the 'cups-for-cock-ups'!. Swales, Lee, Ball, Clarke. Liverpool at home, Stoke City away, even York City (I was the only City fan not there, sorry). It makes the experience of following City today all-the-more enjoyable.
Most of the new fans have a meltdown if we suffer one dodgy result in a 38-game season!! Laughable!!