Did “player power” begin at City?

[Andrew Keenan]

I've just published a piece about Ron Saunders' four months as City manager in the 1973-74 season.

Saunders had been a military police officer during his National Service, but the sergeant major approach he brought to City caused a lot of resentment among some of the senior players.

He was sacked after Swales and two other directors called players into the players' lounge one by one and asked them what they thought of their manager. I haven't come across anything remotely similar elsewhere in football before this, and I think it's a good example of how often City have been at the forefront of wider footballing trends throughout our history.

The other thing that struck me was how City's buying-power in the early 1970s was not too different from today. We broke the British transfer record in the 1973-74 season with the £275,000 signing of Dennis Tueart. Most of that was recouped with the sale of two players who had come up through the youth team, Derek Jeffries and Tony Towers.

We also had the money from winning lots of trophies, of course.

The story is free to read via this link:
https://mcfchistory.substack.com/p/the-peter-swales-years-pt-1

 

[Corky]

Jimmy Hill

 

[JCB001]

Jimmy Hill

& George Eastham

 

[Northmanc68]

I've just published a piece about Ron Saunders' four months as City manager in the 1973-74 season.

Saunders had been a military police officer during his National Service, but the sergeant major approach he brought to City caused a lot of resentment among some of the senior players.

He was sacked after Swales and two other directors called players into the players' lounge one by one and asked them what they thought of their manager. I haven't come across anything remotely similar elsewhere in football before this, and I think it's a good example of how often City have been at the forefront of wider footballing trends throughout our history.

The other thing that struck me was how City's buying-power in the early 1970s was not too different from today. We broke the British transfer record in the 1973-74 season with the £275,000 signing of Dennis Tueart. Most of that was recouped with the sale of two players who had come up through the youth team, Derek Jeffries and Tony Towers.

We also had the money from winning lots of trophies, of course.

The story is free to read via this link:
https://mcfchistory.substack.com/p/the-peter-swales-years-pt-1

Just want to say Andrew , these articles are an excellent read

 

[Andrew Keenan]

Jimmy Hill

Hill certainly played an important role in the scrapping of the maximum wage in football, amongst other things, but by "player power" I'm referring to players exerting pressure to get a manager sacked.

 

[jimharri]

L***s, when Cloughie went there. Told them to chuck all their medals in the bin as they'd won them by cheating. He was as popular as a fart in a lift.

 

[Andrew Keenan]

Just want to say Andrew , these articles are an excellent read

Thanks, that's much appreciated.

 

[Andrew Keenan]

L***s, when Cloughie went there. Told them to chuck all their medals in the bin as they'd won them by cheating. He was as popular as a fart in a lift.

That was five months after Saunders was sacked, which supports the idea that City's players started the trend.

 

[jimharri]

That was five months after Saunders was sacked, which supports the idea that City's players started the trend.

Fair enough.

 

[Northmanc68]

Thanks, that's much appreciated.

The list of managers we were linked with in the papers - imagine how different the next 20 years could have been if we’d have got Clough or Bobby Robson