1978-79 | The self-implosion of Manchester City

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Am I right in thinking that by the mid-80s more shares were held in trust/proxy for the families of dead men than by the living and that these "shareholders" always backed Swales?

Fascinating thread, this.
There's something that doesn't quite tally. In 1977, I wrote to the club with an enquiry about how much Mick Channon had cost the club. I got back a beautifully typed letter, giving me the info, and signed by one of the Alexanders or it might have been a per pro signature. The paper was letter-headed in sky blue lettering (of course), and the Alexanders – grandfather, son and grandson – were still on that letter-heading. I know, because I of course preciously kept that document, and it's somewhere downstairs in the garage amongst my papers. (Can't fish it out at present – don't ask why, it's a long story). There was no mention of Swales anywhere.

 

[bernard o'silver]

Saunders deserved everything he got at City. He was always the wrong fit for City. He was far too dour as a manager

If only eh? Clough went on to win the league with Forest and the European cup twice, Saunders went on to win the league with Villa, and his side won the European Cup (he left after they had reached the QF)

 

[Norman kneejerk]

Swales in effect took over the role after Humphreys died an AFAIK never relinquished it until he left early in 1994. Under Lee, from memory Bernstein joined the board and we recruited someone below board level to handle day-to-day stuff under his supervision where needed. Football was long an astonishingly amateurish industry, still is to a degree. People would be surprised.

Incredible. Horrendous perfect storm. No f d, reckless manager, spending unchecked in 78/79, shareholders all passive, maybe one last shot at it after the 81cup final if sensible signings were made but bought Francis and had to sell almost immediately.Thats when the game was up and Swales had to go. Remember an old city fan saying to me the club was sick at a game one day. Think it was Frank Johnson city correspondent for the Mirror wrote a great book on Franny Lee's takeover, when Niven I believe did at last vote against Swales

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Incredible. Horrendous perfect storm. No f d, reckless manager, spending unchecked in 78/79, shareholders all passive, maybe one last shot at it after the 81cup final if sensible signings were made but bought Francis and had to sell almost immediately.Thats when the game was up and Swales had to go. Remember an old city fan saying to me the club was sick at a game one day. Think it was Frank Johnson city correspondent for the Mirror wrote a great book on Franny Lee's takeover, when Niven I believe did at last vote against Swales

I’ve got that book. “The Battle For Manchester City”. In reality it’s just the history of the club with a chapter or two tagged on the end about Lee’s takeover.

 

[stan bowles]

This fits in with Swales as Chairman of the FA England selectors that saw the appointment of Revie over Clough as England manager. Revie later walked out. Brian Cloughs comment is consistent with the narrative in Petrusha's above post, particularly I quote "This was just after Swales had stepped up and become chairman, and it's impossible to imagine Swales favouring the recruitment of Clough."

Clough said: "I'm sure the England selectors thought if they took me on and gave me the job, I'd want to run the show. They were shrewd, because that's exactly what I would have done."

Revie was appointed England manager in July 1974 so I don't think Swales was on the FA Committee at that time. I don't recall the FA wanting anyone else other than Revie. He resigned from the Leeds job specifically to take up the offer of England.
Clough was interviewed for the England job in late 1977 and was passed over in favour of Ron Greenwood. Swales was on the FA Committee as part of that interview process.

 

[petrusha]

I’ve got that book. “The Battle For Manchester City”. In reality it’s just the history of the club with a chapter or two tagged on the end about Lee’s takeover.

The book was by Alec Johnson of the Mirror, one of those old-school Manchester-based football reporters for the Northern editions of the nationals. He'd supposedly been a mate of Franny's since the latter was a player, and was allowed to break the story of Lee launching a takeover bid in September 1993.

I was excited when I heard that the book was due out, as it seemed to suggest there'd be all kinds of fascinating revelations from within the Lee camp with regard to the takeover. It provided no such new information. The takeover chapters largely repeated material already in the public domain, and the little that was new was hardly explosive. The rest of the book had the odd mildly interesting (but scarcely sensational) new piece of information, amid a load of stuff we all knew already.

 

[Magicpole]

We had this last year. Self inflicted by a board of utter shitebags.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

The book was by Alec Johnson of the Mirror, one of those old-school Manchester-based football reporters for the Northern editions of the nationals. He'd supposedly been a mate of Franny's since the latter was a player, and was allowed to break the story of Lee launching a takeover bid in September 1993.

I was excited when I heard that the book was due out, as it seemed to suggest there'd be all kinds of fascinating revelations from within the Lee camp with regard to the takeover. It provided no such new information. The takeover chapters largely repeated material already in the public domain, and the little that was new was hardly explosive. The rest of the book had the odd mildly interesting (but scarcely sensational) new piece of information, amid a load of stuff we all knew already.

Yep. I remember the disappointment well, at a time when City books were very thin on the ground. I also remember the very day I walked into a Newsagent and saw the headline “Lee Ready To Take Over City”, or similar. I nearly died of excitement. But that’s probably for another thread.

 

[petrusha]

Yep. I remember the disappointment well, at a time when City books were very thin on the ground. I also remember the very day I walked into a Newsagent and saw the headline “Lee Ready To Take Over City”, or similar. I nearly died of excitement. But that’s probably for another thread.

Yes, it was a JFK moment for me, as well, but let's discuss it another time. :)

 

[petrusha]

Fascinating thread, this.
There's something that doesn't quite tally. In 1977, I wrote to the club with an enquiry about how much Mick Channon had cost the club. I got back a beautifully typed letter, giving me the info, and signed by one of the Alexanders or it might have been a per pro signature. The paper was letter-headed in sky blue lettering (of course), and the Alexanders – grandfather, son and grandson – were still on that letter-heading. I know, because I of course preciously kept that document, and it's somewhere downstairs in the garage amongst my papers. (Can't fish it out at present – don't ask why, it's a long story). There was no mention of Swales anywhere.

I'm only guessing, but I think that Eric Alexander may still have been on the board at that time, even though he stepped down as chairman four years earlier and his family had probably sold most of their shares by this point. He may have taken the opportunity to write to you as a director but using his own (or the family's) letterhead rather than the club's.