1978-79 | The self-implosion of Manchester City

[lancs blue]

A Swales signed programme went for £350 at auction the other week

It would've fetched £700 unsigned...

 

[LongsightM13]

It would've fetched £700 unsigned...

It was Graham Taylor era so the TV documentary almost certainly played a part in its valuation

 

[LongsightM13]

It was Graham Taylor era so the TV documentary almost certainly played a part in its valuation

I used to buy and sell rare books as a sideline so it was highlighted by an overseas dealer I used to do business with

 

[Winchester]

Was this the season that Nationalwide followed City or was that the season before.

77/78 I seem to remember

 

[paulchapo]

A Swales signed programme went for £350 at auction the other week
Edit: Tbf it was an England rather than City programme that sold for big bucks.
That this walking disaster was in charge of appointing England managers when he couldn’t find a decent one for his club says it all

I have two hand written letters Swales sent to me in reply to me writing to him expressing my concerns and advice.

He should have appointed Clough but just like the fa wankers his ego wouldn't have handled it

 

[LongsightM13]

77/78 I seem to remember

1978, no question



The associated book was also the source of the greatest, most telling photograph of all time

 

[LongsightM13]

I have two hand written letters Swales sent to me in reply to me writing to him expressing my concerns and advice.

He should have appointed Clough but just like the fa wankers his ego wouldn't have handled it

Any remaining genuine Swales signature is worth very decent cash nowadays

 

[paulchapo]

Any remaining genuine Swales signature is worth very decent cash nowadays

They are signed by him, knocking around my house somewhere. I wrote to him pissed off it must have been the late seventies or early eighties and told him I didn't want a standard type written letter with a "Sign here Mr Swales" signature, but a proper hand written reply showing he'd properly read my letter. Fair play to him he did, saying we had some good young players coming through in White, Lake, Redmond and Moulden and he was sure we'd soon be back at the top where we belonged.

 

[peter.evans]

Some of of it was said at the time, but there's also plenty of hindsight, as something had undeniably gone wrong in 78-79

However, what I still find strange is that when Allison was sacked, City potentially still had a far better team than the one that lost 4-0 at Brighton two seasons later, when Bond resigned.

City fielded 9 local lads, (plus Daley and Reeves) for the 2-2 draw at Old Trafford in September 1980, yet Roger Palmer only lasted a few more games, and Dave Bennett didn’t last much longer.

Steve Mackenzie also departed, and if you’re wondering why Clive Wilson rarely featured until 84-85 (at 24) then look no further than Bond’s comments in his 81-82 end-of-season review.

Allison was obsessed with long term, but Bond was too much the other way

Although we didn't win a game in those first 10 or 11 of that season so were looking certs for relegation !

 

[horlock_was_super]

Swales was the biggest ego, the biggest liar, and the biggest disaster in the entire history of the club.
He was never even a fan of the club. He simply used his position of chairman at one of europes biggest clubs (which we were in the 70s) as a means of inveigling himself onto the FA board.
He is a case study in arrogant incompetence.
He didn’t just destroy a side, he almost literally killed the entire club. And did so whilst making himself millions and millions of pounds.
Some misguided blues say “ah, but he WAS a City fan”. No, he wasn’t.

He was a provincial, duplicitous, failed local business man.
Im not by nature a vindictive man but I hope with all my being that he is currently rotting in hell.

This and this alone all day for me. We’re all City fans, but, would be able to see what was what.
Time will never heal the memory of that man’s tenure for me.