44 Years Ago… Johnny Bond, Johnny Bond, Johnny Bond

[its a Barm]

i liked john bond.

 

[Spurs quarter 69]

Short term Bond did a great job and the 80-81 season remains one of my favourite campaigns from the pre Premier League era.

I'm not so sure about the rest of his tenure especially as we seemed to have a worse team at the start of 83-84 (Parlane Tolmie McNab)than the one he inherited after Malcolm Allison had been sacked (Palmer Bennett Mackenzie)

Always remember Derek Parlane having a stormer against Blackburn Rovers at Maine Rd scored a hat trick in a 6 0 win. Can't remember the year any one help me out ?

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Always remember Derek Parlane having a stormer against Blackburn Rovers at Maine Rd scored a hat trick in a 6 0 win. Can't remember the year any one help me out ?

Around Aug/Sep 83 as I was playing cricket and missed the game.

 

[Citizen Green]

I think the best way to sum up Bond's time at City, is that he stemmed the terminal decline we were in temporally, before the course inevitable continued. The 1981 FA Cup Final being a great achievement.

Whilst the late-70's spending under Malcolm/Swales is undoubtedly the cause of said terminal decline, some of this thread talk as though this happened immediately on the back of the 2nd & 4th place finishes in '77 & '78. The reality somewhat different. The decision to replace Book as manager was made after the 1978-79 season, in which City had finished 15th, with Watson, Owen, Barnes & Kidd all still at the club.

Swales at this point was utterly obsessed with catching United's attendances, with City within just a few thousand of their average. I believe this mentality is what led to the appointment of Malcom for the 'final push' & magic touch of the late 60's. Hence he was given total faith in dissembling a very talented, experienced team that had had a poor campaign prior to his return. He was on record as saying they 'didn't want to run' & that due to their age & careers, no longer had the same openness to new ideas, hence were shipped out with the horrific spending coming after.

I would argue (not withstanding my view that the club was doomed due to incompetency at boardroom level regardless) had a more steady hand been appointed in 1979, say a Bobby Robson for example, with the majority of the names outlined above retained & supplemented by younger, more talented legs brought in to support them on smaller fees, we would of returned to challenging for honours/European football fairly easily. Irrespective of what United were doing - always the problem in the City psyche of Swales.

Bond was doomed to failure as were all his successors in the same era.

 

[Spurs quarter 69]

Around Aug/Sep 83 as I was playing cricket and missed the game.

Thanks

 

[ColinBellsjockstrap]

i liked john bond.

I did too.

Did his best with who he had to work with at the time.

 

[the blue panther]

My Mrs was 23 back then and there was only 1 man she loved more than John Bond - as far as know......

and that was his son, Kevin!

 

[jrb]

Probably the worst City football chant ever, even though I sang it.

John Bond we love you….

 

[Ribble73]

Always remember Derek Parlane having a stormer against Blackburn Rovers at Maine Rd scored a hat trick in a 6 0 win. Can't remember the year any one help me out ?

August/September 83 -they had a red hot Simon Garner up front and were all over us early on but we suddenly just started scoring goals and IIRC it was 4-0 at HT. The first time I ever heard “you’re so shit it’s unbelievable” sung at a game. Remember it well -as I had a fair few mates in the away end who we had the craic with at HT through the Kippax fence

 

[simmo]

Still laugh at the Granada documentary at the time.

Swales flicking the beer mat - John we would like to offer you the job. Then his intro to the players - in a hotel you call me boss as there may be several people called John.

Signing Gow , Macdonald and Hutchison changed the team in 81.