A evening with Rodney Marsh

Scaring Europe to Death said:
The real reason why City weren't league champions in 71-72 was our appalling record against the two bottom teams, Huddersfield and Forest, plus the hammerings we took at our main three rivals, Derby, Leeds and Liverpool.

There's a bit of an urban myth about Rodney Marsh costing City the league, and yet as somebody alluded earlier, he always seems to play up to it.

Firstly, when he signed for City, we were top of the league with only 9 games remaining.

However Derby had two games in hand, and on the same day as Marsh's debut (1-0 v Chelsea) they beat Leicester 3-0. and then won their first game in hand (Ipswich 1-0) the following midweek.

Leeds had a game in hand, but were playing Spurs in the FA Cup on the same day as Marsh's debut, so this effectively became two games in hand.

Meanwhile, Liverpool also had a game in hand and actually won their next 8 games, so were undeniably the most consistent.

Once we unluckily lost to Stoke, on the same day as Derby beating Leeds (when we needed them to draw) it was already out of our hands, and by the time we won at Old Trafford, we were relying on other results to go in our favour, especially as Derby and Liverpool still had to face each other.

However, we then dropped more points and so by the time Marsh finally weaved his magic to beat Derby at Maine Road, it was too late as both Leeds and Liverpool won on the same day.

The Final table actually looks closer than it was, because Leeds lost to Wolves and handed the title to Derby.
Click to expand...
I liked watching Marsh, but we let a 6 point lead, when it was 2 points for a win, slip, after he arrived, and we were woeful at the start of the following season until November.

We didn't need to buy him, Lee and Davies up front were doing well, and as Joe Mercer said, £200,000 was a lot of money to spend to lose the title.

It's not an urban myth he cost us the title. He admits himself he did, and the results after he arrived turned us from title challengers into mid table mediocre strugglers for the next few seasons.

He'd only been at the club a few months when he put himself on the transfer list. HIs heart wasn't in it.
 
Gordyola said:
Great stuff any good stories frothy?
He was a bit of a lad during his time playing in Florida
Click to expand...
He still lives in America, some funny stories about Franny Lee waking him up at 4am to go fishing when it was freezing and pissing it down and he had never fished before, his best friend from his City days is Willie Donachie, sad stories he went to visit George Best on his way to work at Talksport. but he wasn't awake so just spent some time talking to him hoping he could hear him, when he got into the Studio about half an hour later the news broke that George had past away, lots of other stories about Sir Alf Ramsey having elocution lessons being the reason he talked so posh, plus lots more
 
NPBlue said:
I liked watching Marsh, but we let a 6 point lead, when it was 2 points for a win, slip, after he arrived, and we were woeful at the start of the following season until November.

We didn't need to buy him, Lee and Davies up front were doing well, and as Joe Mercer said, £200,000 was a lot of money to spend to lose the title.

It's not an urban myth he cost us the title. He admits himself he did, and the results after he arrived turned us from title challengers into mid table mediocre strugglers for the next few seasons.

He'd only been at the club a few months when he put himself on the transfer list. HIs heart wasn't in it.
Click to expand...
He was top scorer in the following season but it was the manager merry-go-round on top of an unsettled and changing squad that caused City to drop to mid-table. Rodney didn’t rate Book as a manager (but he never hated him) and would have been left aghast once Big Mal left as he rated him the best manager in England and was the reason he came in the first place. He was transfer listed after he told Swales what he thought (as a senior player) and Swales backed Skip.

Any professional player of his level would have been disappointed how his career ended in England and with the national team too but he’s of a certain character and offering himself as being the reason the title was lost will be him owning the situation in his own inimitable way. I think it’s too simplistic. He still had something to offer and the way the squad failed could equally be a sign it couldn’t modernise and adapt to stay competitive. Perhaps expecting that to happen in 9 games is the real reason we fell short.
 
NPBlue said:
I liked watching Marsh, but we let a 6 point lead, when it was 2 points for a win, slip, after he arrived, and we were woeful at the start of the following season until November.

We didn't need to buy him, Lee and Davies up front were doing well, and as Joe Mercer said, £200,000 was a lot of money to spend to lose the title.

It's not an urban myth he cost us the title. He admits himself he did, and the results after he arrived turned us from title challengers into mid table mediocre strugglers for the next few seasons.

He'd only been at the club a few months when he put himself on the transfer list. HIs heart wasn't in it.
Click to expand...

Marsh has always been a great character but he plays to the gallery and like many footballers his memory is selective and often contradicts the facts.
I've even seen an interview when he claims to have been the City substitute for the Denis Law backheel at the swamp.

City were top of the First Division with 47 points and 9 games remaining when he made his debut against Chelsea on March 18th 1972

However both Derby and Leeds had 43 points and 11 games remaining so it was never the foregone conclusion that everyone seems to remember

Yes he stifled our flowing football, but equally we'd also dropped some stupid points before he'd even signed.
 
Stelea said:
Than his age
Click to expand...
He really does look a lot younger than his 73 years, he turned up at the Rodney do in Track suit top shorts and trainers, Paul Lakes missus looked like she was making a documentary filming every thing during the Q&A, if you get a opportunity to a evening Rodney MARSH go he has some brilliant tales to tell, and for a 80 year old he looks well still got his hair, but struggling a bit with his legs
 
gordondaviesmoustache said:
His time at the club slightly predated my support of City so I never saw him live, but not overly impressed with what I’ve seen on camera. Looked cumbersome and slow to me. Great first touch though. And another big City character.

The way he was hounded out of broadcasting, because of one off-the-cuff, ill-judged comment was an absolute fucking disgrace.
Click to expand...
Especially with Spit keeping his job
 
Last edited:
frothy said:
He really does look a lot younger than his 73 years, he turned up at the Rodney do in Track suit top shorts and trainers, Paul Lakes missus looked like she was making a documentary filming every thing during the Q&A, if you get a opportunity to a evening Rodney MARSH go he has some brilliant tales to tell, and for a 80 year old he looks well still got his hair, but struggling a bit with his legs
Click to expand...
Frothy , next time you hear of any of these type of events can you let me know please , we went to games together back in the day with Lee .
Speak to you in Morrisons next time I see you .
 
frothy said:
He still lives in America, some funny stories about Franny Lee waking him up at 4am to go fishing when it was freezing and pissing it down and he had never fished before, his best friend from his City days is Willie Donachie, sad stories he went to visit George Best on his way to work at Talksport. but he wasn't awake so just spent some time talking to him hoping he could hear him, when he got into the Studio about half an hour later the news broke that George had past away, lots of other stories about Sir Alf Ramsey having elocution lessons being the reason he talked so posh, plus lots more
Click to expand...

He still has show on Sirius XM a few days a week. Always entertaining. Always talks up City.
 
frothy said:
He really does look a lot younger than his 73 years, he turned up at the Rodney do in Track suit top shorts and trainers, Paul Lakes missus looked like she was making a documentary filming every thing during the Q&A, if you get a opportunity to a evening Rodney MARSH go he has some brilliant tales to tell, and for a 80 year old he looks well still got his hair, but struggling a bit with his legs
Click to expand...
Was Gibbo there ?
 
He also told the story about the coach at Tampa Bay saying if your not playing well I will pull you off at half time, and Rodney said fucking hell we used to get half a Orange at City
 
My mate went on Friday to see him
A girl stood up to as k a question during the QaA session
Introduced herself as being from Droylsden
Rodney said he remembered Droylsden well as a place full of pretty girls and some great footballers then said to her I bet your a great footballer
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top