Alan Ball: Did Franny Lee Really Think He Would Bring Trophies?

[dennishasdoneit]

I wouldn’t have swapped a chipped mug for Creaney… he really was taking the piss.

It was that moment I'd heard we'd swapped Walsh for Creany.,...I did ask myself WTF
is going on . There were no words to speak. What was that man doing to my club ?
Very painful memory that.

 

[Cellarite]

It isn't if you shave off the wins either side, in theory if you used the last 27 games it would have been a 49 point season so mid-way.

So 12th place and nowhere near Europe? Which was kind of the point I made...

 

[Sky Blue Thinking]

Wasn't he the commentator who frequently called Kinkladze Gigi?

Go go Gio was one of his phrases, along with 'checks, turns inside'

 

[East Level 2]

It was that moment I'd heard we'd swapped Walsh for Creany.,...I did ask myself WTF
is going on . There were no words to speak. What was that man doing to my club ?
Very painful memory that.

WTFIGO? Was often asked about City in those days.

 

[Lost for words]

WTFIGO? Was often asked about City in those days.

We should have trade marketed that chant. Everyone knew who sang it.

 

[OnlyOneUweRosler]

It was that moment I'd heard we'd swapped Walsh for Creany.,...I did ask myself WTF
is going on . There were no words to speak. What was that man doing to my club ?
Very painful memory that.

Walsh was one of the classiest players to play for City in that era. When Ball got rid of him, you knew something was wrong, especially when you saw how awful the replacement was.

 

[OnlyOneUweRosler]

Eike Immel and Michael Frontzeck were probably the two worst players Alan Ball signed. But weirdly, they had both once been pretty good. Both guys went to Mexico 86 with West Germany, and Immel was actually on the bench for Germany at the 1986 World Cup Final, weird to believe a turkey like that was part of a World Cup final matchday squad.

 

[eike]

Go go Gio was one of his phrases, along with 'checks, turns inside'

The tiger from Tblisi, my personal favourite from Brian.

 

[OnlyOneUweRosler]

The tiger from Tblisi, my personal favourite from Brian.

Hearing the radio phrases causes me to immediately flash back to my youth, hanging by the radio to see if City could eke out a win.

 

[Corky]

So 12th place and nowhere near Europe? Which was kind of the point I made...

Leicester, Palace and Bradford did worse and qualified in following seasons, the Intertoto was a dutch auction.

 

[SuttonColdfieldBlue]

Tskhadadze looked like a rock at centre half for those first couple of games in 98/99 before he got crippled - could head a ball like a rocket too. Shame he got injured, he looked by far the best of the “other three” Georgians.

Point of order regarding the references to Howard Bernstein above - wrong Bernstein! David Bernstein was our chairman after Franny (and subsequently FA chairman for a while.)

 

[OnlyOneUweRosler]

Ball sold some real gems (Quinn, Walsh, Phelan etc.) but if he had only signed good replacements, the fans could have probably taken in. The fact he replaced them with turkeys is the issue.

 

[Dial M 4 Mercer]

Living on the Fylde Coast I knew precisely what would happen when Ball was appointed City manager having already seen him work his ‘magic’ at Blackpool football club.

 

[OnlyOneUweRosler]

City also bought Nicky Summerbee (albeit under Horton) purely because Franny Lee was trying to use the Summerbee name to keep his narrative of "good times back again" going. In reality, Nicky Summerbee was a fraction of the player his dad was, and would not have been bought were his name Smith.

 

[Zabbasbeard]

I wouldn’t have swapped a chipped mug for Creaney… he really was taking the piss.

That transfer still makes me cross. The thought of Ball and Franny as chairman also still raise the hackles here too.

 

[Zabbasbeard]

Horton always struck me as a very decent and down to earth guy. With a squad full of injuries, and no money, he managed to bring in Walsh, Rosler, Beagrie, Rocastle and saved city from relegation. 1994/5 was my first full season as a city fan, and it was genuinely exciting to see how city loved to attack and get stuck in. I genuinely believe Horton was on the verge of winning something when they fired him.

A total gent who did a good job difficult circumstances, and his sides played exciting attacking football. Lovable down to earth humble guy who still connects with fans.

 

[Stiff Little Wingers]

My memory might be failing me but I seem to remember that chant first bursting into the collective consciouness at Hillsborough on the last day of the 1993/94 season. It was a gloriously sunny day in Sheffield and Rosler evscored our goal in a 1-1 draw.

We played in the stunning (well worth a revisit if you're listening Puma) purple and white away kit and with yellow sponsors. I recall the scoreboard announcing that Sheffield United had been relegated to much delight from the home fans at the end of the game.

Yes, was sat in the Wednesday main stand and the Uwe song was very loud.

 

[crossie]

So we sign Bradbury without the chairman’s knowledge or permission? I call bullshit on that one. We sacked a legendary member of staff without the chairman’s permission? That also sounds pretty sus.

Selling Curle, Phelan, Quinn, Flitcroft, Beagrie, Walsh must have been us selling assets while they had value to keep the club going, you don’t sell your best players unless you have to. A stubborn manager might pressure the chairman but a sensible chairman might sanction one, but the 2nd request would have him wondering wtf was going on. I think it remember once reading that Ball didn’t like senior players with influence that challenged his as manager, probably due to little man syndrome. Also might link to why he carried his medal around with him. Insecurities. As a little ginger back then, I bet he was bullied.

I remember playing Sensible Soccer with that Horton team, it was ace, swinging in crosses from Beagrie and Summerbee for Quinn to head in.

 

[eastmanc]

City also bought Nicky Summerbee (albeit under Horton) purely because Franny Lee was trying to use the Summerbee name to keep his narrative of "good times back again" going. In reality, Nicky Summerbee was a fraction of the player his dad was, and would not have been bought were his name Smith.

You are probably right about Summerbee but him and Peter Beagrie were very exciting to watch iwhen playing under Brian Horton.

 

[eastmanc]

Eike Immel and Michael Frontzeck were probably the two worst players Alan Ball signed. But weirdly, they had both once been pretty good. Both guys went to Mexico 86 with West Germany, and Immel was actually on the bench for Germany at the 1986 World Cup Final, weird to believe a turkey like that was part of a World Cup final matchday squad.

Gerry Creaney is a good shout, he was shite.