City's 1960s team

[BrianW]

Things were never quite the same after Vic Gomersall left us.

Seriously, we ought to have won more. We had a very good team, but there was no real concept of the squad back then, we just had a few reserves who popped up when the main guys got injured - Dave Connor, Bobby Kennedy, Stan Horne spring to mind.

I think Allison's obsession with being top dog plus various berks in the Boardroom screwed us in the end. Back then, City was run like an allotment society or something. It wasn't very professional behind the scenes - what we have now is another world. Hollywood compared to the Chipping Camden Amateur Dramatics Society. The way Joe Mercer was treated was shameful. He should have been honoured and revered for life, like Busby at the Rags, not discarded like a piece of shit.

 

[ancoats]

A few good comments made up to now...

If you look at the 60s, you have to take into account the whole decade. My memory of 60/61 and 61/62 is vague at best. The 62/63 relegation season was obviously poor and was effectively (as the song says) the end for the sky blues.
63/64 and 64/65 were 'wilderness seasons' - City were becoming a solid 2nd division club with a few decent local lads playing, but seemingly destined for mid-table obscurity.

Joe and Malcolm arrived, and the world changed... 65/66 was probably my favourite ever season. The brilliant Johnny Crossan, winning the 2nd division title, a great cup run... Giddy at the possibility of actually going to a semi-final, only to be dashed by Everton after three games, and the arrival of the wonderful Summerbee and Bell.

66/67 was a season of change.. A few old favourtes moved on, some youngsters came to the fore, and we sat relatively comfortably (for then City) in mid-rable. The thing was,the general feeling 'on the terraces' was that there was more to come, and 67/68 (with the arrival of Franny Lee) proved us right.

Top-level English football was VERY different in the late 60s - The league was more balanced than nowadays; you could expect to see any one of 8 or 9 teams thinking, quite reasonably, that they may win the league. Games were more competetive, and every week we witnessed many of the greatest players that the English game has ever produced.

Take away the FA cup win, and it has to be said that 68-69 was a poor season for City - A season of erratic performances topped off with a cup win. 69-70 was much the same.

In hindsight, the 60s wasn't the 'wonderful' decade many of us City fans like to remember, but it was infinitely better than the 70s, 80s, 90s,and most of the 00s. Joe and Malcolm very nearly had the world of football at their feet, but didn't quite make it... In my opinion, Malcolm Allison's over-inflated ego and blind ambition destroyed what could have been - He stabbed Joe in the back and caused disruption in the Board room that escalated into farce over the next 20 years.

Let's face it - Football was better. I loved watching 'rollercoaster' City in the 60s, and I wouldn't change one second of it.

when malcolm allison come back for a 2nd stint at city was to destroy city and swales plain and simple
tony book had us going great and won the league cup and close in the league with a good bunch of players and youth

why on earth did malcolm allison think get rid of most of them and start again ? barnes owen should have been city future and with the likes of joe corrigan. dave watson. willie donachie. tommy booth. mike doyle. ash hartford. mick channon. brian kidd. still have 3 to 5 seasons in them city should have been winning titles and cups

so its clear on paper what malcolm allinson was up to ? he knew its pay back time and did a very good job of sinking city for good, swales was fooled into thinking magic happens with malcolm allison. but the truth is jo mercer was the master allison was a bully

 

[denislawsbackheel]

Garbage
Mercer never took a coaching session.

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

I recall malcolm allinson's second time at the club and it got me thinking about non-league players I'm pretty sure he signed the last two the club signed (David Wiffill and Paul Sugrue) I can't think of any since then

​

 

[Protein Junkie]

Things were never quite the same after Vic Gomersall left us.

Seriously, we ought to have won more. We had a very good team, but there was no real concept of the squad back then, we just had a few reserves who popped up when the main guys got injured - Dave Connor, Bobby Kennedy, Stan Horne spring to mind.

I think Allison's obsession with being top dog plus various berks in the Boardroom screwed us in the end. Back then, City was run like an allotment society or something. It wasn't very professional behind the scenes - what we have now is another world. Hollywood compared to the Chipping Camden Amateur Dramatics Society. The way Joe Mercer was treated was shameful. He should have been honoured and revered for life, like Busby at the Rags, not discarded like a piece of shit.

Vic Gommersall was selling raffle tickets at half time in the Welsh Premiership not so long ago.
The late 60s to mid seventies were a special time. Football was to be there in person not wall to wall live games on Sly and BT.
Frank Carrodus another blast from the past.
City were perennial league winners in my Subbuteo league.

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

What made the late sixties team great was the management team Allison was the innovative coach and Mercer the steady hand on the tiller , the perfect duo , they also spotted a player with potential. Book,Bell,Lee,Summerbee,Coleman were brilliant signings from mostly lower league clubs for relatively small fees , they signed young hungry players and blended them with some great home grown players.
Its not possible to compare that team with our present squad the game is so much different , but that '68 -'72 team gave me the same joy as our teams from the last decade under Mancini, Manuel and Pep , you couldnt wait for the weekend to watch them.

 

[ancoats]

Garbage
Mercer never took a coaching session.

you don't have to do you ? its the respect he had with other players and it worked at city because it was good cop bad cop with allison and mercer. allison knew how to train the player and get them 100%. i bet the players hated the training under allison because of the amount of running and other stuff. the players knew what was needed of them and good players don't really need managing back then. it was you a striker or defender know your role

i remember graeme souness saying when he went to liverpool and trained for a week and asking the coach ronnie moran on the saturday before the game where do you want me to play and ronnie said you know your role go and play it ? that was football back then

 

[Prater70]

Always remember it was a lot harder to win away, especially against the top 10 teams, I remember us only winning 5 or 6 and even worse some seasons.
A point away and win at home was the standard to win the league, remember a point away was one point dropped

can anyone explain goal average by the way.?

Correct me if I am wrong but I think you divided goals scored by goals conceded. Ie if you scored 60 and let 30 in then your goal average was 2. Higher the better.

 

[JGL07]

Franny Lee said that at the start of the 68/69 season following winning the league, they won the Charity shield at a canter and the whole team just got the cigars out thinking they'd stroll the league, when in fact every match was a battle as everyone wanted to beat the Champions

I think the early season absence of Tony Book disrupted City’s title defence. The team settled down and won the cup after his return but the title was long gone.

 

[spiny]

i think the boardroom struggles late 60s early 1970s was the downfall Frank Johnson was selling up and had enough
also Allison wanted the managers job and Mercer was given a general manager role ? and swales happened

This.

City were badly run postwar with a lack of ambition.

Late 60's early 70's divisions and boardroom struggles took their toll culminating in the appointment of carpetbagger Swales as chairman. This started the rot that continued until he was forced out. Exemplified by first side-lining Joe Mercer and then a dispute with Francis Lee that took him to Derby and another champions medal under Clough.

Swales continued in this vein all his time at City. Mid 70's Tony Book resuscitated the dying patient but Swales showed little support and quickly reverted to type as the small time huckster surrounded by cronies. Swales interest was in using City as a paycheck, massaging his ego and as stepping stone to social climbing within the FA

Joe Mercer had brought wisdom and integrity. Malcolm Allison a vision and recipe for success. Neither were valued with players treated as pawns, all secondary to the interests and whims of those who ran City. It was a prewar mentality in a postwar age. Players and staff were expected to know their place. This took precedence over results on the field.