Former Chairman Eric Alexander passes away

[AliBobbyJ]

Another part of MCFC's past, its true Manchester past, gone but not forgotten. Rest In Peace now.

 

[berryblue]

It's an often repeated story but it infuriated Eric. He was there and said that he made comments about the money coming in but not about the players. His dad was a knowledgeable football man who had lived and breathed City, working for the club at various levels (without pay) from boyhood - he sold match programmes at Hyde Rd in early 1900s - through to setting up the youth set up and then on to chairman. Utd had asked Albert on to their board in the late 50s/early 60s but Albert refused saying he was a City man. Eric was proud of his family's contribution. A wonderful dynasty which was destroyed by Swales and his supporting directors.

The story probably got coloured over the years. Can't remember where I read it. I fully agree with your Swales opinion.

 

[berryblue]

Haha, when I first heard that tale it was the Bury chairman after they had just won promotion!

Met Albert in a Brussels hotel when we played Lierse in 1969, got his autograph along with Joe and Malcolm and most of the players. A very friendly gentleman I seem to remember.

RIP Eric.

Went to Lierse with 3 pals. Remember they sat us round the touchline on folded wooden chairs. Steward in the club bar would only sell us halves of lager saying it was a lot stronger than English beer. Unforgettable trip.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Sad news.

I was 15 and did my school work experience a couple weeks with a building firm and got paid £60, which was a big amount then (you also weren't supposed to get paid)

I lived in Fallowfield then and walked around to Alexander Sports and got talking to the owner, who I now think was Eric's son or nephew?

We got talking about City and I was about ten quid short for my first pair of Nike Air.

He let me have them for £60 and told me us Blues needed to stick together!

Class family in my book.

Condolences to them.

 

[Blumooniac]

It's an often repeated story but it infuriated Eric. He was there and said that he made comments about the money coming in but not about the players. His dad was a knowledgeable football man who had lived and breathed City, working for the club at various levels (without pay) from boyhood - he sold match programmes at Hyde Rd in early 1900s - through to setting up the youth set up and then on to chairman. Utd had asked Albert on to their board in the late 50s/early 60s but Albert refused saying he was a City man. Eric was proud of his family's contribution. A wonderful dynasty which was destroyed by Swales and his supporting directors.

My dad used to tell me the one about how after we'd won the league in 1937, the chairman addressed the crowd announcing this was the start of a glorious period for the blues. Following season, we were relegated despite scoring the most goals! Typical City. Think that might have been his dad, Albert? RIP.

 

[Healthcare29]

And his grandfather - 3 generations of influence. Our club’s royal family providing consistent leadership until Swales et al smashed it all to pieces.

If there's a story that needs to be written about City it is the Swales story, good & bad.

 

[Gray]

Went to Lierse with 3 pals. Remember they sat us round the touchline on folded wooden chairs. Steward in the club bar would only sell us halves of lager saying it was a lot stronger than English beer. Unforgettable trip.

Bloody hell mate, I was there with my Mother and Father. The home fans were using all sorts of noise devices within feet of us, my Father was up for shoving one of them where the sun don’t shine. On the charter flight out (Aer Lingus) the pilot came on the address system to give us flight details and made the mistake of telling us his surname BEST you should have heard the comments from the passengers. Ah fond memories, you must be a similar age to me.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

City owe so much to the Alexander family, who seem to have loved the club and been conscientious and dutiful in their long involvement with and stewardship of it. There has never been the remotest whiff of scandal or dodgy dealing that many other notable club owners and chairmen has associated with them. They ran a tight but profitable ship until that scoundrel Swales came along and undid all their good work.

It must have pained young Albert & Eric to see the sorts of chancers, diagonal opposites to the dutiful, selfless people they had been, who couldn't wait to get their hands on the club, seemingly largely for self-glorification. It says a lot about them that I strongly suspect that, whatever they thought, they'd have kept their counsel. RIP Eric and sympathies to the Alexander family.

 

[Gary James]

City owe so much to the Alexander family, who seem to have loved the club and been conscientious and dutiful in their long involvement with and stewardship of it. There has never been the remotest whiff of scandal or dodgy dealing that many other notable club owners and chairmen has associated with them. They ran a tight but profitable ship until that scoundrel Swales came along and undid all their good work.

It must have pained young Albert & Eric to see the sorts of chancers, diagonal opposites to the dutiful, selfless people they had been, who couldn't wait to get their hands on the club, seemingly largely for self-glorification. It says a lot about them that I strongly suspect that, whatever they thought, they'd have kept their counsel. RIP Eric and sympathis to the Alexander family.

Absolutely! The Alexanders were dignified, respectable and the equivalent to City of a royal family - the guiding lights throughout our history. There were some people who were quick to promote their own achievements (often it wasn't them anyway) and dismiss what had gone before but the Alexanders weren't like that. Sadly, due to the dominance of people who supported Swales throughout his time at City and then continued to have involvement to some extent in the club in the decades since the achievements of the Alexanders were always downplayed. Eric did not get on with some of those that followed and were in key positions. He knew the truth but wouldn't disrupt the club - to him it was MCFC first, personal glory last. Sadly, others liked to promote their own achievements and roles ahead of MCFC's - hence the reason we fell from being a profitable, major football club under the chairmanship of Albert (Eric's dad) then Eric to being the debt ridden, failing club we were in the 80s under Swales.

Once Swales came to power Eric could – and perhaps should – have walked away but his love of the club meant that he remained as a director until early 1983 when, according to Eric, Swales: “wanted me out of the way in order to bring on some of his friends who he knew I would not get along with.” Reluctantly Eric resigned in March 1983 but was given a position of Honorary President for life by Swales.

In 2015 Eric looked back on the time he became City chairman and told me of Albert junior’s advice at the time: “He said to me as we drove home from a board meeting ‘You know, I think I’ve seen the best of it all. I don’t really envy you, son, but do your best and try to keep some dignity.’ I’ve never forgotten that… In 1973 Peter Swales became chairman. I remained on the board for a few years, but dad’s words kept coming back to me.”

None of the Alexanders were paid for their roles, they did it because they believed in City. Swales became the first paid director of the club but, in the years since Swales' death, others continued to downplay the Alexanders' role. As fans we must ensure we never do.

 

[The blue phantom]

You'd like to think there'd be some mention of this in the next home game's programme, Maybe Gary doing a piece on the Alexander family.

Can you imagine how many blues have no idea about this part of our history and how good this family was. They probably only know the name Swales & what a twat he was.