Happy 90th Birthday Skip

What's most impressive about his career is Tony Book played a massive chunk of it in non league his first taste of the English Football League was at 30 for Plymouth, when Malcolm Allison signed him there he lied to Plymouth Argyle's board and told them he was 28, as many know then got Book to doctor his own birth certificate to say 28 too... as Allison didn't think Plymouth's board would pay the £1,500 fee for the services of a 30 year old Skip.

He then joined us at very nearly 32 years of age for £17,000 before going on to achieve great things for us, he went from never playing in the English Football League until 30 to winning the English top flight as captain aged 33 a few months shy of 34.
Following that recognition Skip was highly influential again captaining an FA Cup winning team aged 34 a year later, for his efforts he jointly won (the Football Writer's Award) FWA player of the year along with Dave Mackay.
Before then going on to win the first UEFA and domestic double by any English team, when he captained City to glory in the League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners Cup at the age of 35... I'm not sure somebody starting his football league career so late has ever been as influential on a club as Skip.

Following his retirement after the end of his playing days he had pretty much every conceivable role at the club which shows how important he is, even managing us to a League Cup win and being extremely unlucky not to win us another top flight league title during his reign, finishing just behind the dippers minus our most important player Colin Bell and had Bell been fit that season it's very likely we'd have won it.

The word legend gets thrown about too much nowadays but I believe Tony Book is one of the biggest legends ever for us, in my opinion he's been an absolute stalwart of our great club over his many years of service, he could've arguably had a statue just like the holy trinity with his massive contribution to the club.

Here's to many more birthday's for him too, Happy Birthday and thanks Skip.
 
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The word "legend" is ridiculously overused in football. Even on here; some of the names that the word is attached to are ridiculous. I mean; Ged Brannan, FFS! But Tony is a legend. Is he the only guy to win silverware with us both as a player (indeed, captain) and as a manager?
 
I can remember going to Bolton FC for a midweek cup game, City had solid out the away end and I was forced to get a ticket in their end just so I could could get in the ground .I was in their Main stand ,new ground not Burden Park ,and under the stands on me Todd, I did a very good job of blending in with the home fans,staying quiet ,out the way as we all waited for k.o.

I then got brave and asked for a pint at the bar under the stands I only had 15 mins to go to keep quiet and not get sussed. I wanted to leave it as late as poss before taking my seat in the home end...5 mins before k.o, under the stands this big door I hadn't even noticed before suddenly swung open ,and out walked Tony Book...I forgot where I was and raced over shouting Tony and shook his hand,with a big beaming smile on my face,just pleased to see a legend. Tony was polite said hello back...then I realised id blown my cover ,lol and felt the stares of a thousand eyes from home fans
It was midweek a league cup game iirc,there was no trouble..
Just never expected Tony to appear out of nowhere ,..obviously enjoying a pre match drink in their lounge.
 
Kinkladze's crazy skills said:
What's most impressive about his career is Tony Book played a massive chunk of it in non league his first taste of the English Football League was at 30 for Plymouth, when Malcolm Allison signed him there he lied to Plymouth Argyle's board and told them he was 28, as many know then got Book to doctor his own birth certificate to say 28 too... as Allison didn't think Plymouth's board would pay the £1,500 fee for the services of a 30 year old Skip.

He then joined us at very nearly 32 years of age for £17,000 before going on to achieve great things for us, he went from never playing in the English Football League until 30 to winning the English top flight as captain aged 33 a few months shy of 34.
Following that recognition Skip was highly influential again captaining an FA Cup winning team aged 34 a year later, for his efforts he jointly won (the Football Writer's Award) FWA player of the year along with Dave Mackay.
Before then going on to win the first UEFA and domestic double by any English team, when he captained City to glory in the League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners Cup at the age of 35... I'm not sure somebody starting his football league career so late has ever been as influential on a club as Skip.

Following his retirement after the end of his playing days he had pretty much every conceivable role at the club which shows how important he is, even managing us to a League Cup win and being extremely unlucky not to win us another top flight league title during his reign, finishing just behind the dippers minus our most important player Colin Bell and had Bell been fit that season it's very likely we'd have won it.

The word legend gets thrown about too much nowadays but I believe Tony Book is one of the biggest legends ever for us, in my opinion he's been an absolute stalwart of our great club over his many years of service, he could've arguably had a statue just like the holy trinity with his massive contribution to the club.

Here's to many more birthday's for him too, Happy Birthday and thanks Skip.
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Not forgetting the FA Youth Cup win. What service to City.
 
spacecadet said:
29/09/1973 at Burnley. To think he was just days short of his 39th birthday and playing in the top flight. I am 99% certain this was his last league appearance?

View attachment 130784
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When he was managing the youth team, he played a couple of games for the 'A' team during the 85/86 season aged 52. Glyn Pardoe was playing too, in his early 40's, when they were short on players.
 
Kinkladze's crazy skills said:
What's most impressive about his career is Tony Book played a massive chunk of it in non league his first taste of the English Football League was at 30 for Plymouth, when Malcolm Allison signed him there he lied to Plymouth Argyle's board and told them he was 28, as many know then got Book to doctor his own birth certificate to say 28 too... as Allison didn't think Plymouth's board would pay the £1,500 fee for the services of a 30 year old Skip.

He then joined us at very nearly 32 years of age for £17,000 before going on to achieve great things for us, he went from never playing in the English Football League until 30 to winning the English top flight as captain aged 33 a few months shy of 34.
Following that recognition Skip was highly influential again captaining an FA Cup winning team aged 34 a year later, for his efforts he jointly won (the Football Writer's Award) FWA player of the year along with Dave Mackay.
Before then going on to win the first UEFA and domestic double by any English team, when he captained City to glory in the League Cup and UEFA Cup Winners Cup at the age of 35... I'm not sure somebody starting his football league career so late has ever been as influential on a club as Skip.

Following his retirement after the end of his playing days he had pretty much every conceivable role at the club which shows how important he is, even managing us to a League Cup win and being extremely unlucky not to win us another top flight league title during his reign, finishing just behind the dippers minus our most important player Colin Bell and had Bell been fit that season it's very likely we'd have won it.

The word legend gets thrown about too much nowadays but I believe Tony Book is one of the biggest legends ever for us, in my opinion he's been an absolute stalwart of our great club over his many years of service, he could've arguably had a statue just like the holy trinity with his massive contribution to the club.

Here's to many more birthday's for him too, Happy Birthday and thanks Skip.
Click to expand...
What a fanrastic tribute, well done mate.
 
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