Is the false nine an updated version of the Revie plan

If I remember correctly in its original conception it was known as the Williamson Plan, named after Johnnie Williamson centre forward for us. I think the first time it was used featuring Revie was up at Preston and we got thumped 4-1.
A joke going around at the time(which I was not old enough to get) was that Cadburys wanted to buy Revie because they needed a new soft centre.
 
Big Swifty said:
As you say, the received opinion here was that No 9 had to be a big bruising six-footer who stayed up front and put chances away. When Les McDowall tried it out with City, the new plan was tested in the Central League (the reserve teams' competition) with Johnny Williamson lying deep to confuse opposing defences. It reached its zenith with Revie in that role, but Williamson deserves a lot of credit as the true pioneer of the system.
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Johnny Williamson. I was trying hard to remember who it was, thanks for that!
 
Dave Ewing's Back 'eader said:
Two full backs, a centre half (D. Ewing Esq.), two wing backs and a five man forward line! Not a bit of wonder there was a season when we scored a hundred and shipped a hundred goals. I can't remember a derby where we pasted MANUre as we did on Sunday.
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Think back, Dave..... Feb 1955, we went to the Swamp, beat them 5-0, busby Babes and all.
Massacre. Their defence couldn't cope with our deep-lying No 9
 
old blue said:
If I remember correctly in its original conception it was known as the Williamson Plan, named after Johnnie Williamson centre forward for us. I think the first time it was used featuring Revie was up at Preston and we got thumped 4-1.
A joke going around at the time(which I was not old enough to get) was that Cadburys wanted to buy Revie because they needed a new soft centre.
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Before my time (I was born in 1969), but I know the history a bit. After trialling the tactic in the reserves, the first time we attempted it in a senior game was the opening match of the 1954/55 season, which was indeed at Preston. Revie played the role and it went worse than you remember, as we lost 0-5.

It went well enough after that, though, for Revie to be voted the FWA's Footballer of the Year in 1955. Williamson only played in the senior side that season on a handful of occasions, when Revie was injured, and Johnny left the club at the end of the campaign.
 
Big Swifty said:
To update my previous post, Williamson died last August aged 92.

There was a tribute from Tommy Doyle, who pays tribute to JW, saying how he always looked after Tommy at home games when Tommy was a young lad.

I fancy he might well have been City's oldest player up to last August. (Who is it now?)
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It may well be Bill Leivers, aged 90, the only survivor of our 1956 Cup-winning side
 
I think there was another plan called the Marsden plan. Remember my dad mentioning it. Not sure if that was the same as the Revie/Williamson plan or something else. Les McDowell seemed to like his plans .
 
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