It’s finally online-the Peter Swales video we’ve been waiting for P31

Thing about the 1978/9 season, it was disappointing up to the point Big Mal returned, and our purchases in the summer of 1978 had been underwhelming (Futcher x2 and Viljoen) and the squad was starting to age a bit, but we were still a quality side. Our underwhelming form was widely attributed to the slog of our UEFA Cup run, which had proved a distraction in the days before 25 man squads worthy of their name. The fact it was mid season, when there was no realistic prospect of relegation or qualifying for Europe via the league or cups suitably demonstrates how impetuous the move was on Swales’ part.
 
Gary James said:
It was start of January 1979. I tell the full story in my biography of Peter Barnes.
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Just looked it up, Gary - and yes, it was January. I’ve got the Chelsea programme from that month at my mum and dad’s which was the game he returned iirc, but could have sworn it was March.

Apologies, @spacecadet
 
Gary James said:
It was start of January 1979. I tell the full story in my biography of Peter Barnes.
Click to expand...

IIRC, it was announced on Granada's Friday night preview programme 'Kick-Off' on 5 January and was discussed with great excitement. The next day was FA Cup third-round day but we had a day off as we were due to play the winners of the second-round tie between Barnsley and Rotherham. That one had gone to a second replay, which hadn't taken place yet owing to postponements and the packed festive fixture list.

(I only discovered this recently, when I read an account by Kevin Cummins of how he was able to stage his iconic photoshoot of Joy Division in the snow in Hulme on the Saturday when the band would ordinarily have been at Maine Road. I always assumed the snow in Manchester meant our home game was off, but I looked it up and Kevin was spot on.)

So Mal's first game was the following Saturday at Leeds. We drew 1-1 thanks to a pile driver from sub Brian Kidd, who was on playing in the centre of defence in place of the injured Watson. It's a cracking goal and is on YouTube for anyone who can be bothered to look it out.

We then played the home Cup match against Rotherham just over 48 hours later, the goalless draw being pretty dire as far as I recall. The replay took place 48 hours after that and we won, but threw away the home game on Saturday against Chelsea to lose two points we should have taken easily. They went down that season and were absolutely shite, but maybe it being the fourth game in a week caught up with us.

It wasn't exactly an auspicious start for Mal, though, and I remember my dad saying that, without Mercer to guide him, Allison wouldn't produce anything good. I wish we could look back and laugh about how wrong he got it, but regrettably it was pretty much spot on.
 
petrusha said:
IIRC, it was announced on Granada's Friday night preview programme 'Kick-Off' on 5 January and was discussed with great excitement. The next day was FA Cup third-round day but we had a day off as we were due to play the winners of the second-round tie between Barnsley and Rotherham. That one had gone to a second replay, which hadn't taken place yet owing to postponements and the packed festive fixture list.

(I only discovered this recently, when I read an account by Kevin Cummins of how he was able to stage his iconic photoshoot of Joy Division in the snow in Hulme on the Saturday when the band would ordinarily have been at Maine Road. I always assumed the snow in Manchester meant our home game was off, but I looked it up and Kevin was spot on.)

So Mal's first game was the following Saturday at Leeds. We drew 1-1 thanks to a pile driver from sub Brian Kidd, who was on playing in the centre of defence in place of the injured Watson. It's a cracking goal and is on YouTube for anyone who can be bothered to look it out.

We then played the home Cup match against Rotherham just over 48 hours later, the goalless draw being pretty dire as far as I recall. The replay took place 48 hours after that and we won, but threw away the home game on Saturday against Chelsea to lose two points we should have taken easily. They went down that season and were absolutely shite, but maybe it being the fourth game in a week caught up with us.

It wasn't exactly an auspicious start for Mal, though, and I remember my dad saying that, without Mercer to guide him, Allison wouldn't produce anything good. I wish we could look back and laugh about how wrong he got it, but regrettably it was pretty much spot on.
Click to expand...
Rob Gretton and maybe Ian Curtis might have gone to Maine Road but the rest of them were reds if they were ever interested at all in football
 
ancoats said:
I think Tony book team just needed investing with a couple of new players by 1979, but the club didn't fancy giving book the money and thought Malcolm Allison would be a better judge on new players, so city asked book to step down to be first team coach and Malcolm Allison manager

for city and Swales, the worst ever move they ever did, and Joe mercer was right about Malcolm ? As a manager, NO too flamboyant yes a world-class coach but never a manager
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That’s why Sir Joe and Big Mal worked so well together.

They both had a fantastic knowledge of players and the game, but Joe was far better at the administrative side of it, whereas Malcolm was a genius coach.
 
Gary James said:
I did ask him when I interviewed him about his support and how it started. He came from Ardwick and claimed he was often forced to hear Utd fans going on and on at school. He said he was picked on for being a Blue at his school.

Obviously, it’s difficult to prove one thing or another. I think we’d like to see evidence of people at games and soon. I know some doubted Bernstein was a Blue for example. I’ve also done in-depth interviews with former directors who have pointed the finger at others on the board claiming they weren’t Blues. For example, Eric Alexander was absolutely adamant that Sidney Rose had been desperate to join the board at Utd before he joined City’s board (due to Busby connection). Obviously, it’s opinions not fact.
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Didn't John Bond say he nearly walked out at city after the 81 FA Cup semi final because Swales showed zero emotion at the game and afterwards, any true fan would have been ecstatic?.
 
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