blueyorkie said:
Mad Eyed Screamer said:
No.
The last bastion of the Swales era and all that was crap about City.
Couldn't believe that he got up the steps at Wembley with the team to collect the FA Cup........ Book, Pardoe, Summerbee etc etc etc must have been well miffed about that one.....
Clearly you have never met or had dealings with Bernard who has given his life to City. Him going up the steps at Wembley showed the esteem in which the club holds him.
Given his life to City??? Ignoring the bit about being Oldham's secretary before being at Maine Road, Bernard was the club secretary. He signed cheques and made sure all the forms were sent in correctly and transfer details were correct and filed away etc. In return he was paid well and receives a good pension. I wish him well and a long life. But let's not turn his ''career'' at City into an iconic figure.
I've never had dealings with him? Here is one example.........
City faced Lokeren in the UEFA Cup 2003 and Halford issued a statement that appeared in the MEN saying all tickets for the away game would only be sold to fans travelling on official club travel (coaches or planes - the latter being £130 for a day trip).
After fans complained (like myself who had bought £22 plane tickets from Stansted) Halford stated this decision was taken after the club had spoken with Lokeren police who said any City fan in the town of Lokeren during the day would be removed from the town and fans who were going to travel independently would have to meet at a service station on a nearby moterway to be bused in before the game.
I then received a phone call from BBC Manchester asking if I'd like to go on the breakfast show to discuss this with Bernard, me and that they had the chief of Lokeren police lined up to say that was bollocks (but Bernard didnt know this!!).
The show went like this
Bernard Halford (on the phone): ''yes we've been speaking with local police in Lokeren and they have insisted that City fans have to remain out of the town on the day of the game and have to meet at a certain point to be brought in together.
Me (in the studio): I went on about this being an illegal restriction of movement within the European Community, City taking advantage of fans in restricting tickets to force fans to use official travel which happened to be the same company as the clubs official sponsor etc etc
Police of Lokeren (on the phone): We havent made or asked for any such action to be taken. Manchester City fans are welcome throughout the day in Lokeren as long as they behave themselves and are here to enjoy what the town offers.
Bernard Halford: er, er, well we've been talking with authorities in the town and that's what they wanted and said we to to comply
Police of Lokeren: Well I'm responsible for policing the game and that's not the message we want to get over to fans, they are welcome in the town of Lokeren.
The next day the ticket and travel restriction was lifted.
Bernard was one of Swales' gang, like Eddie Phillips running the souvenir shop. Frannie Lee did the right thing there in getting rid of Phillips straight away.
Bernard was club secretary when the attendance figures were being fiddled. And I'm sure they were being fiddled across the land too.
As City more forward into (hopefully) a new era of greatness, I don't get why we are clinging on to the last remaining link to an inglorious period of the club - and with a figure who has never kicked a ball forthe club.
Imagine a little kid seeing Bernard climb up the steps at Wembley and ask ''who's he dad?'' ''Oh, he used to be the club secretary years ago, sign a few cheques etc''
Where as the same kid asking ''who are they dad?'' when Buzzer and Tony Book came out carrying the PL trophy onto the pitch and the dad proudly informing his son who they are and the positive contribution they played in City's history on the pitch.
