Alex can you pass on the tribute to Neil...........and thanks for all you're doing -
Over the holiday I ‘ve been re-reading Gary James fantastic book Manchester the Greatest City. It set me thinking as to who was our greatest ever player. I discussed it with my dad who has been watching City for 75 years and we decided it was difficult to assess different players from different eras. For example how would Billy Meredith from the early 1900’s compare with the players of today? When we first won the Championship in 1936 we had some great players who had also won the FA Cup a couple of years earlier. Players like Swift, Doherty, Brook, Busby, Herd, Barkas and Tilson were all great players. Unfortunately that team was disrupted by the war and the next great City team came in the mid-50’s.
That team contained many greats including Revie, Johnstone, Trautmann and Paul. The next great City team was perhaps the greatest of all, the 67 to 1971 team swept all before them winning five trophies in all. Before examining that team it’s worth mentioning the last great City team from 1976 to 1978 including Watson, Tueart, Barnes, Hartford and Kidd.
Going back to the great 60’s team, Mike Summerbee once commented that the phrase should have been Bell, Lee, Summerbee and Young. Neil never got the recognition he deserved. Top scorer for three successive seasons including the promotion and then the Championship year, Young always delivered the goals when needed. Indeed, Fred Eyre once commented, “ no on scored more important goals than Neil Young”. Not only being the top scorer in the Championship year, we went to Newcastle for the final game having to win. We won 4-3 and Young scored twice, effectively winning us the Championship. It helped that Young was a City fan like Doyle, Booth and Barnes. It’s always good when it’s one of your own that comes good. Forget the salaries earned by today’s stars, Young would have played for City for nothing.
In the 1969 FA Cup Final City were the firm favourites, however Leicester played out of their skins with Lockhead, Clarke, Nish and Peter Shilton having great games. However, when Lee put Summerbee through and Buzzer cut in from the wing he knew who would be positioned waiting on the penalty spot. Buzzer cut it back and sure enough Young smashed it into the roof of the net leaving Peter Shilton the England goalkeeper with no chance. City won 1-0 and again Nelly Young had delivered the winner. Peter Gardner reporter in the MEN commented that “ when Young plays well, so do City.”
So onto the European Cup Winners Cup Final in Vienna against the strong Polish team Gornik Zabre who contained several Polish internationals. On a rain soaked pitch in a tight game Young delivered once again, scoring and winning the penalty in a tight 2-1 victory. So three finals and Young had scored the winners in all three and as our greatest ever manager Joe Mercer commented “ He has got more talent than any other player at the club”. The City historian Gary James felt that “ Although Young may not be as famous as Bell, Lee and Summerbee there is no doubt that he contributed as much, if not more, than the others. He will always be remembered by City supporters as one of the greatest English born players of all time.”
It made it sweeter that Nelly was born only 500 yards from Maine Road in Fallowfield and he could see the ground from his bedroom window. He attended his first game at the age of 5 when his elder brother Chris took him to the match. A few years later Neil joined as an apprentice and stayed with us until the age of 28. He was in tears the day he was told he would be sold to Preston, and was never the same player again. Malcolm Allison promised Neil a testimonial and Messrs Swales and Bernstein made similar indications, but disgracefully nothing ever transpired. Neil had a spell of ill fortune especially when his elder brother Chris passed away at an early age. However his love for City never diminished. Interestingly at the same time Neil was struggling, the great German Gerd Muller was in a similar position. As soon as his old club Bayern Munich found out they gave Gerd a job for life with the club. Something City could have learned from at the time.
It fell to the City fans and players to organise fund-raisers for Neil, with several events with Franny Lee donating his England Caps to raise money. Tragically, Neil is now in very serious ill health and Bluemooners have suggested a black and red day for Neil when we play Leicester. Garry Cook and the club have confirmed that red and black scarves will be available for fans travelling to Leicester. It’s the least that should be done for a man who scored 107 goals in 412 games for the club and always was there to score the most important goals when needed.
For me and many others he was the greatest City player ever.
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