Peter Doherty

[1stFeb1969]

My late Dad was a difficult man to please, but whenever he mentioned Peter Doherty he went very dewy eyed and emotional, he said he was the best player he has seen in our shirt by a long way.

PS: My Dad also said the fee was around 10,000 pounds at the time that was crazy money and the older fans though it was outrageous the club had paid that sum, Doherty made the fee look like a bargain.

About the fee - there's another way of looking at it.

Doherty's first league game for City was against Preston, and he had a mare by all accounts, and was ribbed about it by Bill Shankly, who was an opponent that day.
It was also Matt Busby's last game for City, and he was sold shortly after to Liverpool for £8,000 - net spend counted in those days as well? ;-)

 

[Tbilisi]

As he has the same surname as me as a kid I was ashamed to tell my mates that my dad played for uniteds youth team in the 50s so always said Peter was my dad lol.

 

[Oystercatcher28]

Always thought it weird that Best only won 37 caps for Northern Ireland (scoring 9 goals) and that was in a team that never achieved anything significant during his playing time. If he was that great he'd have won many more caps.

I knew a senior bloke in Aberystwyth (a former U-15s player who played for Wales). He played against a squad featuring Best, and he said he couldn't remember him at all, but he was certain if he had knew what he'd become he would have kicked him harder.

Dad used to say Bell was better than Best, as was Law, Lee etc. I follow my Dad's unbiased views as per the City indoctrination. I mean Best had an airport named after him but doesn't have a stand at Old Trafford Swamp. Bell has a stand at City. Say no more. Job done.

That's all I have to say about Best.

 

[christened at st marks]

My Dads favorite he thought better than Colin and he loved him

 

[Big Swifty]

Many City fans are unaware that he once got his own back on City with a vengeance, as he felt he had been badly treated by them.

In the 1950-51 season, Peter was playing for Doncaster Rovers (at the age of 37). City won promotion from Div Two that season, so they went to Doncaster full of optimism, especially as they went in at half time leading 3-0, thanks to a hat-trick from George Smith.

Still 3-0 to City after50 minutes, but after 57 minuttes it was 4-3 to Doncaster. Doherty scored two past Bert Trautmann, and inspired the Yorkshiremen to an amazing victory.

Four goals in seven minutes to come back 4-3! That must have been one of the most sensational collapses in City's history. Imagine the fuss if that happened today. I would have been traumatised. "Typical City" goes back a long way! And all down to Peter the Great.

 

[failsworthblueboy]

I used to frequent Newton Heath working mens after games, the popular opinion of all the older blues in there who had seen Doherty and Bell was; Peter Doherty was the best player to play for City.

 

[AliBobbyJ]

my father always said the best player he ever saw was Billy Wright

Nah, your dad knew better than that, really.
On the rare occasions Billy Wright comes to mind I think of what Geoffrey Green wrote in The Times about the England v. Hungary match at Wembley in 1953, how one of the Hungarians (Puskas? Hidegkuti?) rolled the ball under his foot and Wright "rushed past him like a fire engine going to the wrong fire."

 

[Stephen230]

Always thought it weird that Best only won 37 caps for Northern Ireland (scoring 9 goals) and that was in a team that never achieved anything significant during his playing time. If he was that great he'd have won many more caps.

He obviously would have played for longer if he wasn’t such a mammoth pisshead. But countries, especially shit ones that never qualified for the finals of tournaments, didn’t play anywhere near the same number of games as they do now back in those days.

In some years when Best was in his prime they only played 3 or 4 games in the whole calendar year. And 7 or 8 would be the absolute maximum. I’ve no idea if this is true but I wouldn’t be surprised if United had a similar arrangement that they had with Giggs and Wales also.

 

[Keepingthefaithsince1976]

Just had a closer look at that and it is haha, he’s a very good friend of a very good friend, I may pass that on if ok mate ?

That was quick. Eamon sent it to my 80 year old Blue Mum today. She sent it me this evening saying remember this? Ha ha I was 10. 44 years ago this May. Cheers man.

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

He obviously would have played for longer if he wasn’t such a mammoth pisshead. But countries, especially shit ones that never qualified for the finals of tournaments, didn’t play anywhere near the same number of games as they do now back in those days.

In some years when Best was in his prime they only played 3 or 4 games in the whole calendar year. And 7 or 8 would be the absolute maximum. I’ve no idea if this is true but I wouldn’t be surprised if United had a similar arrangement that they had with Giggs and Wales also.

There were always at least three matches per season for the Home International Championship.