The "Swales Out" Campaign

[Didsbury Dave]

The "Swales Out" campaign was a pivotal moment in our recent history. I thought I'd jot down a few memories of this battle and see what others remember.

My first memory of a groundswell of opinion was in the mid eighties, I susepct during the relegation season of 1987. Leaflets were given out on the Kippax describing the man's lies and incomptetence. At this point we'd recovered fromt he shockr elegation of 83 yet were on our wy back down again. Fans were horrified as most had grown up with City at the top table - back then the fact that we'd only won one trophy in 17 years was decreed as a major issue.

I'm sure the first demonstrations started then, outside the Main STand after games, and I remember bricks being thrown at the windows there which got caged. This campaign petered out and we eventually got ourselves back to the top division again, even into the top 6, but simmering resentment of him never died. I remember an away game, I'm sure it was Everton, at the beginning of a season, , maybe 1990, where a banner was unfurled saying "£6m? Swales you fucking liar" and it was removed. He'd promised us A fortune to spend to ensure season ticket sales then spent nothing.

Thingsd were building to a head again after Swales appointed John Maddock as his henchman, and he immediately sacked the popular Peter Reid after a couple of poor performacnes right at the beginning of a season. This was the catalyst and the hatred boiled over and the demos started again.

This time Franny Lee saw and opprtunity and very publically, through Alec Johnson of The Mirror, announced his intention to oust Swales. I was living in London and still remember seeing the back back of the Mirror one day "Franny Lee Steps Forward at City!" it screamed. The fans were united. He was the man to save us. Hell, The Mirror, followe dby the Sun, threw their weight behind Franny and the demonstrations reached a huge crescedo. This may seem odd, but there's be 3000 fans chanting "We want Swales Out" on the forecourt ofter the game and both the Mirror and The Sun were giving out badges spporting Franny Lee with their logo on. i've still got one somewhere.

Swales hung on as the pressure increased. He started to realsie his time was up as the campaign intensified. Franny Lee got organsied, recruited Colin Barlow and began to wipe the floor with Swales in the PR war. Outside the Main Stand it was bedlam every week. Riot police were charging, the lot.

We the fans got organised. Fans called for himsto stand down at the AGAM. There was even a show of hands of shareholders which showed a majority wanted him out. But it mattered nothing because the major shareholders stood by him. We had a sit in on the Kippax after one game. There was a display of candles one televised game which Swales tried to disrupt by having them removed from people. The battle raged. The fans upped their game and things got nasty. Sometimes the whole ground appeared to chant "We want Swales Out!" One night a leaflet was handed round the pubs in South Manchester with Swale's address on. The police had to secure his property and he went into hiding. A story emereged that City fans broke into a nursing home ad verbally abused his sick mother. This was never proved, incidentally.

Swales knew he couldn't hang on but still seemed detirmined not to sell to Franny. He tried to find other buyers for the club and I think he even found a potential one.

Then, one board meeting, at Swales's house, I believe, his henchmen finally turned on him and for the first time outvoted him on Franny Lee's offer. He was finished, a broken man, and died soon after.

The minute's silence for him at Maine Road was perfectly observed.

Who here was involved? And who can flesh out my vague memories, which might be tainted by time?

 

[DTKOAG]

The "Swales Out" campaign was a pivotal moment in our recent history. I thought I'd jot down a few memories of this battle and see what others remember.

My first memory of a groundswell of opinion was in the mid eighties, I susepct during the relegation season of 1987. Leaflets were given out on the Kippax describing the man's lies and incomptetence. At this point we'd recovered fromt he shockr elegation of 83 yet were on our wy back down again. Fans were horrified as most had grown up with City at the top table - back then the fact that we'd only won one trophy in 17 years was decreed as a major issue.

I'm sure the first demonstrations started then, outside the Main STand after games, and I remember bricks being thrown at the windows there which got caged. This campaign petered out and we eventually got ourselves back to the top division again, even into the top 6, but simmering resentment of him never died. I remember an away game, I'm sure it was Everton, at the beginning of a season, , maybe 1990, where a banner was unfurled saying "£6m? Swales you fucking liar" and it was removed. He'd promised us A fortune to spend to ensure season ticket sales then spent nothing.

Thingsd were building to a head again after Swales appointed John Maddock as his henchman, and he immediately sacked the popular Peter Reid after a couple of poor performacnes right at the beginning of a season. This was the catalyst and the hatred boiled over and the demos started again.

This time Franny Lee saw and opprtunity and very publically, through Alec Johnson of The Mirror, announced his intention to oust Swales. I was living in London and still remember seeing the back back of the Mirror one day "Franny Lee Steps Forward at City!" it screamed. The fans were united. He was the man to save us. Hell, The Mirror, followe dby the Sun, threw their weight behind Franny and the demonstrations reached a huge crescedo. This may seem odd, but there's be 3000 fans chanting "We want Swales Out" on the forecourt ofter the game and both the Mirror and The Sun were giving out badges spporting Franny Lee with their logo on. i've still got one somewhere.

Swales hung on as the pressure increased. He started to realsie his time was up as the campaign intensified. Franny Lee got organsied, recruited Colin Barlow and began to wipe the floor with Swales in the PR war. Outside the Main Stand it was bedlam every week. Riot police were charging, the lot.

We the fans got organised. Fans called for himsto stand down at the AGAM. There was even a show of hands of shareholders which showed a majority wanted him out. But it mattered nothing because the major shareholders stood by him. We had a sit in on the Kippax after one game. There was a display of candles one televised game which Swales tried to disrupt by having them removed from people. The battle raged. The fans upped their game and things got nasty. Sometimes the whole ground appeared to chant "We want Swales Out!" One night a leaflet was handed round the pubs in South Manchester with Swale's address on. The police had to secure his property and he went into hiding. A story emereged that City fans broke into a nursing home ad verbally abused his sick mother. This was never proved, incidentally.

Swales knew he couldn't hang on but still seemed detirmined not to sell to Franny. He tried to find other buyers for the club and I think he even found a potential one.

Then, one board meeting, at Swales's house, I believe, his henchmen finally turned on him and for the first time outvoted him on Franny Lee's offer. He was finished, a broken man, and died soon after.

The minute's silence for him at Maine Road was perfectly observed.

Who here was involved? And who can flesh out my vague memories, which might be tainted by time?

He outstayed his time as peer of the club.
The abuse him and his family were given was on reflection OTT.
The one thing you couldnt disguise was his love & affection of the club.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

He might have "Loved" the club but he damaged it irrepairably. He was out for himself. He was a power broker, was obsessed with Man Utd, and made some shocking decisions.

He more than anyone is respensible for the club's demise. And I don't believe there's any evidence his family were abused.

 

[ChorltonAzzurro]

I remember the police presence on the Kippax being a regular and unwelcome occurance which seemed odd and a bit excessive at times. I was gripped by an officer for whistling the Laurel and Hardy theme tune as a load of them made there way past. I was probably 14 or 15 and matches always seemed really tense. I remember feeling like it was like some kind of revolution...naivety of youth eh?

 

[mancunial]

the trouble was peter swales was a man who could not stick to a policy,the ground was like it was built by a blind architect, the player turnover must have run into the thousands whilst he was chairman,the managerial turnover was diabolical, but the one incident which really hurt me was in 1982, radio piccadilly had trevor francis on saying come and buy your season tickets and watch us fly next year? when the tickets had all been bought trevor dually left to be replaced by david cross? i felt totally conned, although i never got involved in any of the shenanigans i felt that we had a chairman and a board who were looking entirely in a different direction to the fans? another aspect was his interference in the transfer market knocking back some of the managers requests and giving the go ahead to who he wanted? going back to maddocks case i remember sky doing a man city question time in one of the suites hosted by richard keys, it involved maddocks big mal and a few others, i have in fact still got it in my archive man city dvd library, it was riveting to say the least,but i will say this maddocks who was infact a ex newspaper editor had the guts to stand and fight his corner even though his views and reasons were wrong? i felt near the end of peter swales reign he was more worried about losing his england chairmanship than moving to one side at maine road, it was dark days something which set this club back decades?

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Didn't go in the kippax much at the time and memories are very vague but I remember the protests at the back of the Main Stand after most home games and always found them quite exciting to be honest.

I watched the City: A club in crisis (or whatever it's called) not so long back and was astounded by the boardroom interview when they gave John Bond the job. Unbelievable incompetence

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Didn't go in the kippax much at the time and memories are very vague but I remember the protests at the back of the Main Stand after most home games and always found them quite exciting to be honest.

I watched the City: A club in crisis (or whatever it's called) not so long back and was astounded by the boardroom interview when they gave John Bond the job. Unbelievable incompetence

That 1981 documentary, simply called "City!", shows you all you need to know about Peter Swales.

 

[DTKOAG]

Didn't go in the kippax much at the time and memories are very vague but I remember the protests at the back of the Main Stand after most home games and always found them quite exciting to be honest.

I watched the City: A club in crisis (or whatever it's called) not so long back and was astounded by the boardroom interview when they gave John Bond the job. Unbelievable incompetence

That 1981 documentary, simply called "City!", shows you all you need to know about Peter Swales.

He's not haunting you is he Dave ?

 

[Didsbury Dave]

That 1981 documentary, simply called "City!", shows you all you need to know about Peter Swales.

He's not haunting you is he Dave ?

When I see that banner at Old TRafford, his ghost is visible in the periphery of my vision.

 

[fbloke]

Although a confirmed KIppaxite of about 20 years at the time I spent that season and a couple more as a regular in the Directors box.

The shenanigans that went on through that period marked everyone involved out as rank amateurs, something I have talked about before.

I was as happy as anyone to see Swales move on but I didn't celebrate the anointing of FHL and have very little time for him as chairman.

There was talk at the time of a much richer person being willing to take on the clubs debt, invest what was then the astronomical figure of £10m on the team and develop Maine Road. The person had apparently provided proof of funds but decided against buying the club as he saw the FHL campaign as to powerful.

We got Franny and as you all now know he made some awful decisions, was worse than Swales for getting involved in team affairs and had now real desire to invest in the club.

Swales might well have loved the power as much as the club, but it is my humble opinion, based on conversations I had with all of those big names at that time (including Buzzer BTW) that FHL loved City less, far less. FHL was in it for profit and for profile.