Tony Book

[Scully]

The last City manager to win a trophy. Won 4 major honours as a player, and was the 1969 player of the year. Some of the negative comments on this thread make me puke. Let's hope the current crop of players carry Mancini for the next three years....

 

[Bill]

he's in the same bracket as tommy hutch and gerry gow, we got all 3 a little late in their careers, all fantastic additions to our squad for various reasons. as soon as we signed skip we signed a leader, a captain and a legend.

 

[Gary James]

I'm astounded by the criticism of Book that appeared earlier in this thread. Whichever way you look at it Tony Book was an outstanding player, captain, manager, youth team manger etc. for City. His achievements rank with the best in our history. He is certainly the most successful captain City have ever had. He was the last manager to win a major trophy and he was the last manager to come close to winning the League at City.

His role in the 1986 FA Youth Cup success cannot be underestimated.

In fact had Book been allowed to continue as manager in his own right in the late 70s instead of Peter Swales & Co bringing back Malcolm Allison, then its highly possible City may have found further success under Book.

To help put things into perspective, this is the Managerial profile of Book I wrote for "Manchester The Greatest City" in 1997. Obviously, there's much more to his achievements than this, but it's a starting point for anyone wondering and misled by other comments:

TONY BOOK
1974-1979

Tony Book was a hugely successful player with City during the Mercer-Allison period and was undoubtedly a key figure in each of City's trophy successes during the seasons 1967 to 1970. He joined the Blues in July 1966 for £17,000 after a relatively brief League career with Plymouth Argyle.

Allison had been a fan of Book's ever since their days together at Bath City and the City coach did all he could to persuade Mercer to take a gamble on a player who had only made his League debut a month before his 30th birthday. Mercer, remembering how is own career had been given a new lease of life at a similar age, backed his number 2, and the Tony Book fairy tale began. Naturally, he played a part in each trophy success, but he was also voted Footballer of the Year (held jointly with Derby's Dave MacKay) in 1969. It was a fitting award and said much about what made Manchester City tick. Had the award been given to one of City's more familiar names - Bell, Lee, and Summerbee - then that would of course have been a great honour, but going to Book proved that the side was more about teamwork than about individuality. Book was City's influential captain. He did more than most to bring glory to the Blues.

Once his playing career ended he became a member of City's backroom staff and then became Ron Saunders assistant. It was not an easy partnership. When Saunders left, Book was appointed manager and his predecessor told the media: "I wish him all that he wished me when I was in the job!"

Book was in charge for the final month of the 1973-4 season and was, obviously, manager for the infamous final match of the season when Denis Law netted against United at Old Trafford. City ended that campaign 14th, and the following in 8th place.

In 1975-6 Book's team of entertainers annihilated United 4-0 in the 4th round of the League Cup - on a night more famous for the devastating injury to Colin Bell - and progressed to Wembley where they defeated Newcastle 2-1. Ably supported by Ian MacFarlane - a former playing colleague at Bath City - the trophy success was proof that Book and MacFarlane knew how to develop a highly motivated team. Most players from this period still talk about the great team spirit fostered by the two men.

Shortly after that success MacFarlane left City for Jack Charlton's Middlesbrough, and Book was then ably supported by the impressive Bill Taylor. In 1976-7 the Blues reached second place in the League, behind the dominant Liverpool, and the following season they finished 4th. By this time Book had turned City into a popular, high profile club. They became regular competitors in Europe and in 1978 Book's Blues defeated AC Milan 5-2 on aggregate in the 3rd round of the UEFA Cup.

City were a major side once more, but then the directors became obsessed with overshadowing Manchester United and Malcolm Allison was brought back to the club in January 1979. Over the following year or so Book's role seemed to diminish as Allison became responsible for team affairs. Book became General Manager, but the period was a difficult one.

In 1980 the two men were dismissed. After a brief period away, Book returned to Maine Road to fulfil a variety of positions - first team coach, youth coach, youth team manager, assistant manager, and caretaker manager (on several occasions!). He remained at Maine Road through thick and thin and to many seemed to be the only constant through periods of major upheaval. In fact one famous player once joked that: "in the event of a nuclear war, stand next to Skip - he's the only thing certain to remain at Maine Road!"

That comment appeared to be true until the 1996-7 season when it was announced that he was to leave the club. It was stated that he was to retire, but in September 1997 newspaper stories suggested he was to return to football by joining Peter Reid at Sunderland in a scouting role.

Tony Book's place in the history of City is an enormous one. He was a tremendous player, a great manager, inspiring coach, and a loyal club servant. Basically, the perfect Blue.

 

[M23ngwythyblue]

I think the guy was/is class both as a player and manager and he is a top bloke as well, Look out for my Tony flag at wembley, it made a rather subdued debut in Turin, I was far too drunk to show it!!! I had it made in October last year I just thought it was about time to give Tony a bit of recognition that he deserves.

 

[Impeccable]

As a player, he was one of those solid, dependable people all teams need. A bit like Kompany today. They just get on with the job and you take them for granted.

He always ran with a sort of hunched back gait, which made him instantly recognisable, and although he was not the fastest man on the planet, he could read the game well so he did'nt need to be super fast.

I also think he was the best manager City ever had. I know we think about Mercer and Allison as the all time greats because of the pots they won, and I'm not taking anything away from that, but in terms of consistency, of finishing towards the top of the league, he has no equal.

City pushed Liverpool to the limit one year when Book was in charge and Liverpool were European Champions. He assembled the most consistent team in our history. It may have only lasted for three years or so, but in terms of consistency, in my humble opinion, he wins hands down.

God almighty where did that lot come from, was a reasonable player, no more, piss poor manager in every way, probably not even close to getting in the top 20 managers we've had, was very fortunate to be carried along by a fantastic group of players and got far more recognition than his ability every warranted.

He is undoubtedly a decent bloke and fair play to him for achieving what he did without being great at anything in particular, but don't big him up as though he was some kind of Bobby Moore or something.

Too many people get massive notoriety in football for their seeming loyalty to their Clubs, when if the truth be known, it is due to nothing more than their being at the Club for years and years, appearing to be almost Ambassador like, but seriously it has far more to do with them being incapable of working anywhere outside football and being a kind of hanger on. Book certainly fullfilled this role and didn't achieve in over 30 years at the Club, what Buzzer has done in 2.

tin hat on, but sometimes an accurate picture needs to be painted.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion... And my opinion is that you are a cock.

 

[Mike N]

Piss poor manager? What a shit statement.

Listen not particularly trying to put Book down, but he was a Swales man through and through, and was in the main carried along by a set of players throughout his career as both player and manager, but thanks for the well constructed and reasoned reply.

He was a solid player and some would argue a great servant to the Club, but not a true great in my opinion.

Piss poor manager? Sorry but this is the single most stupid statement I have seen on Bluemoon.

 

[lancs blue]

Book was a solid defender who knew his limitations, you didn't see him overlapping too often because of his lack of real pace but as said already, it's difficult to recall many wingers really skinning him. He was a great captain though, hugely respected by his players and a very capable manager IMO.

 

[Balti]

[bigimg]http://signedfootball.co.uk/images/tony%20book.JPG[/bigimg]

Honours won Manchester City (as player and manager)

European Cup Winners' Cup Winner: 1970
First Division Champions: 1967–68
Runner-up: 1976–77
FA Cup Winner: 1969
Football League Cup Winner: 1970, 1976
FA Charity Shield Winner: 1968, 1972
FWA Footballer of the Year: Joint winner (with Dave Mackay): 1969

Oh and a thoroughly decent bloke too. He signed my mates arm in Prestwich Clough once and he had it tattooed in and everyone was dead jealous :-)

Nuff said

 

[bluelady47]

A late starter but every inch a GENT, HARD WORKER, COULD READ A GAME and Most of all BLUE thru and thru. Always a pleasure to watch.

 

[bluenose45]

He was quicker than given credit for, which is surprising as he was a cigarette smoker (as were some other players of that era). A true 'gent' who had time for everyone and, as people have pointed out, the last truely successful City manager.

So, LordEffingham, I assume you're too young to have ever seen him play, or, to have had the privilege of meeting him. That being the case, my advice would be not to base all your opinions on 'hearsay'.