Tony Henry - he had an odd City career. He was outside the squad for years and years until Big Mal turned up. Then he was first choice week in/ week out until Mal left. Then back to being on the outside again and ended up playing at a lower level for the rest of his career. Like a lot of things that went on in 1979-1980 - it is all a bit strange. Any views on Henry anyone? I still recall his goal vs Man U on my birthday in Nov 1979 - one of the grreat City moments for me. Also - what on earth was the signing of Bobby Shinton about. He had a Vuoso-like City career of making one or two starts and then out the door.
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Tony Henry - what did Big Mal see in him?
- Thread starter isab23502
- Start date
squirtyflower
Well-Known Member
He had the ability to go wide, go wide Tony Henry, go wide
gordondaviesmoustache
Well-Known Member
Good facial hair.
lancs blue
Well-Known Member
He probably thought the tache would make him play like Souness. ;-)
Always thought him a useful squad player who chipped in with the odd goal but he shouldn't have been a regular starter. Allison clearly rated him but as soon as he was sacked Bond brought Mackenzie back into the midfield and Henry was restricted to the odd game, filled in at full back a few times I think.
Always thought him a useful squad player who chipped in with the odd goal but he shouldn't have been a regular starter. Allison clearly rated him but as soon as he was sacked Bond brought Mackenzie back into the midfield and Henry was restricted to the odd game, filled in at full back a few times I think.
Henry was versatile, and featured in central midfield, wide on the right and at right back, while IIRC Joe Royle later used him as a centre back for Oldham. He was the kind who could come in and do a job but he wasn't really outstanding, as suggested by the fact that he never played in the top flight again after leaving us. Played on in the second tier for a long time, though.
Mal could never really find the right formula in his second spell at City (not surprising after the insane transfer activity he and Swales pursued), so the team was changing loads all the time. All kinds of players would be brought in for a few games and then dropped again when they failed to make an impact. I suspect that such an environment helped Henry to get games because he was a lad Mal could rely on to be fairly steady among all the chaos.
After John Bond took over, the midfield became pretty settled, the manager usually favouring a four of Hutchison, Gow, MacKenzie and Power. That combination had decent balance, and Henry could only get a game in the middle in the League Cup, when Hutchison and Gow were cup-tied while Power tended to play left back in place of the also ineligible Bobby McDonald. I remember, though, that when Ray Ranson got injured Henry did fill in a few times at right back and he looked decent enough for there to be some talk in the press in the lead up to the 1981 Cup final that he'd be selected in that position against Spurs. He wasn't, and was then sacrificed in what was intended to be Bond's 1981 summer upgrade (Henry, MacKenzie and Dave Bennett plus a few fringe players left, with Kevin Bond, O'Neill and Francis coming in).
Shinton was an odd signing given that we bought him when he was 28 and he'd never played in the top division, racking up over 300 league appearances for the mighty Walsall, Cambridge and Wrexham. Actually, my best mate from university is a Wrexham fan who watched them in that era and, at that club, Shinton is a bona fide legend. However, that's based on his achievements in helping the Welsh outfit to reach the second tier of domestic football for the only time in their history, then contributing to their survival at that level. He just wasn't equipped to handle the step-up in standard when he came to us, and it became clear pretty quickly.
Why Allison thought the player might be able to cope with it, I'm not sure. We've discussed Mal's second coming on here before, and I think a lot of us agreed that much of what went on was ego-fuelled, with the coach wanting to rip apart the old team so he could be hailed for creating a new one. My best guess with Shinton is that it was an attempt to pull off the same trick he managed with Tony Book nearly 15 years before - take a player who's plugged away for years at lower levels, make them a top division star and thus gain credit for being a visionary.
The fates of those two players at Maine Road, however, stand as testament to the differing quality of Mal's work in his two spells at our club. I only remember the second, and it was a crazy, crazy time.
Mal could never really find the right formula in his second spell at City (not surprising after the insane transfer activity he and Swales pursued), so the team was changing loads all the time. All kinds of players would be brought in for a few games and then dropped again when they failed to make an impact. I suspect that such an environment helped Henry to get games because he was a lad Mal could rely on to be fairly steady among all the chaos.
After John Bond took over, the midfield became pretty settled, the manager usually favouring a four of Hutchison, Gow, MacKenzie and Power. That combination had decent balance, and Henry could only get a game in the middle in the League Cup, when Hutchison and Gow were cup-tied while Power tended to play left back in place of the also ineligible Bobby McDonald. I remember, though, that when Ray Ranson got injured Henry did fill in a few times at right back and he looked decent enough for there to be some talk in the press in the lead up to the 1981 Cup final that he'd be selected in that position against Spurs. He wasn't, and was then sacrificed in what was intended to be Bond's 1981 summer upgrade (Henry, MacKenzie and Dave Bennett plus a few fringe players left, with Kevin Bond, O'Neill and Francis coming in).
Shinton was an odd signing given that we bought him when he was 28 and he'd never played in the top division, racking up over 300 league appearances for the mighty Walsall, Cambridge and Wrexham. Actually, my best mate from university is a Wrexham fan who watched them in that era and, at that club, Shinton is a bona fide legend. However, that's based on his achievements in helping the Welsh outfit to reach the second tier of domestic football for the only time in their history, then contributing to their survival at that level. He just wasn't equipped to handle the step-up in standard when he came to us, and it became clear pretty quickly.
Why Allison thought the player might be able to cope with it, I'm not sure. We've discussed Mal's second coming on here before, and I think a lot of us agreed that much of what went on was ego-fuelled, with the coach wanting to rip apart the old team so he could be hailed for creating a new one. My best guess with Shinton is that it was an attempt to pull off the same trick he managed with Tony Book nearly 15 years before - take a player who's plugged away for years at lower levels, make them a top division star and thus gain credit for being a visionary.
The fates of those two players at Maine Road, however, stand as testament to the differing quality of Mal's work in his two spells at our club. I only remember the second, and it was a crazy, crazy time.
Mad Eyed Screamer
Moderator
He never got a FA Cup runners up medal as he wasnt sub on the reply, Tueart was
jimharri
Moderator
Michael Robinson (another weird signing) with the first goal. I was there; block P, row 7; right behind the goal in the North Stand end.Tony Henry - he had an odd City career. He was outside the squad for years and years until Big Mal turned up. Then he was first choice week in/ week out until Mal left. Then back to being on the outside again and ended up playing at a lower level for the rest of his career. Like a lot of things that went on in 1979-1980 - it is all a bit strange. Any views on Henry anyone? I still recall his goal vs Man U on my birthday in Nov 1979 - one of the grreat City moments for me. Also - what on earth was the signing of Bobby Shinton about. He had a Vuoso-like City career of making one or two starts and then out the door.
Seemed like a special atmosphere that day - people still having half-faith in Mal's changes.Michael Robinson (another weird signing) with the first goal. I was there; block P, row 7; right behind the goal in the North Stand end.
Robinson's was the second actually - bender into the corner.
Harlaching Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
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Tony Henry for me I will always remember him as a League Cup player...I started going to watch City a lot in 1981 and wondered who the tashed one was that only seemed to show up for League Cup games and would disappear from the team come Saturday (I think my Dad once told me he worked weekends!!) Gary Buckley was another one!
As an 8 year old I couldnt grasp the concept of being cuptied, so never understood why Bobby Mac, Tommy Hutch and Lord Gerald of Gow couldnt play under lights!
If Im not much mistaken I think Tony Henry even may have scored vs West Brom in the Quarters, which was my first ever floodlit midweek game.
As an 8 year old I couldnt grasp the concept of being cuptied, so never understood why Bobby Mac, Tommy Hutch and Lord Gerald of Gow couldnt play under lights!
If Im not much mistaken I think Tony Henry even may have scored vs West Brom in the Quarters, which was my first ever floodlit midweek game.
Mad Eyed Screamer
Moderator
He did indeed score against West Brom (Henry, Bennett) in a 2-1 win.Tony Henry for me I will always remember him as a League Cup player...I started going to watch City a lot in 1981 and wondered who the tashed one was that only seemed to show up for League Cup games and would disappear from the team come Saturday (I think my Dad once told me he worked weekends!!) Gary Buckley was another one!
As an 8 year old I couldnt grasp the concept of being cuptied, so never understood why Bobby Mac, Tommy Hutch and Lord Gerald of Gow couldnt play under lights!
If Im not much mistaken I think Tony Henry even may have scored vs West Brom in the Quarters, which was my first ever floodlit midweek game.
I also recall his last minute equaliser at Maine Road the same season in a 3-3 with Leicester
Big Swifty
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This thread upsets me as some of the posts remind me what a lousy judge of a player was Allison. Even back in 1968 he brought in Bobby Owen with a flourish and a big buils-up but he turned out to be dross. Then shortly after he started drafting in kids who couldn't cut it - Mellor, Healey, Carrodus, Jefferies, Towers (he wasn't too bad, perhaps) instead of proper replacements. Then when he did so, it was the Rodney Marsh misjudgment. Cockney mates, wot a larf.
Then the massianic return - Shinton, Stuart Lee, Stepanovic, Sugrue. All begin with "S", just like *hit. It has depressed me.
Then the massianic return - Shinton, Stuart Lee, Stepanovic, Sugrue. All begin with "S", just like *hit. It has depressed me.
Sorry Big Swifty.This thread upsets me as some of the posts remind me what a lousy judge of a player was Allison. Even back in 1968 he brought in Bobby Owen with a flourish and a big buils-up but he turned out to be dross. Then shortly after he started drafting in kids who couldn't cut it - Mellor, Healey, Carrodus, Jefferies, Towers (he wasn't too bad, perhaps) instead of proper replacements. Then when he did so, it was the Rodney Marsh misjudgment. Cockney mates, wot a larf.
Then the massianic return - Shinton, Stuart Lee, Stepanovic, Sugrue. All begin with "S", just like *hit. It has depressed me.
Didn't mean to bring you down.
I was just thinking: he managed to sell all our best players for less than he spent on a couple of duck-eggs and beyond that effectively had to play the reserves like Tony Henry, Palmer, Bennett, Ranson, Reid etc.
You couldn't make it up.