True, although you could argue that going to work for Doug Ellis was akin to jumping from the frying pan to the fire!
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Was Alan Ball as bad as people remember?
- Thread starter HelloCity
- Start date
Completely agree about Billy McNeil. His first season in the old 2nd division was one off the happiest as a city fan. Some amazing away day trips, Carlisle etc.And the final match against Charlton than won us promotion, the attendance alone was legendary.Looking at the rankings of managers in the last few pages of this thread, I find Billy McNeill criminally underrated. Took over after we went down in 1983. We'd lost Corrigan and Cross before the end of the previous season, then several players left in the close season. We were absolutely broke, and could easily have struggled in the second tier in the way we did after taking the drop in the 1990s. That we had one season where we finished one place outside the promotion zone, then got promoted, then stayed up in McNeill's three seasons in charge was an outstanding feat of management.
Yes, a lot of the football was poor and some players we bought were dreadful, but that was a function of the financial constraints he was operating under. Blues dislike the fact that he walked out on us to join Villa, but I don't blame anyone working for that abject, despicable and mendacious **** Swales for seeking a way out.
McNeill certainly isn't the best manager we've had (Pep is) but he belongs in the top ten.
I was totally gutted when he went to Villa.
Gray
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Personally even though we did a typical City and lost, the Notts County away match was my favourite. Got home late at night to discover my wife thought I had been involved in a riot. Actually it was nothing more than handbags as City fans attempted to change ends at half time.Completely agree about Billy McNeil. His first season in the old 2nd division was one off the happiest as a city fan. Some amazing away day trips, Carlisle etc.And the final match against Charlton than won us promotion, the attendance alone was legendary.
I was totally gutted when he went to Villa.
Grimsby away was memorable, a Bride and Groom were in full wedding outfits sat in their Main stand, as a riot broke out around them, carnage ensued.Personally even though we did a typical City and lost, the Notts County away match was my favourite. Got home late at night to discover my wife thought I had been involved in a riot. Actually it was nothing more than handbags as City fans attempted to change ends at half time.