Here’s a video of my latest interview with Dennis Tueart. In this we focus on him leaving Manchester City for the NASL and New York Cosmos; his experiences there and his return to City. Dennis is always a great talker and there are some wonderful moments in this as he talks about this significant time in the changing Manchester City and in the excitement of New York soccer.
The conversation links Tony Book, Leonard Rossiter, Pele, Carlos Alberto, John Cleese, Dave Sexton, Malcolm Allison and Franz Beckenbauer amongst others.
It lasts about 50 minutes so get your self a brew and sit down to watch:
Dennis’s biography is still available (see link below).
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Yesterday (6 September 2023) I posted a story highlighting the transfer of Steve Daley to Manchester City in 1979. Today I’d like to expand on that by posting here an interview I did with Steve where we discuss that transfer, City fans and the spending City were doing at the time we did the interview. It was a great time to interview Steve and I enjoyed it immensely, helping fill in some gaps.
This interview is available to subscribers below.
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Well, it seems the norm today to talk about the cost of Manchester City’s squad with TV commentators frequently talking about the price of City’s bench. It gets tiring. However, this is not the first time the media talked of City as a ‘spend, spend, spend’ club. Today marks the anniversary of one day in particular when City’s spending caught the media’s attention. That day was on 6 September 1979 when Steve Daley signed for the Blues at a cost of £1,450,277.
City had to defend this spending which – and I know it’s difficult to understand in the modern world of £100m+ footballers – absolutely stunned football. This transfer was the British record but it was perceived as huge.
Chairman Peter Swales’ defence for the spending was that City was a profitable club (see the article) and this is true. City were a hugely profitable club in the 1970s but that all changed over the coming years with Swales, his supporting directors and managers getting giddy trying to buy success. As we all know it takes more than money to generate success and this period of City’s history is the one that actually created the club’s fall from grace, leading to some to believe in the 2010s & 2020s that the club had ‘no history’ and was not a ‘giant’. All that is balderdash. City were a giant who fell unlucky through poor management by a board of directors who did not plan for long term development.
Anyway, lots to say on this but read the article here from 1979 and hopefully that will show the position of strength the club was in (but soon messed up!).
While you’re here why not listen to one of my interviews with Malcolm Allison. You can hear a taster here:
On this day (5 September) in 1927 legendary Manchester City coach Malcolm Allison was born. To commemorate that day and remember his life here’s a 2500+ word article for subscribers on the great man. Enjoy! The article includes comments from a variety of interviews I have performed. Allison’s views on then young footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips are captured and comments from various people who know Allison well are included.
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Post 81 of the Maine Road 100 countdown is this image of City’s coach Malcolm Allison in 1968 preparing to come on during a City game at Maine Road. So what was the story? Read on…
The story starts on the final day of the 1967-68 season:
As it had still been possible for either Manchester City or Manchester United to win the League on the final day of the 1967-68 season, the Championship trophy was left at the home of the reigning champions United.
City won the League at Newcastle while United lost 2-1 to struggling Sunderland.
You can read about that final day of the season here:
At United the Championship trophy vanished at some point during that day. The Daily Express reporter Alan Thompson set off on a mission to track it down. He started questioning the Old Trafford staff: “Secretary Les Olive was under the impression that a League official had taken it earlier in the week, Matt Busby was not at all sure what had happened to it, and for a minute or two it was lost until a member of the female staff admitted that it had been locked up ‘in the vault’. You are at liberty to allow full rein to your imaginations in concluding exactly where the ‘vault’ is at Old Trafford. But the centre of the boardroom table, where the League Championship Cup has stood proudly for the last 12 months was occupied by five shillings worth of flowers. Sit down the City fan who says symbolic.”
City still needed the trophy to be presented (Joe Mercer had offered to walk all the way from the Newcastle game to Old Trafford to collect it if he had to!) and so a friendly against Bury was hastily arranged for the Tuesday (May 14 1968) following the Newcastle game to enable the Championship trophy to be presented.
If the destination of the title was not obvious during the season, the trophy would be presented at the League’s annual dinner but as City would be on tour in America, the League agreed to present it at Maine Road. The presentation took place before the Bury game with Tony Book and the rest of the players going on a lap of honour before Mercer was handed the trophy to lift above his head. The crowd roared with delight and then witnessed a 4-2 victory.
Bury’s two goals were scored by Bobby Owen who, two months later signed for the Blues.
The game was noteworthy for it also included an appearance by Malcolm Allison. For much of the game he’d sat, wearing his familiar red tracksuit then, with about ten minutes left he took the tracksuit off and this image was taken.
Allison then substituted George Heslop and entered the field himself wearing the number 8 shirt. This caused a little confusion as Colin Bell remained on the pitch with the same number but nobody complained, after all it was a night to enjoy especially when Allison threw himself into the game. He forced a great save from Neil Ramsbottom, the Bury ‘keeper, and had a goal disallowed. The City supporters chanted ‘Allison for England’, and even called for Mercer to take to the field.
With Manchester City facing Arsenal in the Community Shield tomorrow it seems appropriate to remember a time when City, like Arsenal this year, we’re given a place in the Charity Shield (now Community Shield). Coincidentally, on this day (August 5) in 1972 City faced another team who had been given a place in the Shield match (though this team had actually won something) and that was the Third Division Champions Aston Villa. This was the first time the Blues had played a Charity Shield match at Villa Park (but not the last). Here’s a feature on it and a match report from the game.
Subscribers can view the article and all others on here (including the entire Manchester A Football History and a PDF of my first book). It costs £20 a year (works out about £1.67 a month) and you can sign up below. Thanks.
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For the first time in my series of my posts counting down to the centenary of Maine Road’s opening game I’ve posted an image of a letter. This Day 44 feature is about the day Manchester United offered George Best to Manchester City.
Basically, Best was put on the transfer list by United and they sent a letter to every team in the top two tiers telling them he was available. In 1968 Best had said that he wanted to play for City as he felt they had the most attack-minded team in the League and he loved the thought of playing in a team that contained Colin Bell (below, seen in 1972-73), Mike Summerbee and Francis Lee.
Malcolm Allison did show interest in signing him but ultimately it never happened. Nevertheless this MCFC stamped letter is a rare item showing that United did offer the player to City and the other clubs in 1972.
Here’s an aerial photo of Maine Road from 1971, the year before Best was offered to City.
Maine Road aerial 1971 from Farewell To Maine Road
If you’d like to read more on the history of Maine Road, take a look at Farewell To Maine Road, which can be downloaded from this page:
If you enjoy all the free material on my website and would like to support my research and keep this website going (but don’t want to subscribe) then why not make a one-time donation (or buy me a coffee). All support for my research is valued and welcome. It allows me to keep some free material available for all. Thanks.
On 29 April 1970 Manchester City won the European Cup Winners’ Cup beating Gornik Zabrze from Poland 2-1 at the Prater Stadium in Vienna. Here are a few comments and feelings from supporters, players, and others affected by the game. These were gathered as part of a project I organised to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the final. As we’ve now past the 51st anniversary they have become an even greater historical record.
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In September 2021 I was in Copenhagen and, as always when I’m in a city with a football ground, I popped over to the Parken Stadium. Most fans will remember that City drew 2-2 there with FC København in February 2009. Nedum Onuoha and Stephen Ireland scored in the UEFA Cup round of 32 first leg and in the return Craig Bellamy scored twice to give the Blues a 2-1 win on the night (4-3 on aggregate). That year we progressed to the quarter finals.
However, Copenhagen’s stadium played a much earlier role in City’s European story and, as today (31 March) is the anniversary of that game, I’m publishing this article looking back at the day when the Blues played a European Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final replay there.
This 1500 word article is available for subscribers…
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Broadcast live on this day (25 March) in 1970 was the This is Your Life TV episode with Joe Mercer as the subject. Here are the details plus a special recording which supporters of all the clubs Joe was involved with could be interested in.
This Is Your Life was viewed at the time as significant recognition for a lifetime’s achievement. Only major stars and personalities were featured in those days, and the main idea would be that the subject of the programme would be surprised by the sudden appearance of presenter Eamonn Andrews and his ‘Big Red Book’. The subject would then be whisked away to a studio or other location where a variety of figures from the person’s life would be brought out to tell anecdotes and the like. The main part of the show would be broadcast live.
This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970
Back in 1970 young Manchester City supporter John Stapleton was working on the series and he suggested they feature Joe Mercer as the topic of one show. John, who has gone on to be a prominent broadcaster with a well-regarded TV career was interviewed by me a few years back and we discussed the programme and John’s part in the idea of featuring Joe: ‘I did it purely for the benefit of me and my dad. Eamon Andrews, the presenter, had of course a great interest in sport and I put the idea to him and the rest of the production team. Together with Norah, Joe’s wife who in recent years I often sat with at games sharing her boiled sweets, we concocted a situation where Joe and Malcolm were in a London hotel before a trip to watch a European game in 1970. Malcolm disappeared – deliberately as part of the show though Joe didn’t know this – and Joe was called to reception urgently. Eamon leaped out to do the big “This Is Your Life” reveal and Joe had no idea whatsoever. It was a great day for us all and Joe was thoroughly deserving of it as well.’
Joe was staying at a Hilton Hotel in London. As John described, He had been due to fly with Malcolm Allison to the continent to watch ECWC semi-final opponents Schalke but he had received a message to say the game was off. It was all a ruse of course. That night television viewers watched as Eamonn Andrews surprised Joe at the hotel reception desk: ‘Joe Mercer, former England playing star, now manager of Cup winning Manchester City, tonight. This Is Your Life!’
Eamon Andrews This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970
At the start of the show the City team appeared. This had been an extremely busy time for the Blues. Over a 18 day period City had played two League games, the League Cup final, the second leg of the ECWC quarter-final with Coimbra and found time to work with television to honour their manager. This live show occurred on Wednesday 25 March and City were to face Derby in the League on 27th and Manchester United on 28th, plus they had to play the first leg of the ECWC semi-final with Schalke on 1st. It was incredible that a team would be involved in this at such a busy time but that’s the way it was.
This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970 MCFC squad
As Joe explains in the show Malcolm Allison was nowhere to be seen. He had been staying with Joe at the hotel and the City manager commented: ‘I’m a great sleeper you see, and subconsciously I heard Malcolm getting up and I thought, oh, he’s going to the bathroom. I thought, well, he hasn’t come back, so he must be having a bath, and then I went back to sleep. I woke about ten and Malcolm had gone, but occasionally this happens – Malcolm disappears!’
Andrews explained that Allison had left early to watch the match which was still on. Joe was flabbergasted: ‘He’s left all his clothes! I’ve had to pack his bag as well!’
During the course of the show, Andrews informed Joe that Alf Ramsey had named the squad he was to take to the 1970 World Cup: ‘I know you haven’t had a chance to hear the news, but I’m going to tell it to you now, that two of your boys have been named by Alf for the World Cup – Francis Lee and Colin Bell. And two more in the twelve reserves – Mike Summerbee and Alan Oakes. Congratulations lads, and to the whole of the Manchester City.’
Joe was overjoyed.
Subscribers to this website are now in for a special treat as an audio of the entire episode has been preserved and can now be listened to here:
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Joe appeared on several other This Is Your Life shows including in November 1988 when Tom Finney was the subject and in 1980 when Emlyn Hughes was. He also appeared on two for Matt Busby, one in 1958 and one in 1971 (which opened at Maine Road).
The Programme details for the Joe Mercer episode are:
Edition No: 274
Subject No: 276
Broadcast live: Wed 25 Mar 1970
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Venue: Euston Road Studios
Series: 10
Edition: 18
Director: Margery Baker
Producer: Robert Tyrrell
City supporter and broadcaster John Stapleton worked on the show
The guests were:
Norah – wife
members of Manchester City FC team
Francis Lee
Colin Bell
Mike Summerbee
Alan Oakes
Alan Percival
David – son
David & Joan Mercer, This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970
Joan – daughter-in-law
Arthur – brother
Stan Cullis
Stan Cullis, This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970
Billy Dixie Dean
Billy ‘Dixie’ Dean, This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970
Jim Morris
Charles Palmer
Matt Busby
Frank Soo
Walley Barnes
Maurice Edelston
Bernard Joy
Roy White
George Hardwick
Raich Carter
Neil Franklin
Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews, This is Your Life Joe Mercer 1970
Filmed tributes:
Malcolm Allison
Susan – granddaughter
Albert Dyson – father-in-law
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If you enjoy all the free material on my website and would like to support my research and keep this website going (but don’t want to subscribe) then why not make a one-time donation (or buy me a coffee). All support for my research is valued and welcome. It allows me to keep some free material available for all. Thanks.
Gary James' Football Archive 