| |
Manchester
City: The Mercer-Allison Years
Ian Penney
MANCHESTER CITY’S first home game of 1964-65
was a resounding success – a 6-0 win over Leyton
Orient. But by the time Swindon Town arrived at Maine
Road in January 1965, City’s fortunes had taken
an alarming tumble.
At Easter, manager George Poyser resigned and the
rest of the season City were managerless as they finished
11th. In July 1965, City announced their new man:
Joe Mercer, former England, Everton and Arsenal wing-half
who had been out of the game for 12 months after suffering
a stroke while managing Aston Villa.
Mercer needed a younger man to work with the players
on the training pitch and he chose Malcolm Allison,
the former West Ham defender who had himself suffered
bad health, his playing career ended when he lost
a lung to TB.
No-one in their wildest dreams could imagine the success
these two would bring to Maine Road. Within 12 months
City had won the championship of the Second Division.
Two years later they were league champions of England
and by 1971 had added the FA Cup, League Cup and European
Cup-winners’ Cup.
This, then is the story of the most successful period
in Manchester City’s history. With the personal
recollections of skipper Tony Book, prolific scorer
Neil Young and Malcolm Allison himself, the events
of that remarkable period are retold here. Events
which not only gave City supporters such wonderful
times but also endeared City to football fans up and
down the country as they wondered at the style of
play created by Genial Joe and Big Mal.
|
|
About the
Author
|
