By John Dunn
Right, now that I’ve grabbed your attention I’ll tell you… having a team shot through with players that have a considerable amount of experience playing at a higher level – often a much higher level, that’s how!
Well, alright, there also needs to be a mix of gifted youngsters and committed journeymen in the squad, but, having looked back at every promotion I’ve enjoyed in my 50+ years of being a regular at Valley Parade, I can tell you that experience is the key ingredient to success, often sprinkled with a seasoning of ‘Last Chance Salooners’.
To be honest, without the “malingerer” Peter Beagrie providing the ammunition do we really think that Lee Mills and Robbie Blake would have scored all those goals that propelled us into the Premier League?
As for Bobby Campbell, his career had seemingly entered, supped in and was on its way out of the Last Chance Saloon enroute to Boot Hill by the time an enlightened George Mulhall signed him for City following his sacking by Halifax for “persistent misconduct”, the last straw being Bobby leading a training run through the Manager’s car. Had Mulhall not succeeded in taming the fiery Irishman we would likely have missed out on two promotions and Frank O’Rourke’s goal scoring record would remain intact to this day, more than a century after it was set.
And so, I set out below for your delectation and perusal the details of the ‘experience’ evident in every one of the six promotions City has achieved since the mid 1970s.
It does seem that Mark Hughes has begun to accept the overwhelming importance of this, addressing the issue by adding Kevin McDonald and Ash Taylor (200+ apps in the Scottish Premiership and 3 seasons of Europa League apps for Aberdeen is experience aplenty, before anyone shoots me down!) to what we already had in the building with Richie Smallwood.
Personally, I would like to see a couple more Billy Inghams or Nathan Doyles before the transfer window shuts. Oh for another Roy McFarland, but that’s just in my footballing dreams I fear!
CAVEAT: I have done my best to be accurate with the stats, but they can vary depending on where you look – especially the further back you go.
It’s possible that a player has been missed – please say if that’s the case.
1976/1977 PROMOTION FROM TIER FOUR
Peter Downsborough: Signed aged 31 in 1973. Previously 274 apps for Swindon Town at both 2nd & 3rd tier, also League Cup Winner.
Terry Dolan: Signed aged 26 in 1976. Previously 162 apps in all 4 divisions with Huddersfield Town.
Rod Johnson: signed aged 28 in 1973. Previously 22 apps in 6 years at tier 1 for Leeds United, left when 23 then 217 apps in total at tier 3 with Doncaster Rovers and Rotherham United.
Don Hutchins: Signed aged 26 in 1974. Previously Leicester City top tier 1966-68 making just 4 apps, followed by a combined total of 100+ apps at tier 3 with Plymouth Argyle & Blackburn Rovers. Top scorer for Plymouth season 1970/71.
Gerry Ingram: Signed aged 24 in 1971. Previously combined total of 144 apps at tiers 2 & 3 with Blackpool & Preston N.E. In his first full season at tier 2 for Blackpool he scored 18 goals; in 1970-71 with Preston he was joint top scorer at tier 3 with 22 goals.
Ces Podd: Signed aged 18 in 1970. This attacking right back was not experienced at a higher level when he joined City, but it was an open secret throughout his 14 years at VP that clubs at tier 2 coveted his talents. Playing today, he would surely have played at that level. First black player to make 400 League appearances.
1981/1982 PROMOTION FROM TIER FOUR
Bobby Campbell: Signed aged 23 in 1979. Previously at Aston Villa, Halifax Town, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Utd, Vancouver Whitecaps, Brisbane City, totalling 150+ apps almost all at a higher level than City.
Billy Ingham: Signed aged 28 in 1980. Previously, the ‘Ginger Pele’ played 266 times for Burnley in the top 2 tiers between 1972 & 1980.
Roy McFarland: Signed aged 33 in 1981 as player/manager. A consummate professional, leader of men and superb ‘footballing’ centre-half. 28 England caps; 2 League Championship titles & European Cup semi-finalist with Derby County for whom he made 434 apps almost entirely at tier 1. Remoulded the returning erstwhile striker Joe Cooke (62 goals in 204 appearances with the Club between 1971 & 1979) into an excellent central defender and coached the young, raw Peter Jackson into the classic centre back, eventually rewarded with a move to Newcastle United in the top tier.
Joe Cooke: Re-signed a month before his 27th birthday in January 1982. Since leaving City in January 1979 Cooke, who, incidentally, scored the goal against Bournemouth that clinched promotion in May 1977, had made 100+ apps in total at tier 3 with Peterborough United, Oxford United and Exeter City. Surprisingly to some, McFarland opted to play Cooke alongside himself at centre-half, a position in which he amassed a further 100+ apps for the Club.
Neil Ramsbottom: Signed aged 34 in 1980. Previously 51 apps for Coventry City at tier 1, 18 at tier 3 with Sheffield Wednesday, a combined total of 49 for Plymouth Argyle and Blackburn Rovers at tier 2 and 18 for Sheffield Wednesday at tier 3.
David Staniforth: Signed aged 28 in 1979. Previously 26 apps for Sheffield United at tiers 1 & 2 and 151 at tier 2 with Bristol Rovers.
Les Chapman: Signed aged 31 in 1979. Previously 76 apps at tier 3 for Oldham Athletic plus a further 187 at tier 2 for the same Club and 100+ apps for Huddersfield Town at tiers 1 & 2.
Ces Podd: See 1976/1977 promotion.
1984/1985 PROMOTION FROM TIER THREE
Trevor Cherry: Signed aged 34 in 1982 as player/manager. Previously 27 England caps, almost 500 apps for Leeds United in tier 1.
John Hawley: Signed aged 29 in 1983. Previously combined total of 200 apps at tiers 1 & 2 with Hull City, Leeds United, Sunderland and Arsenal.
Terry Yorath: Signed aged 32 in 1982 player/assistant manager. Previously combined total of 300 apps at tier 1 with Leeds United, Coventry City and Spurs, plus 59 Wales caps.
Eric McManus: Signed aged 31 in 1982. Previously 250 apps for Notts County at tier 2.
David Harvey: Signed aged 37 in 1985. Previously almost 300 apps for Leeds United at tier 1, Scottish international. Back-up to McManus playing just 6 times in his 1 season with the Club.
1995/1996 PROMOTION FROM TIER THREE
Graham Mitchell: Signed aged 26 in 1994. Previously 300 apps during 4 seasons at tier 2 and 4 seasons at tier 3 with Huddersfield Town.
Nicky Mohan: Signed aged 25 in 1995. Previously 99 apps for Middlesbrough at tiers 1 & 2 then 23 apps for Leicester City at tier 1.
Ian Ormondroyd: Re-signed aged 31 in 1995. Previously 56 apps for Aston Villa in tier 1, 25 apps for Derby County at tier 2, 77 apps for Leicester City at tiers 1 & 2.
Gary Robson: Signed aged 28 in 1993. Previously over 200 apps for West Brom at tiers 1 ,2 & 3.
Carl Shutt: Signed aged 33 in 1994. Previously combined total of 100+ apps at tier 1 with Sheffield Wednesday & Leeds United.
Tommy Wright: Signed aged 29 in 1995. Previously a combined total of 300+ apps for Leeds United, Oldham Athletic & Leicester City at tier 2, then a further 53 apps at tiers 1 & 2 for Middlesbrough.
Eddie Youds: Signed aged 25 in 1995. Previously 50 apps for Ipswich Town at tier 1.
Gavin Ward: Signed aged 25 in 1995. Previously 40 apps at tiers 1 & 2 for Leicester City.
1998/1999 PROMOTION FROM TIER TWO
Peter Beagrie: Signed aged 31 in 1997. Previously 114 apps for Everton at tier 1 and 52 for Manchester City at tiers 1 & 2.
John Dreyer: Signed aged 33 in 1996. Previously 200+ apps for Ipswich Town in tiers 1 & 2.
Stuart McCall: Re-signed 8 days before his 34th birthday in 1998. Previously combined total of 300 apps for Everton & Rangers in the top English and Scottish tiers.
Gary Walsh: Signed aged 29 in 1997. Previously 94 combined tier 1 apps with Middlesbrough and Manchester United.
Gordon Watson: Signed aged 25 in 1997. Previously 52 apps at tier 1 for Southampton & 67 for Sheffield Wednesday at tiers 1 & 2.
2012/2013 PROMOTION FROM TIER FOUR
Andrew Davies: Signed aged 26 in 2011. Previously 53 apps for Middlesbrough in tier 1 then 76 in total at tier 2 with QPR, Middlesbrough, Derby County, Southampton, Stoke City, Preston N.E., Sheffield United, Crystal Palace.
Nathan Doyle: Re-signed aged 25 in 2012. Previously 98 apps for Barnsley at tier 2.
Rory McArdle: Signed aged 25 in 2012. Previously 53 apps for Aberdeen in Scottish tier 1.
Ricky Ravenhill: Signed aged 30 in 2011. Previously combined total of 102 apps for Notts County and Doncaster Rovers at tier 3.
Kyel Reid: Signed aged 23 in 2011. Previously 50 apps with Charlton Athletic at tier 3.
Garry Thompson: Signed aged 31 in 2012. Previously 113 apps for Scunthorpe United at tiers 2 & 3.
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Good to read and be reminded of these experienced and influential players, heroes on and all. Sadly we don’t currently have any who can be mentioned in the same breath, other than perhaps Cook. I personally can’t see the messrs. Smallwood, Derbyshire and Taylor, highly experienced players though they are, leading the charge for promotion. Currently we look a long way short – although I must say if Lewis had kept the ball out and Cook had banged it in the way they did last season, we might easily have a respectable 8 points. If that had happened we probably would not have seen so much focus on the inadequacies of squad, tactics, management and ownership etc. I enjoyed this article.
Last season I mentioned numerous times to fellow city fans that I felt that if lewis and Cook were injured or lost from we would be nearer the bottom of the league than the top. The way we’ve started this season as just reaffirmed what I was thinking.
Sometimes after a season you feel unlucky and like the team deserved better, you go into the next season confident and feel you can go one better but last season personally I didn’t get that feeling, I felt we was lucky and over achieved.
I’m looking at some of the players mentioned in the report and you could really see their quality and class and understand why they played at an higher level. You then look at Smallwood and if I didn’t know that he had played at higher level then it would honestly shock me if you told me. You’d expect him to look a class above most players at this level but he just doesn’t to me.
Cheers John, I do have a soft spot for, y’know, proper research over the ever popular ‘reckon’ that dominates discussion these days. I enjoyed reading your trip down memory lane and, as I started watching city in 1986, some of it was new to me.
Back to the present day, and our current struggles…
It seems to me that our promotion winning sides of yesteryear also had another thing in common: ‘simplicity’. We had a way of playing that the players understood and that we stuck with. For example, I knew how Parky’s team was going to play as I walked up to VP. I’m far less certain now.
When Hughes arrived, he remarked how surprised he was at the quality of the football on display. What marked out this level from any other was the relatively poorer decision making of players. They had the skill, energy, and touch of many of their higher-placed peers, but made poorer decisions with and without the ball.
So – as I fondly remember the way Beags tore full backs inside out to supply Mills and Blake, or the way we used Ormondroyd’s height up front and on the left wing – I can’t help thinking that the value of sheer simplicity in approach is being neglected in a context of poorer decision making.
In 18 months, we’ve gone through 4-4-2 (diamond), 4-2-3-1, 3-4-3, 3-5-2, and often switched formation mid-game (by Hughes’s own admission). This seems to be a methodology better suited to players higher up the pyramid, who make more good decisions than bad.
Sometimes being clever is the daftest thing you can do.
Oh, and at this level and higher, you cannot put a price on PACE and a willingness to SHOOT from inside and outside the box. We currently lack both.