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May 2001 News

News of other stars from the 1970-71 season.

28 May

Graydon's Walsall Promoted !

As there is no major football competition this summer, us English are holding on to every last game before the season finally dies out ... The Second Division finally came to a close yesterday, with the Play-Offs for the final promotion place held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

And it held on for as long as it possibly could ... reaching into extra-time before Ray Graydon's Walsall overcame unlucky Reading 3-2 having been behind to them twice. Reading finished 3rd in the League above 4th placed Walsall. It was 1-1 at full time - and Golden Goal rules would have sent Reading through, but a 109th minute own-goal equalised the scores and a minute later Darren Byfield scored the winner.

Walsall are returning to Division One at the first attempt, following last season's relegation. Walsall will consequently be spending their 4th consecutive season in a new division ! This will be their 6th time in (current) Division One / (old) Division Two, but they have yet to last longer than their 5 year stay from 1896-1901.

See
http--www.saddlers.co.uk-fixtures-99.htm
BBC SPORT Goodman's 'best moment'
BBC SPORT Walsall break Reading hearts

England Update

England 4-0 win v Mexico

Sven-Göran Eriksson (Karlskoga) became the person with the most successful start to his England managererial career, on Friday. It was his fourth match in charge and his fourth straight victory, a feat only previously matched by England's first ever coach, Walter Winterbottom.

The game v Mexico was a friendly and played as a build up to next-month's World Cup qualifier in Greece. Played at Derby County's Pride Park England looked quite at home as they won 4-0. Sven-Göran chose 22 players to play in the match, excluding accidentally sending on Ray Clemence who would have won his 62nd Cap, a ball-boy named Harry, and a passing officer from the St John's Ambulance, who was neither English, nor male.

See
BBC Clinical England brush Mexico aside
BBC Clockwatch England 4-0 Mexico
BBC Eriksson praises 'excellent' Fowler
england fc - and waddle steps up - Mexico 4-0

Under-21s win 3-0 v Mexico

On Thursday, Howard Wilkinson's Under-21 side played at Leicester City's Filbert Street. In spite of a number of key injuries to the English side they had a great 3-0 win against the Mexicans.

See
BBC England U21s v Mexico

24 May

Keegan Returns !

Well that was out of the (lazer) blue ! Yes, Kevin Keegan's back in top football management as the new Manchester City manager. Kevin has always been a popular arrival at any club he's been to, will this continue at Manchester City ? Kevin is quite a charmer, so if Manchester City fail horribly next season, at least Kev will make them feel not so bad about it ...

See BBC SPORT MAN CITY Keegan named as Man City boss

(Man city's site haven't confirmed it as I write)

Wenger Woe

Arsene Wenger's Arsenal lost 2-1 in the 2000-2001 FA Cup Final against Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Arsenal were 1-0 up with just ten minutes to go before Michael Owen took over the show. Arsenal fans cried, the rest of the world cheered.

I had forgotten that I'm still not 100% sure of Arsene's whereabouts in 70-71, please email if you know.

Fergie's Future Falters

All the daily papers went wild on the story that Sir Alex Ferguson is threatening to severe all links with Manchester United at the end of the his final season at the club next year. The story even headlined some front pages, not just the back pages. I on the other hand could not have been less interested and didn't read one of them, but the predicted demise of the Man U dynasty does sound like fun - come on lads give the rest of us a chance !!!!.

Malcolm Allison In Hospital

I'm sure everyone reading Bob's 70-71 Pages wishes Malcom Allison (Manchester City coach) well. BBC SPORT MAN CITY Man City great in hospital reports:

Malcolm Allison collected a host of trophies with City
Former Manchester City coach Malcolm Allison is in hospital suffering from alcoholism, according to his son.

Allison, 73, was taken to hospital after breaking his collarbone in a fall near his warden-controlled home at Hale, Cheshire.

On the day that City fans were also coming to terms with relegation from the Premiership, his son Mark said: "He is very ill but he's accepted for the first time he is an alcoholic.

"Previously he's been to AA and has been in The Priory. But he has never actually accepted what his biggest problem is.

In a glittering trophy-laden haul in the late 1960s and early 1970s, City not only won the league, but also the European Cup Winners Cup, FA Cup and League Cup.

"Now he hopes the doctors can arrange for him to be admitted to a clinic."

With his fedora hat, sheepskin coat and fat cigar, Allison was one of football's most flamboyant characters.

But he was also a first class coach and in tandem with manager Joe Mercer made City a side to be feared in.

"He still has a lot to offer soccer but he does suffer from loneliness," Mark Allison told the Manchester Evening News.

"If he goes into a pub someone there will buy him a drink and then they get one of his great stories.

"He can't do anything on the after-dinner speaking circuit because they are drink-associated."

9 May

Down Town

Lou Macari's (Celtic squad) Huddersfield Town failed in their bid to stay in Division One this season. Lou took over mid-season from Steve Bruce, and even won Manager of the Month in February because of how well he changed the club's fortunes. The tie was always going to be a tough one, but Huddersfield only needed a draw at home to Birmingham City, or Crystal Palace to not win their away game to Stockport County. In the event Palace won against the odds, and Town lost 2-1. Bummer.

This means that West Yorkshire will be deprived of a derby match next year as all four teams in the area will be in a different division ! Bradford City were relegated into Division One leaving Leeds United as the only Premiership representatives. A third relegation was avoided, when Halifax finished one off bottom in Division Four.

See HTAFC.COM - Huddersfield Lose
HTAFC.COM News -Macari Looks Back
HTAFC.COM News - Macari

The flip side of this story is that Steve Kember (Crystal Palace) was the hero of the moment as Crystal Palace did the impossible and stayed up after winning their last two games of the season, whilst results out of their control went their way..

Brownlie Up !

Better news for John Brownlie (Hibernian) who's Arbroath side, which includes his son, Paul, made the Scottish Division One for the first time in 21 years. Promotion came after beating nearest points rivals, Berwick Rangers 2-0 at home. This meant last Saturday's defeat to Clydebank did not affect their runners-up placing in the final table.

See The Official Arbroath FC Web Site - Home Page
Berwick Rangers - Second Division - Match 4
and Arbroath promotion for the season's fixtures

Taylor Retires 1000 Games Up

Watford finally said goodbye to their manager Graham Taylor (Lincoln City) on Saturday. The club had already installed his replacement, the former Chelsea manager, Gianluca Vialli.

Taylor is revered at Watford for twice taking the club to the top division and in different decades. It looked like he would repeat the trick in a third decade when Watford were the only team to keep pace with Fulham early on this season. Graham was even twice Division One Manager of the Month this year. But results dropped off dramatically, and the side finished 9th - not even in a play-off position.

Taylor was a manager for over 1,000 League games a feat achieved in January of this year and bettered only by Brian Clough and Jim Smith before him. See BBC SPORT FOOTBALL 1000-up for Taylor has the following article, which appeared in January:..

On Thursday, the League Managers' Association honour Watford manager Graham Taylor, who this season became only the third manager ever to take charge of 1,000 league games.

Following Brian Clough and Jim Smith, Taylor, who began managing at Lincoln as a 27-year-old in 1972, joins an elite club.

Here, BBC Sport Online talks to footballers who, over the past 29 years, played under Taylor during his time in charge at Lincoln, Aston Villa, Wolves and his two spells at Watford.

Dennis Leigh (Lincoln 1974-1980)

Graham was only about three years older than me when I joined but he had the respect of all the players.

Even then, you could tell he had something special. We had players with talent and he showed us various ways we could play and patterns to play to when things were going against us.

I said at the time that one day he would go on to be England manager.

He was also brilliant at getting the community together. He was famous for doing it at Watford but Lincoln were the original family club.

Leigh is now the advertising manager at the Lincolnshire Echo

Ray Train (Watford 1978-1982)

Taylor's 1000+

Lincoln (1972-77) 209 Watford (1977-87) 428 Aston Villa (1987-90) 120 Wolves (1994-95) 75 Watford (1995-) 178 up to Jan 22

Graham was in his early 30s when I joined from Bolton and he was a very ambitious young man. He was very single-minded and all his efforts went into one thing, and that was success.

He constantly told players what they were capable of achieving. The style was different to what I was used to but it was great to be part of the success

He got the best from his teams and installed great self-belief.

When we faced Southampton in a League Cup tie 4-0 down from the first leg, he convinced us we would go through.

We won the second leg 7-1 against a team a division above.

Train is now chief scout at Middlesbrough.

Taylor's honours

1976: 4th Div champions (Lincoln) 1978: 4th Div champions (Watford) 1979: Promotion to Div 2 1982: Promotion to old Div 1 1983: Div 1 runners-up 1984: FA Cup runners-up 1988: Promotion to old Div 1 (Aston Villa) 1990: Div 1 runners-up 1998: Div 2 Champions (Watford) 1999: Promotion to Premiership 1972-2001: A record 29 manager of the month awards

Derek Mountfield (Aston Villa 1988-1991)

I have the highest regard and admiration for Graham Taylor. He treats players with respect, which some managers occasionally find difficult.

His attention to detail is fantastic, not just on the playing side, but also ensuring the players' families are happy and everything around the game is looked after.

Graham is often saddled with a long ball label, but this is completely unfair.

He often used to have lengthy team meetings on tactics and planning, and he never just advocated use of the long ball.

He would not have had the success he has had, and is still having, if he had been as limited as that.

Mountfield is now manager of Cork City

David Kelly (Wolves 1993-1995)

I thought Graham was a fantastic manager, although it was only after I left that I really began to appreciate what I had learnt from him and how good he was.

Out of the 18 managers I have now played under, he is undoubtedly among the best and one whose methods I would use if I moved into coaching.

When Wolves gave him the sack I said they would live to regret it.

Graham Taylor was the man who would get them to the Premiership as he went on to do with Watford with far fewer resources

Kelly is now playing for Sheffield United

Alec Chamberlain (Watford 1996 - present)

Ever since his playing career was cut short he has always had a great desire to succeed in management and has not lost any of his enthusiasm.

He was heavily criticised at the end of his England spell but went back and succeeded at club management again, which speaks volumes for him as a person.

No-one will forget what he has done at Watford and I am sure if Wolves had given him more time he would have succeeded there too.

I can't see him retiring. After relegation last year he could have called it a day but the fires are still burning and he is desperate to get Watford back into the Premiership.

8 May

Addison Out !

Colin Addison (Sheffield United squad) took over Yeovil Town from David Webb (Chelsea) mid-season when the side were top of the Conference League. Rushton and Diamonds were always the favourites to win the League, though and the teams were neck and neck until the last game of the season. On Saturday Rushton and Diamonds won their last game and Yeovil lost at home to Scarborough.

The Final League table of a six-point Championship win by Rushton and Diamonds does little justice to the fact that Yeovil kept in the fight all season, and second in most Leagues would be considered an achievement.

But Yeovil's chairman, John Fry, began to moan that losing out on promotion was all the manager's fault. Colin Addison is far too big a name in the footballing world to put up with that type of small-mindedness, and resigned.

See News from Huish Park

Souness's Blackburn Rovers Promoted

Graeme Souness (Tottenham Hotspur squad), gets Blackburn Rovers back into the Premiership after his first full season in charge, and after the club had been down for just two seasons. In Division One the top spot well and truely went to well financed Fulham, but there had been a dog fight between Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers for the runners-up place - the only other automatic promotion spot.

Souness went into Sunday's game as the Division One Manager of the Month, but still needing to make sure of promotion. In the event Bolton Wanderers only drew at home to Sheffield United, but Blackburn Rovers won 1-0 away to Preston North End just for good measure.

See Blackburn Rovers Official Website - Promotion Party
Blackburn Rovers Official Website - Souness MoM
Blackburn Rovers Official Website - v Preston

See more May 2001 news at the following ...

Click here for further soccer headlines www.bobdunning.net