Middle row (l-r); Kevin Gallacher, Stewart Bowen, Barry Crews, Peter Ndlovu, Sean Flynn, Tony Sheridan, Lee Hurst, Martin Davies, Steve Ogrizovic, Jonathan Gould, Peter Billing, Craig Middleton, Gerard Carr, Michael Stephenson, Ricky Smith, Carl Wilson, Brian Borrows
Front row (l-r); Kenny Sansom, Lloyd McGrath, John Gowens, Tim Exeter (Fitness Coach), Ian Cockerill (Fitness Coach), Roy Evans (Youth Development Officer, Phil Neal (Assistant Manager), Bobby Gould (Manager), Brian Roberts (Reserve Team Coach), Bert Edwards (Youth Team Coach), Peter Hill (Kit Man), George Dalton (Physiotherapist/Trainer), Michael Gynn, Peter Atherton
By Jim Brown
After the trials and tribulations of the previous campaign, City’s inaugural season in the Premier League had to be judged a success, with the proviso that some of their football was not pretty to watch. With Bobby Gould reinstalled as manager, the Sky Blues started with a bang and were the first leaders of the new league. The season tailed off badly, but it wasn’t until 17 April that City drifted into the bottom half of the table, and that was far too late to generate fears of relegation.
Back in May, Bobby Gould had been sacked by West Brom and within days was ensconced at Highfield Road as the new joint manager with Don Howe. The idea was that Howe would retain responsibility for coaching and tactics. Howe, though, decided that the daily trip from his Hertfordshire home was too much, stepped down, and allowed Gould to recruit axed Bolton boss Phil Neal as his assistant.
Gould’s familiarity with the lower divisions once again came in handy. Swansea’s flying winger John Williams arrived for £250,000 and defender Phil Babb signed from Bradford City for £500,000. Gould’s son Jonathan, a promising goalkeeper, also arrived for a small fee from West Brom. The outgoing players included Paul Furlong, who was sold for £250,000 to Watford. Kevin Drinkell and Dean Emerson also departed, both players having kicked their heels for almost two years on the sidelines.
City made an impeccable start to their Premier League history. Wins over Middlesbrough, Tottenham and Wimbledon gave them a maximum nine-point haul. When they went on to win at Sheffield Wednesday and Oldham, the Sky Blues established a club record of four successive away wins.
But success on the field was accompanied by a backdrop of yet more financial pressures. There was a period when Kevin Gallacher seemed sure to sign for Manchester City any day, though in the event the only player to leave was full-back Paul Edwards who joined Wolverhampton for £75,000.
Williams, Gallacher and Hurst all played their part in City’s early season promise, but the player to grab the headlines was the inimitable Ndlovu, who ran defences ragged with his speed and dexterity. Press interest in the player grew to fever pitch after he scored a superb individual goal against league leaders Norwich which was eulogised on Match of the Day. Coventry’s success was rewarded in other ways, too. Gould earned the Bell’s Manager of the Month award, while Phil Neal was invited into the England set up, becoming Graham Taylor’s part-time assistant manager.
The first banana skin to trip up the Sky Blues was waiting in the Coca-Cola Cup. What should have been a routine trip to ScarborÂough, with two goals in the bank after the first leg, ended in a nightmare 0-3 defeat. The result affected the league form and Gould introduced well-travelled striker Mick Quinn on loan from Newcastle. Quinn’s impact was the stuff of fantasy. His ten goals in six games kick-started City’s season. Christmas wins at home to Liverpool (5-1) and Aston Villa (3-0) were attributable in no small part to the stocky striker and his rejuvenated partner, Robert Rosario. City’s financial situation was reported to be so serious – debts of £3 million were announced – that help was welcome wherever it could be found. Quinn’s fee of £250,000, for example, was rumoured to have been paid by a wealthy supporter.
After Christmas the side was rarely out of the top six and away wins, at Middlesbrough and at title-chasing Blackburn, even had some supporters talking about Europe. Financial pressures, however, could no longer be hidden under the carpet. Rosario was the first to go, much to Gould’s chagrin, joining Forest for £500,000. Gallacher finally left for Blackburn in a part exchange deal that saw Gallacher valued at £1 million and Roy Wegerle at £500,000. Other buys concluded by the transfer deadline day included Leigh Jenkinson, who arrived from Hull for £250,000, and David Rennie, who came in a swap deal that took David Smith to Birmingham.
The season tailed away badly with just one win from the last eleven games. Even on the last day, a 3-1 lead over Leeds was squandered in the dying seconds, costing the club £250,000 in prize money, as the team slipped three places in the final table.
Some players had made the progress expected of them; others had not. Andy Pearce had lost his centre-half-position to another non-league recruit, Dave Busst, a £10,000 buy from Moor Green. Peter Atherton enjoyed a marvellous season in defence, while Phil Babb had displaced Sansom, who had gone on a free to Everton. In midfield, Lee Hurst emerged as an outstanding prospect, despite losing his mentor, Robson, with more injury problems. Up front, Quinn’s excellent start was not sustained, though he still finished with seventeen league goals, equalling Terry Gibson’s league tally nine seasons earlier.
There was finally progress made on improving the stadium. The Kop was officially closed at the end of the season to allow work to commence on a new East Stand.
