Six Key Moments in a Great Career

Remembering the managerial highlights of Frank O'Farrell:

1)   January 27th 1962

After just a few months as player manager of Southern League Weymouth, Frank O'Farrell had guided the club to the biggest game in their history - away at Preston in the Fourth Round of the Cup. Leicester City, finalists the previous season (and the following season) were already out, beaten by Stoke City and 46 year old Stanley Matthews. Weymouth were the last non-League club still in it.

It was an emotional day for O'Farrell, going back to the club he'd left just a few months earlier. The excitement was brought to a premature end, however. After just fourteen minutes of play at Deepdale, the referee abandoned the game due to fog.  Frank made an apology over the PA to the 1,000 away fans who'd made the wasted journey, and the game was rescheduled for Monday. 

Just a few hours before that restaged game took place, the draw for the Fifth Round was held, throwing up the following intriguing tie:

Liverpool   versus   Preston or Weymouth

Bill Shankly hurriedly made plans to get across to Preston to watch Liverpool's next opponents.

The hero of the game was Weymouth's 41 year old keeper Billy Bly, who kept out Preston until just before half time. In the end, however, Frank's team went down 2-0, so the FA Cup paths of Frank O'Farrell and Bill Shankly didn't cross. At least, not yet.

2)   April 1st 1968

After taking Weymouth to the Southern League title in 1964/65, Frank moved along the south coast to Torquay, then in the Fourth Division. He took them to promotion in his first season, then two years later, the club were on the verge of their greatest achievement. This was the table on April 1st:

A couple of weeks earlier the Match of the Day cameras had come to Plainmoor for the top of the table clash with Bury, which United won 3-0. Just two clubs were promoted at that time,  but with that four point lead, Frank must have been pretty confident.

Then it all went wrong. They won just two of their last nine games.

On the final day they still had a chance of going up, but lost 4-0 at Reading.  The club would never reach those heights again.

3)  November 27th 1968

The normally laid back Chairman of Ipswich Town, John Cobbold, couldn't hide his anger. ‘I am annoyed and absolutely shattered. After we had spoken yesterday I was absolutely sure he would take the job’. But Frank decided to stay at Torquay: ‘I’m happy here', he said. 'I will only move for the right job’. 

Did Frank change his mind about the Ipswich job? If so, why? Had someone from Leicester been in touch? 

The following day, at an emergency board meeting, Leicester decided to sack coach Bert Johnson, but express 'confidence' in manager Matt Gillies. Surely the board knew how Matt would react to his best friend being treated like that. A day later, Gillies resigned, bringing an end to a glorious ten years. City made their move for O'Farrell and three weeks later he was announced as the new boss at Filbert Street.

4)  March 1st  1969

After beating Barnsley and Millwall, Leicester were drawn at home to Liverpool in the Fifth Round of the Cup. The game was postponed six times, and Frank used to meet Bill Shankly in the Midland Hotel when the Liverpool boss came down to check on the state of the ground. Finally on March 1st,  the game went ahead, but it finished goalless. The replay at Anfield two days later is remembered for two famous moments - Andy Lochhead's header that won the game, and Roger Hunt throwing his shirt away after being substituted. It was the first sign that Shankly's great team of he mid 60s was coming to an end. 

What topics had the two bosses chatted about in the Midland Hotel? Did Shanks perhaps talk about how difficult it was to know when to call time on the legends of the club? It was a dilemma that hung over another club all through the early 70s, as Frank would soon find out.

City went all the way to Wembley, of course, and Frank became the first Irish manager to lead a side out beneath the Twin Towers.  The season ended in double disappointment, however, with relegation confirmed by the 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford, Matt Busby's last game as boss after 25 years. 

5) Jan 16th 1971

Frank had held firm. His star player, Peter Shilton, had asked for a transfer. Frank said no, and Shilton was banished to the stands. Was this a wise move, with City's promotion hopes already running into trouble? On this day, Birmingham came to Filbert Street to face not Shilton, but Colin Mackleworth. They won 4-1, and Leicester fell to 4th in the table.  

One man was watching events at Filbert Street very carefully. Matt Busby was impressed by Frank's resolve. 'If he can stand up to his star players, maybe he's the man to sort out the mess in Manchester'. Busby had been forced to resume control at Old Trafford after Wilf McGuiness, his successor, had been sacked only just over a year after taking over.  Wilf was too pally with the players, people said. The players liked him - bud did they really respect him? 

That Birmingham defeat was the low point. From there, Shilton came back into the team and City went 17 games unbeaten, winning the Division Two title and making Frank an even more appealing choice for Busby. You can see Frank here touching on the Shilton situation in this interview, from February, just after we hit that winning run:

Frank quickly showed just how willing he was to confront the legends at Old Trafford - in a way that surprised Busby. On his first day, he insisted on having the old manager's office that Busby was keen to hang on to despite moving 'upstairs'. 

6)  4.40pm, Saturday December 4th 1971. 

Frank must have felt on top of the world. Four months into his reign, United sat proudly at the top of the League. They were coasting to a 3-1 win over Forest at Old Trafford with just a few minutes remaining. Word of nearest challengers Man City losing at Derby would also have got round, meaning United's lead at the top would be stretched to five points. Then something happened that at the time seemed of little importance. George Best gave the ball away and Forest scored a consolation goal, making the final score 3-2. In retrospect, that moment has massive symbolism - it can be seen as the moment when everything changed. When the upward curve of Frank's career took a sudden and startling downturn, when Best's life and career went off the rails. And, as it happens, when a third Irishman in the story, the scorer of that consolation goal, entered the spotlight for the first time.

Best had been in magnificent form. Just a few weeks before, he'd scored that famous goal where he sets off on a diagonal run past the whole Sheffield United defence before sweeping the ball home. He'd been averaging almost a goal a game throughout the autumn, and with him in such form, everyone thought United would now run away with title. 

Their next three games were all draws, and United were still top. But then, astonishingly, they lost seven in a row. Best stopped scoring, then he stopped turning up for training and was dropped. Frank insisted that he moved out of his luxury home in the Cheshire countryside and go back in with his old landlady. Best, not surprisingly, refused. Frank had lost control, Best never recovered his old form, and a year later United were bottom of Division One. Frank was sacked.

But as the career of one Irish Catholic hit the skids, that of another, who would also lead us out at Wembley, was just beginning. He's the  man who scored that consolation goal at Old Trafford: