Kalacs_Orthopedic_Shoe Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 Alright me ducks, Stumbled across this today - https://www.theguardian.com/football/in-bed-with-maradona/2016/jan/12/johan-cruyff-signed-leicester-city-barcelona-nasl I had no concept of the story and was just wondering how serious the fans took it at the time and was there much reaction in the local press? Reading the article it seemed pretty close, before he opted for Levante...
john ridley Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 We thought Jock was going to pull this off ,real buzz following city at the time , great days.
weller54 Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 Remember it well.. Was driving in London somewhere and heard it on the car radio.. Almost crashed the car! God that was a long time ago!
davieG Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 Very Seriously. Well the Merc did even headlining "Superstar could sign tomorrow" http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/johan-cruyff-nearly-joined-leicester-city/story-28985930-detail/story.html
ceredigion Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 I remember the Cruyff story well. It was the 1980/81 season and City were struggling as usual in a relegation battle, having been promoted to the 1st Division the previous season. Some conspiracy theorists at the time suggested that the story had been planted in order to sell out tickets for the next home game with the prospect of seeing the great Johann Cruyff in a City shirt, but I think it was probably a genuine attempt to sign him by Jock. He would have been in his early 30s at the time but still a fine player. Anyway, it fell through and we soldiered on with Eddie Kelly and Ian Wilson in midfield instead and predictably started the next season in the Second Division.
Kalacs_Orthopedic_Shoe Posted 20 May 2017 Author Posted 20 May 2017 Reading the article it sounds like he had a horrid time in terms of form at Levente and they missed out on their promotion. Things may have been different here, they may have not; but wouldn't it have been great for those supporting the club at the time to see one of histories greatest technical players in a Leicester shirt..
Fox92 Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 One of the greatest ever and he could have been a Leicester player
Rob1742 Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 Great manager for Leicester. How we got him I will never know. One minute he was winning everything at Rangers, the next minute he was with us in division 2. A real character, used to go down to Belvior Drive to watch the training and some of the players would be sick he used to run them that hard. i asked for his autograph once and he asked me for 10p. I said I didn't have 10p, so he clipped me round the ear. He was like a scary teacher, but a hero too. Great years with Jock and just a shame he didn't pull the Cruyff deal off. One of my favourite managers without a doubt.
foxoffderby Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 I remember my uncle telling me about this story as a kid, didn't believe him at the time.
TrentFox Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 1 hour ago, weller54 said: Remember it well.. Was driving in London somewhere and heard it on the car radio.. Almost crashed the car! God that was a long time ago! Have you arrived there, yet? That north circular can be a bitch.
kushiro Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 40 minutes ago, Rob1742 said: Great years with Jock and just a shame he didn't pull the Cruyff deal off. One of my favourite managers without a doubt. And the chant we had for him was so good - simple and powerful. Our best ever manager chant?
boots60 Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 A big brown envelope stuffed with pesetas may have had something to do with his choice of Levante over Leicester. He was a genius with a football but also a pioneer of financial greed among players. Didn't do owt for nowt.
AKCJ Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 This is like Leicester supporting 101. Every Leicester fan has said to a colleague at work, at least once, "Did you know we almost signed Johan Cruyff?"
spacemunky Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 3 hours ago, AKCJ said: Every Leicester fan has said to a colleague at work, at least once, "Did you know we almost signed Johan Cruyff?" I think this tops my "Did you know that David Beckham almost played for Notts County?" story
oxtonfox Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 I remember this too. I think Big Jock had contacts in Europe from his Rangers days and I believe may have known Cruyff personally. Given where we were in League Div 1 at the bottom it was a remarkable story and as it turned out he didn't sign. In a way it was a bit like Mancini signing when we were hopelessly adrift in 2001/2 under Peter Taylor but I am sure it would have been 100 times better than even that. Even Cruyff would not have saved us as we were relegated that season with a miserable 22 points (2 points for a win in those days).
Mease Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 I had to double take, I never knew this. Ha ha what a legend the both were.
ktfox59 Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 No he wasn't ever coming here. I'm 58 and remember it was a publicity stunt at the time by said manager jock Wallace
Dan Posted 20 May 2017 Posted 20 May 2017 Shame it never happened. An absolute legend and a genius on the game.
smudger63 Posted 21 May 2017 Posted 21 May 2017 9 hours ago, oxtonfox said: I remember this too. I think Big Jock had contacts in Europe from his Rangers days and I believe may have known Cruyff personally. Given where we were in League Div 1 at the bottom it was a remarkable story and as it turned out he didn't sign. In a way it was a bit like Mancini signing when we were hopelessly adrift in 2001/2 under Peter Taylor but I am sure it would have been 100 times better than even that. Even Cruyff would not have saved us as we were relegated that season with a miserable 22 points (2 points for a win in those days). We actually finished with 32 points, 3 points behind Brighton. Had we beaten Brighton away, at easter, towards the end of the season, we would have stayed up. Instead we lost 2-1. Youngy got sent off early if i remember rightly, and i think Kevin Macdonald got sent off later too. We had some cracking results that season, doing the double over Liverpool, the first team to beat them in 85 games at Anfield, even more remarkable, given that we were knocked out of the cup by Exeter in a replay a few days earlier. Also done the double over Tottenham that season, which when we played them in the FA Cup semi final the following season at Villa Park, gave me real hope that we could beat them. Sadly i think the occasion got to us and we just seemed to freeze on the day and we lost 2-0. Can`t believe we haven`t made another FA Cup semi final since 1982! I know the FA Cup isn`t what it used to be, but growing up when i did, the Cup was massive. Attendances would always go up on a cup day compared to a league day, and now days we have to virtually give tickets away just to half fill the stadiums, it`s such a shame. Edited to say the 22 points season would have been under McClintock in 77/78, and yes we were truly dreadfull that season!
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