The Managers: Jock Wallace, 1978-1982

[davieG]

https://www.lcfc.com/news/836975/the-managers-jock-wallace-19781982

Club Historian John Hutchinson continues the series on Leicester City's managers.
For four years, between 1978 and 1982, Jock Wallace dominated Leicester City Football Club. He was big in stature, big in heart and big in influence.

When Jock arrived at Filbert Street in June 1978, he had just won the treble in Scotland with Glasgow Rangers for the second time.

By contrast, Leicester City had just been relegated from the old First Division.

The Board’s decision to appoint Wallace was inspired. Jock turned the Club upside down.

He struck up an immediate rapport with the Leicester fans who quickly warmed to his bluff no-nonsense manner, even though they found his broad Glasgow accent difficult to understand.

His training methods, influenced by his time in the army fighting in the Malaysian jungle, initially involved the players running up and down the sand hills at Wanlip.  

Expand photo Jock Wallace Testimonial
He soon replaced the ageing stars of the Bloomfield-McLintock era with youth.

Players like David Webb, George Armstrong, Roger Davies, Billy Hughes, Steve Kember, and Keith Weller didn’t last long.

Their places were taken by largely untried youngsters like Tommy Williams, John O’Neill, Larry May, Andy Peake, Trevor Christie, Dave Buchanan and Gary Lineker.

Jock’s skill was to encourage and develop these players. He had the knack of making them believe in themselves.

He used the experience of Mark Wallington and Eddie Kelly together with new signings Martin Henderson (from Glasgow Rangers) and Bobby Smith (from Heart of Midlothian) to bolster these youngsters.

Finishing 17th in the Second Division in his first season might not look too impressive, but it was a season dedicated to rebuilding. A period of consolidation was necessary.

The following season (1979/1980), Jock’s plan came to fruition, despite the embarrassing FA Cup defeat by Isthmian League Harlow Town. 

Further strengthened by Oldham Athletic’s Alan Young and Highland League player Ian Wilson, his youthful side won the Second Division title.

Expand photo Jock Wallace
Jock’s confident prediction that Leicester would win the First Division title was wildly optimistic.

Despite the introduction during the season of Jim Melrose, Kevin MacDonald, and Steve Lynex, despite completing a famous double over Liverpool and an attempt to sign Johann Cruyff, Leicester City were relegated along with Norwich City and Crystal Palace.

The following season, with Paul Ramsey now in the side, Leicester City were at times on the fringe of the promotion race, but their main achievement was to reach the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur in a cup run which included the famous three-goalkeeper game against Shrewsbury Town which ended Mark Wallington’s run of 331 consecutive games.

In the close season, when Jock unexpectedly broke his contract and defected to manage Motherwell, the sense of shock around Leicester was palpable.

Despite this, 12 years later Leicester City arranged a testimonial dinner for Jock who was now ill.

Alex Ferguson paid tribute to Jock’s giant character and personality, his generous nature, and his infectious enthusiasm.

[mozartfox]

I watched that fantastic video of the squad running up those hills the other day on You Tube.  Denis Rofe nearly expired.  They did a short interview with Jock which was hilarious.  He like Puel gave youth a chance.  A great man.

[Max Wall]

One of the old school. Ruled with an iron fist. 

Imagine being left for Motherwell though. It's like Brad Pitt leaving his Mrs and dating mine.

[Lesterlad]

1 hour ago, Max Wall said:

One of the old school. Ruled with an iron fist. 

Imagine being left for Motherwell though. It's like Brad Pitt leaving his Mrs and dating mine.

There’s nothing wrong with your mrs ?

[jonthefox]

My mate used to deliver the Mercury on his street. Wallace made him drop one off and deliver to the rest of the street whilst he read it and then hand it back. 

 

 

Tight cnut

[Spudulike]

Follow Follow.

[Webbo]

I heard a rumour that he had to leave because of a business deal that went wrong and some rough characters were after him ( that's the nicest way of putting it). No idea how true it was.

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

The first manager when I started really following the Foxes in 1979 when I moved to Leicester. He was a real, forceful character and that 1979/80 league campaign was great. Pity we couldn't beat Spurs in that 1982 semifinal.  

[l444ry]

Jock put the pride back in the club after a difficult period. Same as Brian Little. Two important people in our history. 

[David Hankey]

Yeah all that stupid hill running what did it achieve? Relegation and a lost to minnows Harlow Town!!

[Vlad the Fox]

His was the first team I can really remember, some of my childhood favourites were in that team. I remember as I kid my parents had won a competition for a tour around the Filbert Street. Can't remember much about the tour but I can remember  walking around the pitch when my mum suddenly said 'oh, look who it is' I looked round and there was Jock Wallace. I wish I could remember what my parents talked to this larger than life jovial scot about but I just stood there awestruck. 

[Crazy Kop Corner]

He was a huge man in stature and character. The first manager I absolutely worshipped. I was only a kid but he brought the hope and pride back. A great man. 

[Bob Weasel Fox]

First season I started watching Leicester was 1979-80 season so Jock Wallace is one of my favourite all time managers

 

you knew at half time if we were playing shite he would put a rocket up the teams arse and second half guaranteed we would play better

[TrentFox]

It really was the best of times. Loved every second of that man’s tenure. Great days. 

[whetstonefox]

Was my first game with Jock as manager , a 4-1 win over Brighton in 1978, second game a 0-3 defeat to Charlton. The rollercoaster started!

[kushiro]

The thing I remember most is the way the kop used to chant his name - the word 'Jock' coming from a thousand throats almost but not quite simultaneously produced this amazing heavy industrial pummeling sound. Seemed appropriate somehow.

[49er]

I would argue that he was the most charismatic manager we have had in the modern era. His interviews on Radio Leicester with Steve Lambden were great - you couldn't really understand every word he said, but it was motivating!

[49er]

He signed Alan Smith, Alan Young, Kevin MacDonald, Steve Lynex and Ian Wilson. Gave a debut to Gary Lineker and developed him. Brought through young players such as Larry May, John O'Neill, Paul Ramsey, Mark Goodwin, Dave Buchanan and Andy Peake. 

Came from winning a treble at Rangers to manage us in the Second Division - couldn't believe it when it was announced. When I head Jock on the radio, I assumed that we had got Jock Stein in. It turns out it was Jock Wallace, and a quick check of my Panini album confirmed his details

[Remember Kember]

Yes Great Manager.

Remember going to Cardiff away near the end of the 1980 championship winning season waiting for the team bus to arrive. When it did Jock was first off  and immediately joined in the singing with us!! Can't imagine Claude doing that. Fond memories.

His biggest mistake was allowing Eddie Kelly to go at the end of that season we might have stayed up the following year had he remained.

 

[Guest worth_the_wait]

He may not have been the greatest footballing manager (or the most tactically astute), but he was an absolute giant and a legend.

He grabbed the club by the scruff of the neck when we were in real trouble, and stopped the rot.   One of the reasons he got the players running up mudhills was to see who would "die for him".   It was a test of their characters.

The fans feared him, respected him, worshipped and absolutely loved him.  The fans would have done anything for him.   It's an old cliche, but if you were in the trenches, Jock Wallace was the sort of man you would want next to you.      I can't think of any manager before or since who had that impact on the City fans.

 

 

 

[wokinghamfox]

The 79-80 second division title winning season was fantasically memorable. Cow pat fights at Cambridge to breaking the cross bar at Orient. The swash buckling figure of Alan Young leading the line with John O'Neil holding it tight at the back and Eddie Kelly the midfield general . 

Great times.

[Max Wall]

On 29/08/2018 at 19:46, Webbo said:

I heard a rumour that he had to leave because of a business deal that went wrong and some rough characters were after him ( that's the nicest way of putting it). No idea how true it was.

Interesting. That would make perfect sense. The World was certainly a lot more 'rough and tumble' 40 years ago. I'd never heard that before.

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

Great memories of those days, he was manager when I first started going.

[hackneyfox]

Loved the man, I was 17 when he joined and believed his claim that we'd win the league within five seaons. So uch so that I bet a gooner £50, no small sum at the time.

 

Couple of years later on a lads holiday in Spain we made the mistake of entering a Scottish pub to hear the results. I was bursting for a piss so went to the toilets and was followed by someone who clearly intended to batter me. His opening line was 'who's your team', on hearing my reply he was all smiles, 'I'm Rangers, let me buy you a drink'.

[Rob1742]

I used to go to the training ground as much as I could in those days, and Jock had this aura about him. You were kind of scared of him, and he carried it through from the fans to the players.

I remember asking for his autograph and he asked me for 10p. When I said I didn’t have 10p he gave me a clip around the ear then gave me the autograph. You just didnt know how to take it. Was like an old school headmaster.

I remember them coming in for training at the start of the summer, and after the session they all came out of the old blue huts and they were all commenting on how tough it was, and laughing at Derek Strickland as he had thrown up.

I also recall that if you did something wrong, it was press ups for you. I just remember both Jock and his oppo Ian MacFarlane saying “get down you” in their strong Scottish accent to anyone who gave a stray ball or didn’t work hard enough. The comment was followed by ten press ups. There were press ups going on all over the place. 

It was a tough gig, tactically poor, but the players gave their all and respected the big man.

Ali Mauchlen said of him at Motherwell that as you left the dressing room you had to line up and there were two bottles on the side. One brandy and one whisky and each player had to down a gulp of one or the other before leaving the dressing room. There wasn’t an option not to have any.

At a twelve year old he was just immense. He gave me that first trophy feeling when we won division 2 in 1979. It was just the best season I had ever had.

He left and it was awful. Little old Leicester had Jock Wallace. Then he was gone, and that sinking feeling of losing such a massive manager.