The Managers: Brian Little, 1991-1994

[davieG]

On 30 May, 1991, Newcastle-born Brian Little was appointed Leicester City’s manager, replacing Gordon Lee whose brief spell as manager the previous season had saved the Club from relegation to the ‘old’ Third Division. In the three and a half years which followed Little completely transformed the Club.

More on this story...

The Managers: Gordon Milne, 1982-1987

The Managers: Jock Wallace, 1978-1982

The Managers: Jimmy Bloomfield, 1971-1977

Born in County Durham, Brian was an FA Youth Cup winner with Aston Villa in 1972. He went on to play 302 times as a striker for Aston Villa helping them rise from the ‘old’ Third Division in 1972 to the top flight three years later. He made a single appearance for England in 1975, was a League Cup winner in 1975 and 1977, and was a regular for five seasons in the top flight.

In 1980, aged 26, his playing career was ended by a knee injury. Brian stayed at Villa Park as a youth team coach before moving to Third Division Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1986, first as a coach and then as caretaker-manager at the start of their spell in Division Four.

Moving to coach at Middlesbrough Brian played an important part in that club’s two successive promotions from the Third Division to the top flight before becoming the manager of the League’s bottom club Darlington in February 1989.

He transformed Darlington, leading the Quakers to the Conference title in 1990 and to the Division Four title in 1991.

In May 1991, impressed by this achievement, Leicester City’s Chairman Martin George contacted Darlington’s Chairman, met Brian, agreed to give him three years to turn the Club round, and then announced his appointment as Leicester City’s new manager.

Brian Little was a FA Youth Cup winner with Aston Villa in 1972, before playing over 300 times for the club.

Brian recruited Allan Evans and John Gregory to work with the professional players and Steve Hunt and David Nish to work with the youth players. 

He introduced a new set of rules at the training ground, emphasising the importance of punctuality, the obligatory wearing of flip-flops, and the importance of wearing the correct attire and of being clean shaven on matchdays. He also got rid of the pool table.

This was the start of the process which resulted in three successive Wembley Play-off finals for Leicester City for a place in the Premier League.  The first two finals resulted in defeats by Blackburn Rovers in 1992 and Swindon Town in 1993. The third final was the victory over Derby County in 1994.

Halfway through the 1994/95 Premier League season, with the Club struggling, Brian resigned, ostensibly for personal reasons. Three days later, he became Aston Villa’s manager. The hostile reception he received when he returned to Filbert Street with his new side eight days later demonstrated the anger that Leicester City fans felt about the nature of his departure.

With the passage of time though, there is now a general acceptance that Little laid solid foundations in his time at Filbert Street. He rescued the Club from five years of steady decline and created a good basis for future progress. As for Brian, he went on to manage Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Hull City, Tranmere Rovers, Wrexham and Gainsborough Trinity.

 

https://www.lcfc.com/news/976109/the-managers-brian-little-1991-1994

[Izzy]

I think we've got a lot to thank Brian Little for and he gave us some great memories.

 

I was livid with him for taking the Villa job but looking back now I can see why he did.

 

Still like him as a bloke.

[Vacamion]

 

 

Loved the wave that he started.  Brought me back to supporting the club after I had stopped going during the dire and dangerous 80s.  There was a sense of optimism whilst we kept going to playoff finals,  

 

By the way, his haircut in the 70s was rank.

[Lincolnshire Fox]

2 hours ago, davieG said:

On 30 May, 1991, Newcastle-born Brian Little was appointed Leicester City’s manager, replacing Gordon Lee whose brief spell as manager the previous season had saved the Club from relegation to the ‘old’ Third Division. In the three and a half years which followed Little completely transformed the Club.

More on this story...

The Managers: Gordon Milne, 1982-1987

The Managers: Jock Wallace, 1978-1982

The Managers: Jimmy Bloomfield, 1971-1977

 

I know it was dark days back then, but we can't delete Pleat entirely from our history (though I know I really, really want to) 

[Tuna]

2 hours ago, davieG said:

As for Brian, he went on to manage Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Hull City, Tranmere Rovers, Wrexham and Gainsborough Trinity.

Now there's a downward trajectory if I ever saw one.

 

Fun fact - Gavin Ward was Brian's assistant at Gainsborough.

 

Anyway I really liked Brian Little and was gutted when he left to join Villa, but am glad he did otherwise as we ended up with Martin O'Neill a year later

Edited 17 January 2019 by Tuna

[Collibosher70]

Turned us around big time...always liked him

[Sir Shep]

1991 

[PhillippaT]

The only thing I really remember about this, is that Little going to Villa was one of the few things that even my Dad was up in arms about (and he normally ignores football compared to rugby - or at least he did, since I haven't a clue what he's up to these days in that regard).

[EastAnglianFox]

Met him after our league cup drubbing at Old Trafford, nice guy who still had a sense of humour even though we had just been tonked.

 

Wont forget that atmosphere against Villa either, absolute hatred all around that day.

[Bunyip]

I never forget and never forgive. 

[Bob Hazels shorts]

Made a massive difference as did MON. Unlike managers now who are effectively first team coaches they managed the club from bottom to top.

 

I remember Little being involved in kit design. Also remember Martin Allen changing the plants at Belvoir drive  , Puel doesn't know how lucky he is to not have this responsibility

[Trav Le Bleu]

11 hours ago, Izzy said:

I think we've got a lot to thank Brian Little for and he gave us some great memories.

 

I was livid with him for taking the Villa job but looking back now I can see why he did.

 

Still like him as a bloke.

At the time I totally understood why he would and was prepared for him to go, but then he said, something like a day before it happened, that he wasn't going, so to me he will always be Judas.

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

Got the best out his players, that team that beat Derby in the play off final ?.

Great times!

[Wolfox]

1 hour ago, Bunyip said:

I never forget and never forgive. 

Go on…. Start the wave you grumpy bugger!

[Izzy]

11 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

At the time I totally understood why he would and was prepared for him to go, but then he said, something like a day before it happened, that he wasn't going, so to me he will always be Judas.

I'm sure he'd admit now that he handled the whole situation badly.

 

Shame really as that shouldn't tarnish what he achieved here, but I guess for some it always will...

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

Did he ever beat us as Villa manager? I was at Villa Park when we came back from the dead to draw 4-4, Villa had a strong team back then with Tommy Johnson taking most of the flack from us that night, I also remember another game when  Phil Gee took advantage of a goalkeeper error (May of been Nigel Spink) to score although I can’t remember if we won or drew that game

[davieG]

Whenever I think of Brian Little my mind always goes to that mass gathering on Victoria Park where 1000s sang "We're proud of you" in all my years watching Leicester I think that's the only time I came near to tears such n emotional moment after all the previous years of dire football and results.

[Vince Vega]

I remember going to Swindon for the first game of the season.  As I recall it ended 0 - 0, but the performance was amazing compared to what had been served up in previous seasons.  11 players who played for the manager and the shirt and put in a shift.  The reaction of the away end reflected the effort put in and we drove home happy and full of new season optimism.

[ThaiFox]

He really restored some pride in Leicester City after a succession of dismal managers, especially the dire era of David Pleat. I was at the play off finals against Blackburn and Derby, so great memories of him. The semi final, home v Cambridge was a great night and was buzzing for days after that 5-0 performance! Just shame a Speedie dive in the final cost us promotion that year.

 

On a different note, I lived in Southend for a while, and attended the first match of his brothers (Alan) managerial career at Southend United. I remember him being paraded around the ground to great cheers (he was a former player there). After 10 minutes Southend were 2-0 down and the bloke next to me started shouting ''he's no better than the last manager''. Still makes me laugh thinking how fickle fans are and how little time managers get!!

 

 

 

 

[whetstonefox]

That 1991/92 season is one of my favourite years following City, some great away days , Swindon, Southend, Notts County in the ZDF or whatever it was called, Blackburn. The Cambridge play off semi 5-0 up with 30 minutes to go knowing you're going to Wembley (for the first time in my lifetime) even queuing all night overnight for the Wembley tickets on a Saturday night was fun!

[mozartfox]

I remember attending one of his first games in charge away at Maidstone.  I recall being held back by the police after the game as they wanted to escort the 200 hundred Maidstone fans out the ground first and held back the 1000+ traveling fans.    Start of Kitson's era.   And people moan at where we are today.....

[Guest Markyblue]

7 hours ago, Vince Vega said:

I remember going to Swindon for the first game of the season.  As I recall it ended 0 - 0, but the performance was amazing compared to what had been served up in previous seasons.  11 players who played for the manager and the shirt and put in a shift.  The reaction of the away end reflected the effort put in and we drove home happy and full of new season optimism.

Pitch invasion and mini riot, football a different world back then ,

[simFox]

Swindon away with chorus of "where's your roundabouts", bank holiday play off finals every year was a great event, though I watched them in the local. Happy days, except losing to Peterborough.

[Guy]

I'll always remember the 'Little years' for the three consecutive play offs finals, just as I will remember O'Neill for the 1996 PO Final triumph over Palace as much as what he did for us for the four years to follow!

 

Under Pleat before Little though then we were merely treading water and going nowhere, if anything we had an increasing likelihood of going down to the third tier, of which we very nearly did in 1991 of course! I also understood why Little left for Villa when he did, although the timing wasn't great, with some thinking he left us in the lurch for the lure of a bigger club of course. As others have said though it at least indirectly secured the services of MON a year later after the topsy turvy time of it under 'inbetweener' Mark McGhee of course.... 

[Bunyip]

18 hours ago, Wolfox said:

Go on…. Start the wave you grumpy bugger!

I'll give you that, at least you didn't call me old.