The Gordon Milne years

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

One for the older posters on here.

I was spurred on by somebody mentioning the dark days under Gordon Milne and felt it was worthwhile reminding fans of the good times we had under Milne as he is somewhat a forgotten man.

Following Jock Wallace in 1982 Milne took us to promotion out of the old Div 2 in the 1982-83 season resulting in a pitch invasion at the end of the last game of the season vs Burnley. We spent 4 decent years in the top flight until Bryan Hamilton took over from Milne and we were relegated in the 86-87 season.

4 consecutive seasons in the top flight was pretty impressive for us.

I have loads of happy memories of the team under Milne, and am proud to say I saw my favourite City front 3 ever during this time, Lynex, Lineker and Alan Smith, add a decent midfield of Ian Wilson, Kevin Macdonald Andy Peake Gerry Daly, later Gary Mac and Ali Mauchlan etc we were always on the verge of having a quality team but always 1 or 2 players short.

There were no trophies won during his time unlike Martin O'Neills reign but still a 4 year run In the top flight was an achievement in itself, and one that shouldn't be overlooked.

[john ridley]

Your right,  Gordon's time here wasn't too bad ,think people never really took to him straight away cause of the cov connection and also he was quite the opposite in character to Jock Wallace.Never found out why Gerry Daly never signed onced we'd gone up or why we swapped Melrose for bloody Tom English .Never forget Fulham away one of the best away days EVER.  

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

I was once told we were offered the choice of Tom English or Mark Hateley for Jim Melrose, we chose badly.

[tokyo_fox]

I remember the final half of the Milne-era quite well as this was when I started supporting City and many of my all-time favourite players come from that era. I have many happy memories from those years and have always thought very highly of Milne

[Bob Weasel Fox]

I was once told we were offered the choice of Tom English or Mark Hateley for Jim Melrose, we chose badly.

If that's true that's horrendous

Bloody Tommy English

[Webbo]

I remember thinking about this the other week, At the time he was hated by the fans (a lot of them anyway) as it was assumed he'd been brought in by the board to sell off the best players. He didn't do his cause any good when he swapped Jim Melrose with Tom English, who has to be the worse striker ever to have played for us, from his old club Coventry. 

 

He represented the lack of ambition from the club, remember Forest had won the European Cup not long before, but on reflection we'd all be delighted to be a mid table top flight team now.

[eastendfox]

One of the best games I ever saw was a 3-3 home draw with Liverpool in 1983-4, Peake and Lynex scored from outside the box, Lineker a late equaliser. We beat them at Anfield the following year. The team could beat anyone, but equally could lose to anyone.

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

I remember thinking about this the other week, At the time he was hated by the fans (a lot of them anyway) as it was assumed he'd been brought in by the board to sell off the best players. He didn't do his cause any good when he swapped Jim Melrose with Tom English, who has to be the worse striker ever to have played for us, from his old club Coventry. 

 

He represented the lack of ambition from the club, remember Forest had won the European Cup not long before, but on reflection we'd all be delighted to be a mid table top flight team now.

If that's true that's horrendous

Bloody Tommy English

Tommy English in the days of just the 1 sub, always seemed to be the sub, I have horrible memories of him warming up in that bloody blue padded all in one (an early onesie?) rubbish.

[49er]

Milne did a great job. To be honest, after the charismatic Wallace left the appointment of Milne was a real disappointment. The decision to swap Melrose for English was a disaster (I think that Melrose scored a hat-trick on his debut for Coventry!).

 

The season seemed to be going nowhere. I was one of the few who attended the home game against Shrewsbury on a cold February evening. We managed to scramble a 3-2 victory. The following Saturday we trounced Wolves (who were at the top) 5-0 with some scintillating football. Little did we know (or expect) that we would remain unbeaten until the end of the season.

 

The forward line of Lineker, Smith and Lynex were perhaps the best front three that we have seen in a blue short since the heady days of the 70s. Lynex's tricky on the wing. Lineker's pace and eye for goal. Smith with wonderful technical ability for such a tall man.

 

The away victory at Fulham was key to promotion. I was there with the 9,000 or so Leicester fans. We managed to earn a creditable draw on the plastic pitch at Loftus Road.

 

After a dreadful start in Division One (six straight defeats), Milne signed big Bob Hazell to shore up the defence and we survived.

 

Let's remember that Milne achieved promotion in his first season as manager - something that Pearson (I mean from the Championship as opposed to League One), Wallace and Little failed to do.

[ceredigion]

I remember the Milne years very well. He is something of a forgotten man, but all things considered he did a reasonable job.

 

In our first season back in Division One under him, we lost our first 6 games on the trot and didn't win until the 11th, but we stayed up. I wonder if another team has ever accrued 0 points from the first 6 games and still survived.

 

On the other hand, the highlights of the Milne years are really confined to his first season on charge in 82/83 when he rather unexpectedly got us promoted. The years 1984 to 1986 are pretty much devoid of anything memorable bar the occasional win against a ''big team''.

 

And he inaugurated a decade long run of crap and dire performances in both cup competitions. Attendances went down dramatically too, but I don't think the blame can be laid at his feet.

 

This is his record. 

 

1982/83 - Division Two. Finished 3rd 

1983/84 - Division One. Finished 15th

1984/85 - Division One. Finished 15th

1985/86 - Division One. Finished 19th (Stayed up on the last day after Ally Mauchlen scored to beat Newcastle.)

 

Make of that what you will.

[Pen 3]

I was at that game against Shrewsbury - they had a pretty reasonable following I remember - and went to many games, home and away, that year - towards the end of his time in charge football had changed with "foreign" players starting to enter the game at the top flight and we were, well, left behind. I do remember the terrible haircuts, the short shorts - it was all very '80s and it looks so odd now. More good times than bad but we lost the plot towards the end..

[ceredigion]

I was at that game against Shrewsbury - they had a pretty reasonable following I remember - and went to many games, home and away, that year - towards the end of his time in charge football had changed with "foreign" players starting to enter the game at the top flight and we were, well, left behind. I do remember the terrible haircuts, the short shorts - it was all very '80s and it looks so odd now. More good times than bad but we lost the plot towards the end..

I wasn't at that game against Shrewsbury. It was the only home game I missed that season. I think it was something along the lines of a Thin Lizzy concert at the De Montfort Hall which kept me away.

[Pen 3]

I messed up my CSEs and O levels following them all over the country 82/83 hardly looked at any revision, great season..

[fuchsntf]

I was once told we were offered the choice of Tom English or Mark Hateley for Jim Melrose, we chose badly.

Even UKIP wouldnt like Tom English either...

[harpendenfox]

Remember a 5-1 mauling of Wolves in that era. Smudger hat trick. Attendance something like 10,000. 'Where were you when we were good'!

[john ridley]

Remember a 5-1 mauling of Wolves in that era. Smudger hat trick. Attendance something like 10,000. 'Where were you when we were good'!

yeah not many "plastic fans"in them years

[ceredigion]

yeah not many "plastic fans"in them years

Not many fans full stop.

[Pen 3]

13,500 for the wolves game, just 6,000 for Shrewsbury (wasn't the game saved by our hot air balloon on the pitch? - so long ago I can't remember), they made a bit of noise for a small away following I seem to recall...

[ashby_fox]

Certainly the Steve Lynex, Gary Lineker, Alan Smith partnership was one of the highlights of the Gordon

Milne era always guaranteed to score goals. The problem was we let too many in!

To be fair he didn't do a bad job considering he had little money to spend and we had to sell our best

players.

His best signings were surely Gary McAllister & Ali Mauchlen signed in a combined deal & Russell

Osman.

[ceredigion]

I seem to recall Milne being embroiled in a minor scandal in the mid-80s we he was involved in a car crash near his house. The police were called but by the time they arrived, Milne and the other driver had retired to Milne's house where they were already on their 2nd double whisky to steady their shattered nerves when the fuzz knocked on the door.

 

The police breathaliser test would thus have been invalid because both drivers had consumed alcohol after the accident happened.

 

So he managed at least one Great Escape during his time with us.

[MIAMI_FOX]

I remember a home game v Watford as a kid. Trevor peake scored a cracker of a goal and it was on match of the day featured game

[dayday]

I remember a home game v Watford as a kid. Trevor peake scored a cracker of a goal and it was on match of the day featured game

Trevor Peake,thought he played for Cov

[Livid]

This was around the time my dad stopped going, he and my mum had been season ticket holders for 20 odd years and came from an era where there was no segregation with all the hooliganism they just gave up and never went to another game.

I was around 14/15 and started going with my mates and have vague memories. The Burnley game trying to get on the pitch but being crushed at the front of the members stand until I was yanked out by some skinhead/punk in a leather jacket and kilt. That awful green and yellow away kit. Standing on the Leppings Lane at Hillsborough with so few of us there we could go walkabout (lots of space at most away games). A thirty something year old man calling my 15 year old mate a f****** scab and smacking him in the face on the way back to the coach. Steve Moran scored that day?. Getting hit full in the face by a Bob Hazel blocked clearance because I was too busy looking up at the crowd in the Decker, everyone else had got out the way of it, then having to look hard telling my mates it didn't hurt when it actually stung like hell.

Happy Days for me.

[pleatout]

13,500 for the wolves game, just 6,000 for Shrewsbury (wasn't the game saved by our hot air balloon on the pitch? - so long ago I can't remember), they made a bit of noise for a small away following I seem to recall...

No, the balloon had been out of use for a while at that point.  I do remember it being freezing though.  Us, in pen 4 were spread out at the start and gradually moved closer and closer together as the game went on.  Very odd, considering we're British.

 

Fulham away & then 10,000 etc.  I was having a pee when Ian Wilson scored the only goal.

 

The Jim Melrose thing maybe something to do with Alan Young saying in his book that when Melrose scored,  10 celebrated together and one on his own.  I don't think he was everyones cup of tea.

 

Tommy English was a bit rubbish though. 

[Rob1742]

Jock Wallace was a huge high profile manager. To the point that when we were informed of his arrival nobody could believe it.

Trying to think of an actual comparison, and although the game has changed considerably now, it was of the level of someone like Wenger suddenly coming here.

Then when he arrived he delivered, both by bringing in players that would become legends and winning Division 2.

So poor old Gordon Milne had absolutely no chance when he followed him. He wasn't the charachter that Jock was and so whatever he did he would struggle to win the fans over.

Look at it nowadays, still some people slag off Pearson because he is not a charachter, yet he has given us some excellent seasons.

I personally supported Milne. He did what Jock couldn't and kept us up, but you could just feel it at the time that people looked back at Jocks time here.

Both did excellent jobs for us and I hope Milne enjoyed his time with us. I seem to remember an interview in The Fox where Milne put over his views of time with us. Well worth getting hold of as I am sure it mentioned about Melrose / English etc. That was an error at a time he could have done without it, but I also recall in reading the interview that Milne was very balanced and could accept and handle the mistakes and any issue I with the fans not accepting him like they did Jock.

Good old Gordon Milne, happy times.