A question for older Blades

[pommpey]

When Jimmy Squirrel was appointed he had an excellent cv & seemed like a good match. Another failure.

Jimmy Sirrell, you say?



pommpey

 

[oldblade]

Maybe I was thinking too much about Sheffield United!
After John Harris no-one seemed to last long except Warnock.

Bassett?

 

[The Bear]

At the time, yes, even if only because that was 'the way things were done' back then.
The idea of sticking with someone through adversity is (imo) a relatively modern concept.
Not that it helped us at all - but weren't the whole team ageing by the time Furphy came in?

Ugh? Thought it was the other way round.
We stuck with John Harris for yonks, a promtion, a relegation (though one might argue Rowley was in charge) and a promotion. Great manager for his flair of the the teams he managed. Oh for guys like that now. Sob, sob.

Thought Warnock's teams the better fighters with Bassett's and Chris's close second.

Flair side JH your man.

 

[oldblade]

We were always a selling club, weren't we?

We get up to Div One and have a fairly decent, competitive side which contains robust (if ageing in places) talent. We buy low, sell low, invest in the stadium and fall away alarmingly and act surprised when we jettison people like Geoff Salmons and Tony Currie and acquire frankly substandard supplements over that period like Keith Eddy, Tony Field, Jim Bone and Chris Guthrie to swap out age and drop in form for youth and potential. History repeats itself with our failures. Over the past ten to twenty years, our progress has been hampered by flogging decent players when we thought we had them for good, Brown, Jagielka #1, Tonge, Murphy, Brooks to name but a few. We've never had consistency and built consistency upon it. Ken Furphy was a victim of that as much as Clough, Adkins and Warnock. I just hope Wilder doesn't get that same series of events.

pommpey

The only issue I would take with you is that I don't think Eddy was substandard. Far from it . He was a very good player and IMHO an important contributor to our successful 1974-5 season.

 

[benn5712]

Anyone following Sir Alex Ferguson didn't have a chance.

Most following John Harris also had an unenviable job - obviously not on the scale of Sir Alex, but Harris was a tough nut to follow.

As someone mentioned above, the South Stand build caused us horrendous problems due to the type of contract it was. Now a days it generally is design and build at a known cost, which contractors generally have to adhere to (Wembley being a prime example). In those days it wasn't as such and we got stung by the build.

A sad decline that led to the 80's brand of football, that some of us witnessed............and some of you think this years is bad !

Ken Furphy didn't stand a chance with the situation. Jimmy Sirrel should/could have worked soon afterwards, so should Harry Haslam which failed too. Bad times, really really bad times.

UTB

Sralex was interviewed for Blades job.
Harris. One of a kind. Blades legend.
Hassall of Hassall homes had some input in the South stand.
I apologise unreservedly for being a cack handed nobody, unable to create the personal wealth to buy the mighty Blades and rock this world.

 

[oldblade]

I can't remember many occasions when replacing our manager mid season when we've been struggling has resulted in us avoiding relegation.

Replacing Furphy didn't work.

Nor did replacing Haslam in 1981 (albeit Haslam wasn't sacked).

Even the appointment of Bassett after McEwan's resignation didn't save us, although it did pay off longer term!

The only mid season appointment that I can think of that did work was Warnock.

Edit - and of course Kendall.

 

[Blade1959]

I can't remember many occasions when replacing our manager mid season when we've been struggling has resulted in us avoiding relegation.

Replacing Furphy didn't work.

Nor did replacing Haslam in 1981 (albeit Haslam wasn't sacked).

Even the appointment of Bassett after McEwan's resignation didn't save us, although it did pay off longer term!

The only mid season appointment that I can think of that did work was Warnock.

Kendall for Bassett

 

[Blade1959]

Kendall for Bassett & Clough for Weir

 

[Lane Ender]

The only issue I would take with you is that I don't think Eddy was substandard. Far from it . He was a very good player and IMHO an important contributor to our successful 1974-5 season.

Eddy was sound

 

[Lane Ender]

Anyone following Sir Alex Ferguson didn't have a chance.

Most following John Harris also had an unenviable job - obviously not on the scale of Sir Alex, but Harris was a tough nut to follow.

As someone mentioned above, the South Stand build caused us horrendous problems due to the type of contract it was. Now a days it generally is design and build at a known cost, which contractors generally have to adhere to (Wembley being a prime example). In those days it wasn't as such and we got stung by the build.

A sad decline that led to the 80's brand of football, that some of us witnessed............and some of you think this years is bad !

Ken Furphy didn't stand a chance with the situation. Jimmy Sirrel should/could have worked soon afterwards, so should Harry Haslam which failed too. Bad times, really really bad times.

UTB

But the craic was good

 

[Silent Blade]

In particular the ones who say Wilder is God and Sir Chris etc.

Was it right at the time to sack Ken Furphy?

Difficult question to answer. Think the decision to build the South Stand was made at the wrong time. It was thought in 1972 that the South Stand would cost £650,000 and it would take a year to build and that itr would be ready for the 1974-75 season.

Then there were problems in getting the stand built within the timescale and the costs had risen to a lot more than £650,000. The board wasnt expecting the average crowds to drop by 10,000 (33,000 in 1971-72 and 23,000 in 1972-73). In summer 1973 the board offered a contract to TC with the promise to sign players to build a team round him and TC was happy to sign the contract despite that Man U were trying to sign him. I would say that the Blades fans were still happy with John Harris being our manager and it was a surprise that the board decided to move him "upstairs" in December and appoint a "track suit" manager in Ken Furphy. I was only 11 at the time and wanted to know my dad's thoughts on this rather than forming my own opinion. He seemed ok with the decision as we moved into a new era but I noticed throughout the 1973-74 season that the builders were very slow in getting the South Stand ready. I think in the last home game of the 1973-74 season (v QPR- same day as Wendy lost 8-0 at Boro) I was still expecting the stand to be ready for August 1974. I think most fans were ok about Furphy (apart from some booing Keith Eddy who took the penalty in the 2-2 home draw against Spurs because Woodward was expected to take it).

It was a shock when we sold Geoff Salmons to Stoke for £180,000 in summer 1974 (TC was angry with the sale because of the board's promise to him in the previous summer). The board told the media that we had to accept Stoke's offer because of the rising debts in building the South Stand. Not Furphy's fault but the fans werent really happy with Furphy's signings (apart from Jim Brown who was decent). It was a surprise that the team finished as high as 6th for the 1974-75 season so we all were looking forward to the 1975-76 season. Furphy wanted to sign Francis Lee from Derby but the board said "No". Furphy then made an offer to Southend for Chris Guthrie but it was rejected by the board. Our chairman, John Hassall, then agreed to pay Southend the asking price despite that Furphy thought it was above valuation.

Results didnt come to our way in the first 11 games of the 1975-76 season and Furphy was sacked. I was in my 3rd year at my boarding school and didnt really know what I really thought of the sacking when I found out in the papers in the next morning. By coincidence that morning my dad had driven down a pupil from Chesterfield (think she had been attending her grandmother's or grandfather's funeral in the previous day and her parents paid the travel costs to my dad) to my school and I had bumped to him near the school entrance with him holding a newspaper wanting to see if I knew about the sacking. I told him that I did but wondered what he thought of it. He said that it was a good decision and he was now more confident of us beating the drop!

Now to answer your question "was it the right decision?". I thought Furphy was unlucky in some ways but at the same time we needed someone to stop the rot but Jimmy Sirrel wasnt the ideal replacement despite that my dad thought at the time that he was a good appointment!

 

[ancientblade]

The only issue I would take with you is that I don't think Eddy was substandard. Far from it . He was a very good player and IMHO an important contributor to our successful 1974-5 season.

keith eddy was very underated kept things ticking over in midfield and left the fancy stuff to tc the last 4 months of that 74-75 season we were practically unbeatable and very close in quality to the 70-72 team

 

[Sutty]

Eddy was sound

I do remember being at the match when furphy asked all fans not to swear over the tannoy

 

[Silent Blade]

We were always a selling club, weren't we?

We get up to Div One and have a fairly decent, competitive side which contains robust (if ageing in places) talent. We buy low, sell low, invest in the stadium and fall away alarmingly and act surprised when we jettison people like Geoff Salmons and Tony Currie and acquire frankly substandard supplements over that period like Keith Eddy, Tony Field, Jim Bone and Chris Guthrie to swap out age and drop in form for youth and potential.

pommpey

Harris, not Furphy, signed Eddy and Bone.

 

[ancientblade]

Difficult question to answer. Think the decision to build the South Stand was made at the wrong time. It was thought in 1972 that the South Stand would cost £650,000 and it would take a year to build and that itr would be ready for the 1974-75 season.
View attachment 107421
Then there were problems in getting the stand built within the timescale and the costs had risen to a lot more than £650,000. The board wasnt expecting the average crowds to drop by 10,000 (33,000 in 1971-72 and 23,000 in 1972-73). In summer 1973 the board offered a contract to TC with the promise to sign players to build a team round him and TC was happy to sign the contract despite that Man U were trying to sign him. I would say that the Blades fans were still happy with John Harris being our manager and it was a surprise that the board decided to move him "upstairs" in December and appoint a "track suit" manager in Ken Furphy. I was only 11 at the time and wanted to know my dad's thoughts on this rather than forming my own opinion. He seemed ok with the decision as we moved into a new era but I noticed throughout the 1973-74 season that the builders were very slow in getting the South Stand ready. I think in the last home game of the 1973-74 season (v QPR- same day as Wendy lost 8-0 at Boro) I was still expecting the stand to be ready for August 1974. I think most fans were ok about Furphy (apart from some booing Keith Eddy who took the penalty in the 2-2 home draw against Spurs because Woodward was expected to take it).

It was a shock when we sold Geoff Salmons to Stoke for £180,000 in summer 1974 (TC was angry with the sale because of the board's promise to him in the previous summer). The board told the media that we had to accept Stoke's offer because of the rising debts in building the South Stand. Not Furphy's fault but the fans werent really happy with Furphy's signings (apart from Jim Brown who was decent). It was a surprise that the team finished as high as 6th for the 1974-75 season so we all were looking forward to the 1975-76 season. Furphy wanted to sign Francis Lee from Derby but the board said "No". Furphy then made an offer to Southend for Chris Guthrie but it was rejected by the board. Our chairman, John Hassall, then agreed to pay Southend the asking price despite that Furphy thought it was above valuation.

Results didnt come to our way in the first 11 games of the 1975-76 season and Furphy was sacked. I was in my 3rd year at my boarding school and didnt really know what I really thought of the sacking when I found out in the papers in the next morning. By coincidence that morning my dad had driven down a pupil from Chesterfield (think she had been attending her grandmother's or grandfather's funeral in the previous day and her parents paid the travel costs to my dad) to my school and I had bumped to him near the school entrance with him holding a newspaper wanting to see if I knew about the sacking. I told him that I did but wondered what he thought of it. He said that it was a good decision and he was now more confident of us beating the drop!

Now to answer your question "was it the right decision?". I thought Furphy was unlucky in some ways but at the same time we needed someone to stop the rot but Jimmy Sirrel wasnt the ideal replacement despite that my dad thought at the time that he was a good appointment!

that decision to sell geoff salmons cost us a european spot great winger and dribbler with fantastic pace yet another decision by a united board that cost us big time

 

[Sportbilly /Detroit Blade]

The South Stand always seemed old to me, i guess when it was built it was state of the Art?!

 

[benn5712]

Difficult question to answer. Think the decision to build the South Stand was made at the wrong time. It was thought in 1972 that the South Stand would cost £650,000 and it would take a year to build and that itr would be ready for the 1974-75 season.
View attachment 107421
Then there were problems in getting the stand built within the timescale and the costs had risen to a lot more than £650,000. The board wasnt expecting the average crowds to drop by 10,000 (33,000 in 1971-72 and 23,000 in 1972-73). In summer 1973 the board offered a contract to TC with the promise to sign players to build a team round him and TC was happy to sign the contract despite that Man U were trying to sign him. I would say that the Blades fans were still happy with John Harris being our manager and it was a surprise that the board decided to move him "upstairs" in December and appoint a "track suit" manager in Ken Furphy. I was only 11 at the time and wanted to know my dad's thoughts on this rather than forming my own opinion. He seemed ok with the decision as we moved into a new era but I noticed throughout the 1973-74 season that the builders were very slow in getting the South Stand ready. I think in the last home game of the 1973-74 season (v QPR- same day as Wendy lost 8-0 at Boro) I was still expecting the stand to be ready for August 1974. I think most fans were ok about Furphy (apart from some booing Keith Eddy who took the penalty in the 2-2 home draw against Spurs because Woodward was expected to take it).

It was a shock when we sold Geoff Salmons to Stoke for £180,000 in summer 1974 (TC was angry with the sale because of the board's promise to him in the previous summer). The board told the media that we had to accept Stoke's offer because of the rising debts in building the South Stand. Not Furphy's fault but the fans werent really happy with Furphy's signings (apart from Jim Brown who was decent). It was a surprise that the team finished as high as 6th for the 1974-75 season so we all were looking forward to the 1975-76 season. Furphy wanted to sign Francis Lee from Derby but the board said "No". Furphy then made an offer to Southend for Chris Guthrie but it was rejected by the board. Our chairman, John Hassall, then agreed to pay Southend the asking price despite that Furphy thought it was above valuation.

Results didnt come to our way in the first 11 games of the 1975-76 season and Furphy was sacked. I was in my 3rd year at my boarding school and didnt really know what I really thought of the sacking when I found out in the papers in the next morning. By coincidence that morning my dad had driven down a pupil from Chesterfield (think she had been attending her grandmother's or grandfather's funeral in the previous day and her parents paid the travel costs to my dad) to my school and I had bumped to him near the school entrance with him holding a newspaper wanting to see if I knew about the sacking. I told him that I did but wondered what he thought of it. He said that it was a good decision and he was now more confident of us beating the drop!

Now to answer your question "was it the right decision?". I thought Furphy was unlucky in some ways but at the same time we needed someone to stop the rot but Jimmy Sirrel wasnt the ideal replacement despite that my dad thought at the time that he was a good appointment!

If I remember Silent, John Harris wanted to retire or take a general managers role. Hence Rowley and JH returning. Furphy didn't get the backing required to improve us.
When was it we could have bought Alan Hansen for 60k but the board wouldn't guarantee the loan ?

 

[pommpey]

The only issue I would take with you is that I don't think Eddy was substandard. Far from it . He was a very good player and IMHO an important contributor to our successful 1974-5 season.

He was 'okay' in a manner that Coutts was 'okay' for a while. Of course, everything was based on the 2-3-5 system back then but he didn't switch the midfield on much for me. I saw him stick a penalty or two away at BDTBL back in the day and he was good at that.

pommpey

 

[pommpey]

that decision to sell geoff salmons cost us a european spot great winger and dribbler with fantastic pace yet another decision by a united board that cost us big time

I'm still lost as to why he went. What an 'inside left' he was. Fast as fuck, skilful, athletic, built like a brick shithouse.

He was {(undeservedly and unfortunately) in TCs shadow for too long with us

pommpey

 

[oldblade]

He was 'okay' in a manner that Coutts was 'okay' for a while. Of course, everything was based on the 2-3-5 system back then but he didn't switch the midfield on much for me. I saw him stick a penalty or two away at BDTBL back in the day and he was good at that.

pommpey

Oh well, we'll just have to differ on this one!

 

[Silent Blade]

If I remember Silent, John Harris wanted to retire or take a general managers role. Hence Rowley and JH returning. Furphy didn't get the backing required to improve us.
When was it we could have bought Alan Hansen for 60k but the board wouldn't guarantee the loan ?

Sirrel tried to sign Hansen and Wallace

 

[Blade1959]

If I remember Silent, John Harris wanted to retire or take a general managers role. Hence Rowley and JH returning. Furphy didn't get the backing required to improve us.
When was it we could have bought Alan Hansen for 60k but the board wouldn't guarantee the loan ?

That was when Sirrel was manager, he wanted Ian Wallace as well but he ended up at Coventry & then moved to Forest for over a million

 

[Blade1959]

Sirrel tried to sign Hansen and Wallace

Just beat me to it

 

[Pedro Verde]

He was 'okay' in a manner that Coutts was 'okay' for a while. Of course, everything was based on the 2-3-5 system back then but he didn't switch the midfield on much for me. I saw him stick a penalty or two away at BDTBL back in the day and he was good at that.

pommpey

Eddy was more than OK he was a good player one of the ex Watford players we signed IIRC
We did sign some crap though Terry Garbett and David Bradford (he did have half a good season) come to mind
both from Blackburn from what I can remember

 

[bypassblade]

Absolutely NOT. It’s OK changing manager if you have something better lined up, but sacking Furphy for Sirrel!

Our problems were not the manager - a bad workman blames his tools. We were broke, with debt from the Albatross stand and an ageing squad. The only manager to rescue us would have to have been a wizard, not a Scottish troll.

75/76 was worse than this season and the club was in an infinitely worse place.

Good response I think we took a punt on Sirrel as he'd done well at Notts County, and was used to working with brass tacks. As I say we had a board more intent on having a nice ground as opposed to a decent team, and their short-sightedness cost us big style ending up un division 4. The galling thing about relegation from 3rd division was we didn't enter bottom 4 till the last game of the season, and had a plus 3 GD.

 

[ancientblade]

He was 'okay' in a manner that Coutts was 'okay' for a while. Of course, everything was based on the 2-3-5 system back then but he didn't switch the midfield on much for me. I saw him stick a penalty or two away at BDTBL back in the day and he was good at that.

pommpey

bit harsh that pommpey yes he had a laid back languid style but he was a very good player thought we played more of a 4-2-4 formation in those days

 

[Aston max]

2 players always stick in my mind from that era who never get enough accolades were hemsley and badger

 

[alcoblade]

It’s not going to stop now. If we’re not top two next season, it will still go on. If we get promoted it will be “he couldn’t keep us up last time, now’s the time to make a change”. If he keeps us up it’ll be “second season syndrome, we don’t want that again, let’s get rid”. If we still stay up it’ll be “he’s taken us as far as he can”.

Agreed - when referring to the bedwetters that this type of media has lifted their social standing off the carpet.

In reality, when you hold discussions outside social media, you get a much more supportive viewpoint.

 

[themaninblack]

Jimmy Sirrell, you say?

View attachment 107420

pommpey

Aye. That’s the fella we bet the farm on...

 

[ZLB]

In particular the ones who say Wilder is God and Sir Chris etc.

Was it right at the time to sack Ken Furphy?

Hi SLB

ZLB here.

It was wrong to sack Furphy. We needed to build the team with more quality and we didn’t. Sirrel made it worse. And the talented youngsters were sold.