Should We............

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

Have made Cec Coldwell as First Team manager instead of appointing Harry Haslam in January 1978?

 

[Grappler]

Let me ponder on that a while lad

 

[blade too long]

Frank Spencer would have done better

 

[Tyler Durden]

Dunno, depends if he would've taken us to a cup-semi and a 5th place 3rd division play-off position.

That's the benchmark for success apparently.

 

[bornablade]

Should always keep the title of 'Caretaker Manager'. So many do well and then as soon as they are given the job full time it all goes pear shaped.

 

[Silent Blade]

Have made Cec Coldwell as First Team manager instead of appointing Harry Haslam in January 1978?

Dont think he thought much of Edwards, surprised he didnt sign Salmons who came to us on loan under Sirrel (Leicester signed him for only £45K). He signed Andy Keeley who wasnt a good player. Dont think he had a good eye for signings.

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

Dont think he thought much of Edwards, surprised he didnt sign Salmons who came to us on loan under Sirrel (Leicester signed him for only £45K). He signed Andy Keeley who wasnt a good player. Dont think he had a good eye for signings.

Was looking at the managerial records from Day One.
Didn't realise Cec had taken charge for twenty matches before Happy Harry arrived, a decent record too.
Did HH bring Danny Bergara in immediately or was Cec still there too? Reserve team coach?

 

[Jostein's Bandage]

Who sold Keith Edwards? Just before my time. He did play for us before Hull City, right?

 

[Lane Ender]

I remember Sunderland away when Ces was caretaker.
Lost 5-0 and got kicked to fuck.

 

[zablade]

Should we have kept the cricket pitch?

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

Who sold Keith Edwards? Just before my time. He did play for us before Hull City, right?

99% sure it was Harry Haslam, it was Ian Porterfield who then re-signed him after the 0-1 defeat at Stockport County (1981).

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

Should we have kept the cricket pitch?

Replaced with The South Stand.
The start of the downfall?
From European contenders to relegated by March the next.

 

[Willie Carlin]

Have made Cec Coldwell as First Team manager instead of appointing Harry Haslam in January 1978?

Yes we should have. Had a good record in his caretaker role. Haslams appointment was the start of our downfall

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

99% sure it was Harry Haslam, it was Ian Porterfield who then re-signed him after the 0-1 defeat at Stockport County (1981).

Haslam did sell Edwards, followed by Stainrod, Varadi, Hamson, Benjiman. All excellent young players who he replaced with absolute aged rubbish, where upon we went from a mid table Division 2 team (who probably could have done well with 2 or 3 decent signings to bring the young u'ns on) to a team that was at the gates of Division 4 and a club on its knees. He also dispensed with a number of steady Eddies and other younger players who would have at the very least kept us in Div 2.

The Haslam era should serve as a stark reminder of where sticking with the wrong pony can lead a club, and on this season's showing there's many similarities between Adkins' lot and Sloppy Harrys'.

As for the OP I think old Cec was well set for the job (taking the team from bottom 3 to top 6) then lost his final 3 games by 5 goals to speed up the board's decision to bring in Haslam. They kept Cec on as a coach to well into the Porterfield regime.

 

[Silent Blade]

Was looking at the managerial records from Day One.
Didn't realise Cec had taken charge for twenty matches before Happy Harry arrived, a decent record too.
Did HH bring Danny Bergara in immediately or was Cec still there too? Reserve team coach?

Yes, Cec stayed at the Lane as coach until 1982-83. Haslam brought over Bergara (immediately) and Arce(in the summer) to the Lane, He wanted David Pleat too but Pleat decided to become Luton's manager. Cec's last three matches as manager were 0-5, 1-5 and 1-5 defeats

 

[Silent Blade]

I remember Sunderland away when Ces was caretaker.
Lost 5-0 and got kicked to fuck.

5-1, Bobby Campbell scored

 

[Silent Blade]

Yes we should have. Had a good record in his caretaker role.

Terrible in his last month

 

[mosbolad]

Have made Cec Coldwell as First Team manager instead of appointing Harry Haslam in January 1978?

'Cec Coldwell, Danny Bergara, bippiety boppety boo, put em together and what do you get?.....'

A terrace song that doesn't quite work....

 

[Silent Blade]

Haslam did sell Edwards, followed by Stainrod, Varadi, Hamson, Benjiman. .

Thouught we got very good money for Benjamin (£180,000)

 

[Lane Ender]

5-1, Bobby Campbell scored

Yes you're right Silent.
Bobby Campbell that's one from the past.

 

[boo radley]

'Cec Coldwell, Danny Bergara, bippiety boppety boo, put em together and what do you get?.....'

A terrace song that doesn't quite work....

I would've rather had the song not work but the team did. I could not quite believe how we fell so starkly in those years.

 

[bornablade]

Yes, Cec stayed at the Lane as coach until 1982-83. Haslam brought over Bergara (immediately) and Arce(in the summer) to the Lane, He wanted David Pleat too but Pleat decided to become Luton's manager. Cec's last three matches as manager were 0-5, 1-5 and 1-5 defeats

I remember after those three defeats some comedian on television saying

'I see Sheffield United have got a new telephone number 505151.'

Suppose nowadays we'd be pleased to get such national recognition.

 

[Revolution]

Haslam did sell Edwards, followed by Stainrod, Varadi, Hamson, Benjiman. All excellent young players who he replaced with absolute aged rubbish, where upon we went from a mid table Division 2 team (who probably could have done well with 2 or 3 decent signings to bring the young u'ns on) to a team that was at the gates of Division 4 and a club on its knees. He also dispensed with a number of steady Eddies and other younger players who would have at the very least kept us in Div 2.

The Haslam era should serve as a stark reminder of where sticking with the wrong pony can lead a club, and on this season's showing there's many similarities between Adkins' lot and Sloppy Harrys'.

As for the OP I think old Cec was well set for the job (taking the team from bottom 3 to top 6) then lost his final 3 games by 5 goals to speed up the board's decision to bring in Haslam. They kept Cec on as a coach to well into the Porterfield regime.

I have posted this before, but as it's topical...in 1978 and 1979 United had 5 promising young forwards. Haslam sold them all and and by and large replaced them with crap, which was a key reason we went down in 1979. Here are the 5 players and the number of league goals they scored after we sold them:

Simon Stainrod: 130 goals
Bobby Campbell: 158 goals
Keith Edwards: 227 goals (luckily, 114 were for us, after we re-signed him)
Imre Varadi - 147 goals
Ian Benjamin - 124 goals

That is absolutely staggering incompetence. And that's just the forwards.

I know there's stiff competition from the likes of McCabe and David Weir, but there's a strong argument that Haslam did more single handed damage to United than anyone else in the history of the club.

 

[Finn Keane o' Balmaqueen]

I remember after those three defeats some comedian on television saying

'I see Sheffield United have got a new telephone number 505151.'

Suppose nowadays we'd be pleased to get such national recognition.

What's Jim Brown's favourite cigarettes?

Three Fives!

Another one I recall.

Those fives, Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland ?

Arsenal - FA Cup Finalists. Shock defeat to Ipswich Town
Bolton Wanderers - Div2 Champions
Sunderland - 6th - Div2 (We actually won more games than Sunderland, but had six more defeats)

We finished 12th, level with Burnley (11th) on 40pts.

Blackpool (37) Mansfield Town (31) Hull City (28) were relegated.

I know there's stiff competition from the likes of McCabe and David Weir, but there's a strong argument that Haslam did more single handed damage to United than anyone else in the history of the club.

Hindsight. Should have kept faith in Cec Coldwell or not have appointed Harry Haslam?

We all know what happened the next season...

 

[Jostein's Bandage]

Adkins is indeed showing similar 'qualities' in ditching all the youngsters and signing old farts. As much as i'd like to believe his line of signing fast young hungry players, where is the evidence?

 

[I should coco]

Adkins is indeed showing similar 'qualities' in ditching all the youngsters and signing old farts.

Yes, he's a very bad man.

The way he has 'ditched' Adams, Whiteman, Reed and Calvert Lewis this season is shocking.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

What's Jim Brown's favourite cigarettes?

Three Fives!

Another one I recall.

Those fives, Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland ?

Arsenal - FA Cup Finalists. Shock defeat to Ipswich Town
Bolton Wanderers - Div2 Champions
Sunderland - 6th - Div2 (We actually won more games than Sunderland, but had six more defeats)

We finished 12th, level with Burnley (11th) on 40pts.

Blackpool (37) Mansfield Town (31) Hull City (28) were relegated.



Hindsight. Should have kept faith in Cec Coldwell or not have appointed Harry Haslam?

We all know what happened the next season...

LYDON,

Was it Jim Brown . I thought it was John Hope . That was his new phone number with the star comic caption also saying he was Hopeless.

UTB

 

[Silent Blade]

What's Jim Brown's favourite cigarettes?

Three Fives!

Another one I recall.

Those fives, Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland ?

Arsenal - FA Cup Finalists. Shock defeat to Ipswich Town
Bolton Wanderers - Div2 Champions
Sunderland - 6th - Div2 (We actually won more games than Sunderland, but had six more defeats)

We finished 12th, level with Burnley (11th) on 40pts.

Blackpool (37) Mansfield Town (31) Hull City (28) were relegated.



Hindsight. Should have kept faith in Cec Coldwell or not have appointed Harry Haslam?

We all know what happened the next season...

Appointing Harry Haslam seemed to be a good appointment at the time. He did well at Luton

 

[BushBlade]

Appointing Harry Haslam seemed to be a good appointment at the time. He did well at Luton

Not that well. Got them promoted, then relegated and subsequent stagnation. I thought he was more of an Aidy Boothroyd type one season wonder.

 

[Karaoke Blade]

LYDON,

Was it Jim Brown . I thought it was John Hope . That was his new phone number with the star comic caption also saying he was Hopeless.

UTB

There was a home defeat to Arsenal 0-5 in 1972. Think this was the one where John Hope let the ball through his legs for one. By this time , his confidence seemed to have disappeared and was replaced by Tom McAlister later in the season.

Jim Brown played in the 0-5 FA Cup defeat at home to Arsenal and consecutive 5-1 defeats against Bolton and Sunderland in 1978. He kept his place in the team until the end of the season, but was replaced by Steve Conroy the following season.