Mike Doyle and Tony Book remembered
· Yahoo Sports
On the day we mark the 50th anniversary of City’s 1976 League Cup final triumph, members of that fabulous side have paid their own special tribute to the late, great Mike Doyle and Tony Book.
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Two of City’s enduring icons, Mike and Tony were captain and manager respectively of the City side that memorable Wembley afternoon which saw the Blues beat Newcastle United 2-1 to claim the famous trophy.
For Doyle, captaining his beloved City to Wembley glory marked one of the defining moments of a glittering career that saw him serve the Club with huge distinction over 13 years.
Not only a formidable leader and talisman of a succession of outstanding City sides, Doyle was also a superb central defender in his own right whose talent and astute reading of the game also saw him go on to win six caps with England.
City’s triumph, meanwhile, thanks to iconic goals from Peter Barnes and Dennis Tueart, meant Book created his own notable slice of English footballing history.
Victory that day ensured the man universally known and admired as Skip became the first individual to both captain and then manage a side to League Cup final glory, with Book having previously skippered City to success in the 1970 League Cup final.
Sadly, two of the true giants of Manchester City’s proud, illustrious history are no longer with us as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of that memorable triumph.
But for the men who served alongside the pair, Mike and Tony’s impact and vast contribution - both that day at Wembley as we overcame the Magpies and to City in general stands in perpetuity.
“Mike was massive for us at Wembley and for that team because he was a great leader, a great captain and he wanted people to win,” says Peter Barnes, scorer of City’s first goal that February afternoon.
“And he helped the young boys in that squad at the time like me, Ged Keegan and Kenny Clements so much.
“Mike was a wonderful player too who went on to play for England, and I consider myself so lucky to have come through when he was there along with such other great experienced professionals as Tommy Booth, Dave Watson and Alan Oakes.”
“The big thing about Mike was that he loved the club so much probably from the day he was born and he gave everything for the cause,” adds former Scottish international Willie Donachie who shone bright at left back that day.
“For me that’s how you lead by example.
“For Mike it wasn’t about telling me what to do or anything, he just led the way and was such a great example for everybody at the club.
“And that was Mike, he put his heart on his sleeve and gave everything for the club as Manchester City came first for him every single time.”
Few knew Doyle better than goalkeeper Joe Corrigan, another titan of that fabled ’76 side.
And for Big Joe, to captain City that day meant more than words can say.
“For me, you just have to look at Mike’s face when he was presented with the League Cup,” the former England international points out.
“I was the one stood behind him up on the Royal Box and he was just joyous.
“Mike was Mr. Manchester City. His blood was blue. He supported the Club all his life and he was both a great captain and a great player.
“Every game he played, you knew it was always for the club. He did everything for us and to the best of his ability, as every one of those lads did.”
“Mike was such a strong guy and great leader,” asserts Asa Hartford, a tigerish and inspirational Scottish midfield presence in that stellar City team.
“A proud Mancunian as well, so it meant everything to him. Good character, good player – just what you want in a captain.”
What happened to the Class of 1976?
The influence and impact of manager Tony Book proved equally profound.
Skip was also armed with the advantage of having played alongside many of that City squad before making the successful move into the dugout.
Respect and admiration are the universal words used to describe what he brought to and meant to the Class of ‘76.
“Everybody respected Tony enormously,” Willie Donachie says looking back.
“He was like a father figure to me when I first got into the team.
“Tony was a very strong man - one of the toughest players I’ve ever known - but very considerate and a very good player.
“As a manager Tony was also so good to me. Very, very clear, always supportive and positive. He could let you know if you weren’t doing well, but in a nice way.
“He was very good with people. He had a great career in the game, and I respected him so much.”
“Tony was fantastic. He was very honest and he led us out well and I think he was very proud to be manager that day,” is Peter Barnes’ verdict.
“He also protected us. When you are young lads coming through, it meant you would learn so much off him as well as off great players like Alan Oakes and Colin Bell.
“Tony was also such a steadying influence. He’d say, ‘Come on, go and play your game,’ and it would give us such confidence before we went out.”
“Tony had so many fantastic qualities - not least his man management skills,” adds Dennis Tueart, whose spectacular overhead kick sealed City’s triumph.
“And he had the ability to blend the team together so well because if you look at the side that day, we had an 18-year-old in Peter Barnes as well as Ged Keegan and Kenny Clements who were also very young and then guys in their late 20s and 30s. It was players right across the spectrum.
“Tony brought them all in and helped make us a formidable team.
“Winning the trophy was a real squad as so many guys contributed during our run and that was down to Tony.
“He found a way to really get the best out of people.”
“I think that whole day was the culmination of Tony Book really,” says Joe Corrigan.
“Booky had come in as a manager after Ron Saunders had gone in 1974 and he transformed the whole ethos in the dressing room. He got really, really good players in and he let players do what they wanted to do.
“Players positively reacted to Booky because he had been the club captain, he’d been the PFA Player of the Year, he’d won trophy after trophy with the club.
“And the word again that always comes out with Booky is respect. The total respect everybody in the club - not just the players - had for him.
“You can’t say enough about Booky or his dedication to Manchester City, not just as a player, but as a manager and a coach. Everything he did was with distinction and class and that day summed him up.”