Post by Bluemoon on Sept 28, 2012 18:55:03 GMT 1
John Bond
1932-2012
1932-2012
Manchester City FC are deeply saddened to hear the news that former manager John Bond has passed away at the age of 79.
John managed the club for three years, between 1980 and 1983 and oversaw the memorable run to the 1981 FA Cup final.
Before Roberto Mancini in 2011, Bond was the last manager to lead the Blues to a Wembley the FA Cup final, only going down in the replay courtesy of Ricky Villa's famous goal.
Mike Summerbee recalls a "lovely man" who leaves behind a real legacy in the game.
"I knew John from when I was 16 years old. I played for Swindon against him when he was at West Ham. We had some wonderful times off the field," said Summerbee.
"He was such a lovely man and it's a very sad day. He was a football man. He knew the game inside out. As a person outside of football, he was a wonderful man."
...Mike Summerbee
"You could talk forever about his contribution to the game of football because he was so dedicated to the game and he loved the game so very much."
He took over from Malcolm Allison on 17 October 1980 and led City to a 12th place finish having inherited a side anchored to the foot of the table and seemingly headed for relegation.
Within a few days he signed Scottish trio Tommy Hutchinson, Bobby McDonald and Gerry Gow who helped transform the Blues into a completely different side who rapidly climbed the table, reached the semi-final of the League Cup and the Centenary FA Cup final.
It was nothing short of a sensational campaign and the Blues also finished in twelfth in Division One, playing the sort of football the supporters demanded.
Gerry Gow gave his memories of his old boss.
“I’d been at Bristol City since I was a 17-year-old and it was down to John that I got the chance to go to City and to play in an FA Cup final, something I never thought I would get the chance to do," Gow remembers.
"He was the reason I joined. During the discussions before I moved I thought, because I was joining a big club, I’d shoot for the moon. Afterwards he said I’d done the same as the other lads and undersold myself and he bumped the money up."
...Gerry Gow
Former keeper Joe Corrigan thinks Bond's abilities as a coach will see him remembered for years to come.
“He was a great, great coach,” said Corrigan. “He was a really good motivator. At the time he took over, the team really was in a sad situation. He came in, brought a breath of fresh air into the club, introduced three top-class players into a youngish squad and we went on from there.
“After John took over we didn’t lose that many games and we had one of the best records from when John took over to the end of the season of anybody in the country.
“He was a great character and he had a really great sense of humour.
