James Lawton

Forever Boys – An ode of Love to a team of heroes.

Back in 1963 James Lawton was 19 years old and starting out his career as a sports reporter at the Daily Telegraph, before going on to work at the Daily Express and The Independent, as well as writing numerous books on football. In 1965 an odd couple arrived at Maine Road, Manchester, the well thought of Joe Mercer and his new assistant, loud mouth and the extravert Malcolm Allison to take on a sleeping giant. This book is an ode of love to a team of players that sparkled in the league and won it, the FA cup, and became the first English club to win a domestic trophy and a European trophy in the same season.

Like James Lawton this team, were the team of my father’s generation, I met all these heroes, unfortunately as was still in the pram, having my cheek squeezed by the famous trio of Bell, Lee and Summerbee. My dad laughing with Joe Mercer and big Mal at the training ground, Park Road, Cheadle. Everything was rosy in City’s garden, the future looked bright, and nobody told them or the fans they would have to wait another 44 years until City could once again return to the spotlight for the right reasons.

Forever Boys came about after the sad demise and death of Malcolm Allison, when James Lawton was talking to former players at the funeral, which became a celebration of the man, his love of life and the building of City’s great team. James Lawton has reinterviewed the stars of that era in making this book asking about their time at the club.

Colin Bell (my dad’s all time hero) also talks about Mike Doyle and Big Mal, how they were a match that was made in heaven, in that they expected the best at all times. We also read about their sad demise in later life along with other players of the time. We learn that Harry Dowd, like Allison spent his final years suffering with dementia, how Ken Mulheran is starting to suffer with the early stages of Parkinson’s’ Disease. Not forgetting those of the glorious era who have now passed over, they may be gone but certainly not forgotten.

Whether it is talking to the Cheshire footballing cousins of Alan Oakes and Glyn Pardoe, who like their time on the pitch, are still very comfortable together and seem to know what each other are thinking. Some things do not change! We also the disgraceful way in which Tommy Booth is dealt with at the end of his career with City, in a way just another example of the 80s under Swales who failed.

Forever Boys: The Days of Citizens and Heroes is a wonderful book on football from the late 1960s and the team of that era, Manchester City. In the 44 years between City’s last league title in 1968 and when they had the Ageuro moment in 2012, life has gone on we have gotten older, players and fans from the era have now passed. That does not mean we should forget and this is a brilliant book which not only City fans will love, but those who say they have no history should read too.… (más)