Asa HARTFORD

Born on October 24th 1950 in Clydebank, Scotland, Asa Hartford became known as a dynamic, tough-tackling and accomplished midfielder during two playing spells with Manchester City. He had played against City for West Brom in a 2-1 League Cup final defeat in 1970, and suffered an early setback to his career the following year when a proposed move to Leeds United fell through due to a hole-in the-heart scare. In spite of this Hartford was signed from Albion by City manager Tony Book for £210, 000 in August 1974 and made his league debut in a 4-0 home defeat of West Ham in the opening game of the season, his first goal for the club coming four days later when he scored the decider in a 1-0 win over Spurs. Asa went on to make 30 appearances over the season, scoring once more in a 1-0 away win at Chelsea, as the Blues finished eighth in the table and were disappointingly knocked out in round three of both the FA and League Cups by Newcastle United and Manchester United.

The 1975/76 season turned out to be Hartford's most successful in his time at the club. Although finishing eighth in the league once again, and being knocked out of the FA Cup in round four by Stoke, City went on to reach the League Cup final at Wembley against Newcastle United, with Asa helping the Blues to a 2-1 win courtesy of goals from Peter Barnes and a spectacular overhead kick from Dennis Tueart. Hartford chipped in with two goals on the road to Wembley; once in a 4-2 quarter-final victory over Mansfield Town and, more memorably, in the crushing 4-0 victory over local rivals United in the previous round. In spite of the team's erratic form for most of the season, especially away from home, Hartford's consistency was shown by the fact that he had played in all but three of City's 53 league and cup games, notching an impressive dozen goals, with City gaining six wins from the seven league games in which Asa found the net. (David Redshaw)

Despite early-season losses to Aston Villa, in defence of the League Cup, and a 2-1 aggregate defeat by Juventus in the UEFA Cup, the 1976/77 season saw the Blues embark on a seventeen game unbeaten league and cup run from October until February. Unable to sustain this they eventually finished runners-up, just one point adrift of champions Liverpool, and a 1-0 fifth round FA Cup defeat at Leeds meant no silverware this time. Hartford was once again a model of consistency, only missing two league and cup games all season and scoring four goals, all in the league, as City enjoyed home wins against West Ham (4-2), Middlesbrough (1-0) and Spurs (a 5-0 thumping) and drew at Everton (1-1), and the next couple of years saw him become the main influence in the City side.

City opened the 1977/78 season in fine form and topped the table after recording five wins and three draws in their opening 8 fixtures, Asa chipping in with goals in a 4-0 home win over Norwich and a 1-1 draw at Everton. They went on to finish in a creditable fourth place, with Hartford orchestrating the play from the centre of midfield. Frustratingly they went out of the UEFA Cup in the first round to Poles Widzew Lodz, on the away goals rule, and suffered disappointment in League Cup and FA Cup with defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest respectively. Hartford had managed to miss only five games all season, due to suspensions, and had weighed in with four goals before heading off to Argentina with Scotland for their ill-fated 1978 World Cup Finals.

The following season proved disastrous for the Blues as they slipped to a fifteenth place league finish, thanks in the main to a disastrous 13 match run without a win between October and January, and were on the receiving end of a 2-0 giant-killing defeat at lowly Shrewsbury in the FA Cup. Although they had a good UEFA CUP run, beating the mighty AC Milan in round three, they were beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Borussia Monchengladbach in the quarter-finals. The writing was now on the wall for several experienced players, including Hartford, despite the fact that he had just been voted the club's player of the year.

Ex-City boss Malcolm Allison had been appointed as 'coaching overlord' in January 1979 and subsequently replaced Tony Book as manager in July of the same year. He then decided to have an immediate clearout and Hartford was sold to European Champions Nottingham Forest for £500, 000, only to be off-loaded to Everton after just three games for £400, 000. (David Redshaw)

After his five-year spell at City during the seventies the ever-popular Asa Hartford was brought back to Maine Road by manager John Bond in October 1981. He was signed from Everton for a fee of £350, 000, a move which pleased the fans as he was still only 31 years of age and brought a touch of creativity to the midfield.

His first game back was a first leg League Cup tie against Stoke City, where he netted in a 2-0 win, and three days later he was pitched into the Manchester derby with United which ended in a disappointing 0-0 stalemate. Asa's first league goal since his return came against Liverpool at Anfield on Boxing Day, a memorable 3-1 scoreline earning the Blues their first victory there in 28 years. Two days later he was on target again along with Trevor Francis in a 2-1 home defeat of Wolves which moved City to the top of the table. Hopes were high of a title challenge but it was not to be as only five more games up until the end of the season ended in victory, the club slipping to an eventual 10th place finish. In the FA Cup, where City had reached the final the previous season, a 3-1 win over Cardiff was followed up by a 3-1 loss to Coventry City in a game that saw Hartford sent off, and a 1-0 defeat at Barnsley put paid to any League Cup aspirations. He had made 36 league and cup appearances during the season, scoring 4 goals, and in the summer represented Scotland at the 1982 World Cup in Spain, where he earned his 50th and final international cap in a 4-1 defeat to Brazil in Seville.

Consecutive league victories over Norwich, Stoke and Watford at the start of the 1982/83 season put City at the top of the table, but some poor results saw them in mid-table by the turn of the year. Hartford had been the team's most consistent performer, only missing two games through suspension, but the season was to get gradually worse. Progress in the Milk Cup (the old League Cup) had been halted with a 4-0 defeat at Southampton in November, and when they were on the end of a similar scoreline in the FA Cup at Brighton in January it prompted the resignation of manager Bond, who was replaced by his assistant John Benson. Only 3 of the next 16 league games were won before the final match of the season against Luton at Maine Road. Needing only a draw to stay up City were beaten 1-0 and relegated to the Second Division. Asa had made 45 league and cup appearances during the ill-fated season, scoring 4 goals.

Almost immediately Billy McNeill was brought in to replace the sacked Benson. Although Hartford was chosen for the first two games of the season he only made another five appearances, his final outing for the club coming in a 5-1 reverse at Fulham on March 17th 1984, and he eventually left the club two months later in May for Fort Lauderdale in the USA. During his two spells with City he made a total of 321 appearances (including one as substitute) and scored 36 goals, also winning 36 of his 50 Scotland caps while at Maine Road.

Asa later returned to England with Norwich City, scoring the winner in the 1985 League Cup final. After that he had playing stints with Bolton and Oldham before taking up coaching/managerial roles with Stockport County, Shrewsbury Town and Boston United. He also worked at Blackburn and Stoke before returning to Maine Road in July 1995 as assistant to Alan Ball, even taking over as caretaker-manager for six weeks when Ball resigned a year later. (David Redshaw)