Steve DALEY

With more than 200 appearances in an eight-year spell with Wolves as well as being capped for England at both Youth and 'B' level, Steve Daley was a vastly experienced midfielder when he joined the Blues on September 5th, 1979. There was no doubting either his stamina levels or skill with the ball. What shocked many though was the sheer size of his transfer fee: the small matter of £1, 437, 500. Football tongues up and down the country were sent into a wagging frenzy as Daley became the club's first million-pound player. With such a huge price tag hanging round his neck, it was perhaps not too surprising that Daley failed to leave a lasting impression at Maine Road. Although to be fair to the player, when he signed for the club it could hardly have been described as one of its glory periods. Following his debut in a 1-0 home defeat by Southampton, Daley subsequently lined up in a Blues side that lost 4-0 at West Bromwich Albion.

There then followed wins against Coventry and at Leeds and by the end of his first month at the club, Daley had the early signs of the kind of disjointed season it would be. He had to wait until his ninth game (at Bolton) in mid-November before scoring his first goal for City, one that proved to be the only one of the day. Just prior to Christmas he scored his second in a 2-1 win at Everton. They turned out to be his only two goals of the season, one in which City finished 17th and suffered the embarrassment of losing to Fourth Division Halifax Town in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. Steve played 36 games in his first season, one that saw a mass exodus of experienced, international players. Had at least some stayed, things may have been a lot different. As it was they did change in 1980/81, although by the time they did, Daley had moved to the NASL.

He made a further 17 appearances for the Blues (with two more goals) before new manager John Bond sold him to Seattle Sounders on February 24th 1981 for the knock-down price of just £300, 000. His Maine Road career consisted of 53/1 games and four goals. He later played for Burnley, Walsall and San Diego Sockers. (Ian Penney - author of The Legends of Manchester City)