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Tony Book has had one of the most remarkable careers of any professional
footballer in the history of the game. By the time he was 28 years old
he was still playing non-league at weekends whilst earning his living as
a bricklayer during the week. His life changed forever when he met
Malcolm Allison. Allison became coach at Book's Bath City club, later
progressing to Plymouth Argyle and remembered the softly-spoken
full-back in August 1964, spending £1500 in obtaining his services for
the Home Park side. Although by no means arrogant, by his own admittance
Book has gone down on record as saying he was quietly confident in
playing at a higher level, should anyone ever give him the opportunity.
On July 20th 1966, after missing just three games in two seasons for
Plymouth, Book was given his chance, this time at Maine Road. Now was
the real chance for him to test his ability. Book was undoubtedly
Allison's signing with manager Joe Mercer at first reluctant to part
with £17000 for a player approaching his 31st birthday. Always the more
cautious of the two men who revitalised City, Mercer needed not have
worried.
After making his debut for the reigning Second Division
champions in the opening game of the 1966/67 season - a 1-1 draw at
Southampton - Book went on to miss just one League game in two years,
becoming captain and winning the inaugural club Player of the Year along
the way. Having initially overcome some doubters (both City supporters
and opposing players) Book had embarked on an extraordinary career at
Maine Road, one that must surely have been beyond his wildest dreams.
Within four years of putting pen to paper, Book had skippered the Blues
to the First Division Championship, both the FA and League Cups, and the
European Cup Winners' Cup on a never-to-be-forgotten night in Vienna as
City overcame Gornik Zabrze 2-1. Even though an Achilles injury forced
him to miss half of the 1968/69 season his performances were so
consistent that he was later named joint Footballer of the Year (along
with Dave Mackay of Derby) at the end of the campaign. In November 1973,
at the age of 38 and with 306/3 first team appearances for the club
(five goals), Book finally retired from playing and became assistant
manager to Ron Saunders. Five months later Saunders had been removed
from his post by chairman Peter Swales leaving Book as his logical
replacement.
As with the professional game, Book took to management like
the proverbial duck to water. Hugely popular with his players, he began
to assemble a fine team of his own, indeed one that missed out on the
Championship by a solitary point to Liverpool in 1977. His signings
included Joe Royle, Brian Kidd, Dave Watson and Asa Hartford as the
Blues became regulars again in Europe not to mention League Cup winners
in 1976 under Book's guidance. However the return of Malcolm Allison in
1979 ultimately failed to push City that one step further and after a
series of strange decisions, poor performances and bad defeats, both men
lost their jobs in October 1980. Six months later he was back at Maine
Road after an invitation by new manager John Bond to look after Youth
Development at the club. His second career behind the scenes took in
various positions over the next sixteen years until Frank Clark severed
his ties completely in 1996, some thirty years after it had all started.
Nowadays one of City's Honorary Presidents, Tony Book is unquestionably
the club's most successful captain as well as one of its greatest ever
managers. (Ian Penney - author of The Legends of Manchester City).Tony Book died on 14th Janaury 2025 aged 90.
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