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Southampton 1974-78
Just a very brief loan spell – a month - but I enjoyed every minute of it under the manager John Bond who was really a very good coach. Mind you , after we played up at Everton and my loan period was over, John asked me to go back to Saints and ask for another loan. I refused and he got on the team bus and drove back to Norwich with me left standing outside Goodison Park. I couldn’t believe it!
Still Huddy was having a great time up at Stoke so I started talks with Tony Waddington. We agreed verbally but though we shook on it – I’d promised Lawrie McMenemy that I’d talk to him at Southampton. He was a very persuasive man and once we were in his Hampshire home, he calmly locked the doors and told me I wasn’t leaving until I had signed for The Saints! It’s a funny thing how things can bite you back in football - my Saints debut was against Stoke City away - and we lost 4-1!
My first home game was at the Dell 2 days later and with attendance up by around 10,000, we beat Leicester City 1-0 thanks to a Bobby Stokes 18 yard shot.
Alan Hudson and myself left Chelsea after, shall we say, a difference of opinion with Dario Gradi who was the reserve team manager at the time. The Chelsea side was being rebuilt with the likes of Mickey Droy and Ian Britton being brought in. They were doing well - and that’s football. So time to move on...
Huddy was quickly moved to Stoke City for £240,000 and I thought about things as a few offers came in. Derby County came in with a 6 year contract and Leicester City also made an enquiry.
We struggled that spring and were the first victims of the “three up, three down” system being relegated on the last day of the season along with along with Norwich and Manchester United!
Looking back it probably did the Club some good. Big Mac was able to rebuild the team without the fear of relegation and we all went on to be part of the greatest day in the Southanptons history – Winning the F.A Cup at Wembley in 1976.
Big Lawrie achieved a good few successful years which saw European football regularly at the Dell and I made some great friends down here, many of who I still speak to today...
Norwich City
Philadephia Fury
In 1978 America beckoned and along with a lot of the senior pro’s at the time it seemed like a good idea to explore this new frontier. The North American Soccer League were looking for “Names” and the likes of Rodney Marsh, Alan Ball, George Best, Pele, Johann Cruyff , Franz Bechenbauer and myself jumped at the chance. Lawrie McMenemy had offered me a two year contract at Southampton but the challenge excited me and so bags packed I crossed the Atlantic for a new adventure.
To say it was an experience would be an understatement! It was fun but more Hollywood and Big Top stuff than football!
I remember before a game against Fort Lauderdale I was warming up with Alan Ball (who was making a guest appearance) and we began to wonder where the opposition was.. We found out a couple of minutes later when a Wagon Train with full complement of Horses and Red Indians came galloping into the stadium! This included the opposition who were wearing cowboy hats and firing guns into the air. I looked at Bally and didn’t say a word. After nine months I’d had enough.
