36 Yrs Ago: Dave Sexton Left QPR for Arsenal/Man U

[QPR Report]

[Edit/Update: 36 Years ago today, Dave Sexton Left QPR]


[Posted in May: 35 Yrs Ago Today: Sexton's Last QPR Game in Charge]

People argue: The best? The second best? But definitely right up there...Quite a contrast to some mentioned today...

To repost from my blog from a couple of years ago

May 23rd 1977: QPR's last game of the 1976/1977 season (Season ended late by this season - or any season's standards!). QPR drew that final game 2-2 against Birmingham (Masson and Webb scoring for QPR. QPR's team: - Parkes - Gillard Webb McClintock Hollins - Kelly Leach Masson Thomas - Givens Eastoe - Sub Abbot

Thus ended the 2 1/2 Year Dave Sexton era, in which Sexton basically inherited the Gordon Jago team and first guided to safety; the following season guided QPR to the League Championship (except QPR were 'robbed' at the very end!). And the following season guided the team to the League Cup Semi-Finals and EUFA Cup Quarter-Finals (again robbed!)..

A few weeks later, Dave Sexton was appointed manager of Manchester United (after initially seeming set to coach at Arsenal.

And Frank Sibley was QPR's new manager.

Opinions vary among QPR fans whether Sexton was QPR's "Greatest-ever" manager or just one of the top two or three; but he's certainly right up there, along with Alex Stock, Gordon Jago and Terry Venables.

See qprreport.blogspot.com/2008/05/rowlands-injury-doubtwhy-oxford-qpr.html

See Also: Dave's Queens Park Rangers Profile of Dave Sexton www.queensparkrangersfc.com/sexton.htm

Wikipedia/Dave Sexton's Bio en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Sexton

FA on Sexton www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/Coaches/Postings/2003/08/38388.htm

PLAYERS FROM THAT ERA INTERVIEWED

Ron Norris/QPR Net's Interview with Don Masson about Dave Sexton www.qprnet.com/interviews/masson.shtml

Ron Norris/QPR Net Interview with Don Givens
www.qprnet.com/interviews/givens.shtml

Ron Norris/QPR Net Interview with Frank Sibley
www.qprnet.com/interviews/sibley.shtml

Ron Norris/QPR Net Interview with John Hollins www.qprnet.com/interviews/hollins.shtml

qprreport.blogspot.com/2007/05/30-years-since-dave-sexton-era-came-to.htm Dave Sexton

[QPR Report]

....

[QPR Report]

[Macmoish]

Sexton left...
Sibley wasn't exactly at the level of Sexton (nor was Dave Burtenshaw)

Players started getting sold off or retired

McClintock, Thomas, etc

[Macmoish]

Bump...

35 Years ago....

Dave Sexton Managerial Stats

TEAM FROM TO GAMES WON DRAWN LOST

Coventry 31 May, 1981 31 May, 1983 88 28 21 39
Man Utd 14 Jul, 1977 01 Apr, 1981 191 75 64 52

QPR 16 Oct, 1974 09 Jul, 1977 130 57 32 41

Chelsea 01 Oct, 1967 03 Oct, 1974 333 140 100 93
Leyton Orient 01 Jan, 1965 01 Dec, 1965 37 7 10 20

www.soccerbase.com/managers/manager.sd?manager_id=331

[Macmoish]

From the Bushman Photo Archives

PHOTOS From the 1975/76 Season
qprreport.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=history&action=display&thread=23354


Photos from the 1977/77 Season
qprreport.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=history&action=display&thread=27643

[Macmoish]

Bump...According to my records, Dave Sexton actually left QPR July 9...and after heading for Arsenal to be their Head Coach under Bertie Mee, switched Directions and headed to Manchester United to take over as Manager from the Axed Tommy Docherty

As posted on the blog in May
qprreportblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/photo-look-back-at-dave-sextons-time-at.html

[Macmoish]

BBC On This Day - July 4, 1977



1977: Manchester United sack manager
Manchester United manager Tommy Docherty has been sensationally sacked by the club's directors.
A statement from the football club's board found him in breach of his contract following a meeting today.

Docherty caused shock at the club two weeks ago when he announced he was leaving his wife after 27 years of marriage, for a woman 18 years his junior.

After United won the FA Cup against Liverpool in May the manager thought his job was safe.

"The board want me to stay and that's terrific," he said after admitting his affair.

The directors' announcement did not mention the 49-year old Scot's controversial affair with the wife of the club's physiotherapist, Laurie Brown.


It was a bombshell

Tommy Docherty

On hearing the news of his dismissal Docherty said he was "a bit shattered". "I certainly did not expect this. It was a bombshell. I thought I would have been judged on my playing record, like Wembley in two successive years," the father of four continued.

Club directors recalled him from holiday in the Lake District last week after coming under pressure from players' wives.

Speaking from the Cheshire home of girlfriend Mary Brown, 31, Docherty explained he had been asked to resign but refused because he did not think he had done anything wrong.

The relationship between Docherty and mother of two Mrs Brown has developed over the past three years.

Tommy Docherty - known as the Doc - joined United in December 1972 and still had ten months of his £20,000-a-year contract to run.

He had just renegotiated another four year contract, said to be worth £100,000, but this remains unsigned.

Docherty, in consultation with solicitors over compensation from United, would not comment on rumours of a move to Derby County, who tried to lure him with a lucrative deal a few weeks agog


In Context
Within days of his dismissal Docherty appeared in public with a black eye he had received from jilted Laurie Brown.
He decided to sue club chairman, Louis Edwards, and Willie Morgan of Granada TV for defamation.

After approaches from clubs in the Middle East and Norway, Docherty eventually signed for Derby County in September 1977.

In the 1980s and 1990s he worked as a football pundit and after-dinner speaker.

news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/4/newsid_2492000/2492743.stm

[mm2h]

Stock, Jago, Sexton and Venables have been by far the best managers we have ever had. They are Legends!

Mark Hughes might get to join this band but it would need a supreme effort over 3 -4 years of consistent top 6 performances to do that

[Macmoish]

Bump... I think 36 years ago today, Dave Sexton Left QPR - We thought for Arsenal as Coach....
In fact a few days after leaving QPR (July 14, 1977, appointed manager of Manchester United)
And our decline continued.


From Bushman Archives - 2nd November 1974