Alan Mullery and the Golden Years

[Goldstone Rapper]

There is a view that Taylor had already tapped Preston up for Lawrenson and the deal went through for Mullery.

That's probably one of those bits of propaganda by people with an axe to grind about Mullery to remove the credit he deserves for signing one of Albion's finest ever players (part of the 'Peter Taylor did the majority of Mullery's work for him' viewpoint). In the end, whatever people say, it was Mullery who put his arse on the line to outbid Liverpool in order to sign Lawro.

 

[catfish]

That's probably one of those bits of propaganda by people with an axe to grind about Mullery to remove the credit he deserves for signing one of Albion's finest ever players (part of the 'Peter Taylor did the majority of Mullery's work for him' viewpoint). In the end, whatever people say, it was Mullery who put his arse on the line to outbid Liverpool in order to sign Lawro.

Quite. Mullers took over in summer of '76 and Lawro didn't sign until summer '77.

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

We didn't play 92-game seasons: your maths are wrong


I can join in the hymn of praise to those great days and to the Seagulls Specials. I especially remember the trip to Derby in the cup. I won so much in a card game, I paid for my match ticket, train ticket, programme, chips, a taxi home and some money left over.

Remember that old station at Reading and ducking down as the opposition chucked stones at the train.

What a team, what memories.

Yep,your right,counted the away games aswell

Home Record

74-75 Pld 23 W 14 D 7 L 2 (Defeats,Blackburn & Preston NE)
75-76 Pld 23 W 18 D 3 L 2 (Defeats,Cardiff & Walsall)
76-77 Pld 23 W 19 D 3 L 1 (Lost to Wrexham)
77-78 Pld 21 W 15 D 5 L 1 (Lost to Bolton Wan)
78-79 Pld 21 W 16 D 3 L 2 (Defeats,Cambridge & West Ham)

Still impressive!

 

[mikevapour]

My dad said to me it was the team Taylor built that mullery guided

 

[Buckley's Mad Eye]

Great thread, cheers.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Great to see mullers looking so well last night ...brought back great memories

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

My dad said to me it was the team Taylor built that mullery guided

Looking at that period now, with the caveat that I wasn't around back then, Mullery inherited a good nucleus of players and was wise enough not to chop and change everything from day one for the hell of it. However, he made some key decisions, such as dispensing with Taylor's leading goalscorer Fred Binney in favour of rookie striker Peter Ward, a move that was brave and helped to transform Albion's atrocious away record. It seems to be forgotten what a big call that was at the time and Mullery called it right. By the end, he also brought in Ritchie, Robinson, Stevens, Foster, Lawrenson, some excellent players, who were the nucleus of a side good enough to stay in the top flight for two successive years. So yes, Mullery does owe Taylor for the play-off position side he inherited but Mullery comes across as very much his own man, who wasn't afraid to wheel and deal, making moves that were mostly successes.

 

[ewe2]

Our most successful manager to date bar none.....the most exciting period bar none....and IMO the best team bar none .....the only problem was it very nearly broke us and resulted in our darkest days,which only now we are emerging under Bloom and (Gus ).

 

[portslade seagull]

The present lot has a long long way to go to emulate the Mullery years ... if only we could have a Lawrenson , Horton and Ward in the team now what a backbone for the team that would be

 

[Freddie Goodwin.]

Mullery was very fortunate to inherit such a good team but was also clever enough to realise what he had and not make changes just to make it 'his' team.

He just brought his motivational skills, an area in which Taylor probably lacked.

 

[ewe2]

Our most successful manager to date bar none.....the most exciting period bar none....and IMO the best team bar none .....the only problem was it very nearly broke us and resulted in our darkest days,which only now we are emerging under Bloom and (Gus ).

I must add that without Dick Knight.......he saved us !!!!