inland seagull
Active member
He wasn't here long enough to become a legend, Wolves was the highlight of his time with us,but I seem to recall he quickly moved on at the first opportunity
Blimey, there's false memory syndrome about
FG wasn't sacked: he was poached by Birmingham. He didn't introduce the all-white strip - that was Pat Saward in the 1970/71 season. He wasn't in charge on Boxing Day 1967, he didn't take over until October 1968 and he didn't sign Nobby Lawton, that was Macauley
I am after his time with the club but looking at his Wiki page he has an impressive playing CV and colourful managerial list.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Goodwin
As Birmingham manager he must have been part of playing Trevor Francis, who I remember well and the million pound move to Forrest (I think the first million pound player). Was Freddie responsible for this deal or seen as developing Francis and partly responsible for this deal for the club.
I always love sportspeople that can play dual sports at the top level, Lancashire CCC and Manchester United says it all.
Birmingham City legend Trevor Francis has expressed his sadness at the death of ‘father figure’ Freddie Goodwin.
The former Blues boss, who gave Francis his debut at just 16-years-old, passed away on Friday in Gig Harbour, Washington. He was 82.
And Francis has recalled how Goodwin book-ended his glittering playing career by both giving him his Birmingham debut in 1970 and watching him score a hat-trick at Villa Park as Queen’s Park Ranger’s player-manager - 19 years later.
...
That's sad. I remember that he revived Brighton after some rather drab Macauley years. He did too good a job as he was quickly poached but he was a manager who hinted at better things. RIP
Blimey, there's false memory syndrome about
FG wasn't sacked: he was poached by Birmingham. He didn't introduce the all-white strip - that was Pat Saward in the 1970/71 season. He wasn't in charge on Boxing Day 1967, he didn't take over until October 1968 and he didn't sign Nobby Lawton, that was Macauley
Ten home wins on the trot: http://www.statto.com/football/teams/brighton-and-hove-albion/1969-1970/results
Alas, killed by five away defeats on the trot.
I feel you do him an injustice. he made big changes in a short time. He gained alot from his time in the USA and was very 'customer focused' and asked fans to write to him and he'd reply in the programmer.
Some of these things were quite basic, like toilet rolls & towels and a roof on the gents, like putting a hard concrete surface at the turn-styles, basic things that clubs everywhere just didn't give a hoot about supporters and things that a normal football manager wouldn't get involved with but it was his way to shake the club up.
he also introduced many forward thinking ideas to training, ideas ahead of their time and now the norm, like attention to diet & nutrition.
I don't believe he was off at the drop of a hat either. Such progress in such a short time was bound to attract attention. We were a 3rd div club, Birmingham were a 'sleeping giant' with big ambition and resources. You can't deny such chances but, if you want to look at players like Zamora, Virgo & Bennett, they all left with our good wishes and that's how it was with Goodwin, with a bit of obvious annoyance.
We will have a minute’s silence before the Leeds game, I suspect. That would give the Leeds fans an opportunity to pay their respects to a football man. Don’t hold your breath, though, because, one, last time they were asked to observe a minute’s silence in Brighton, they sang “we are Leeds” throughout, and, two, Freddie Goodwin played for Manchester United.