Riaz Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 I think he is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nellie Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 yes deffo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belfastrobin Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 100% yes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigBCFC Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 yes deffo without doubt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InCider Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 I wonder which way Robbored will go on this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Good maybe even GREAT manager. Legend F@@K NO! Wedlock, Atyeo, Gow, Sweeney, etc, some people might even say Tinnion, they were City Legends Only One Legendary Manager - Alan Dicks & maybe even Terry Cooper Sorry, but Johnson just didn't do anything like enough to compare to those Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welcome To The Jungle Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 We were a dead and buried league 1 side. He took us out of that league and almost to the promised land. Legend, defo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn Hocking Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Good maybe even GREAT manager. Legend F@@K NO! Wedlock, Atyeo, Gow, Sweeney, some people might even say Tinnion, they were City Legends I have to question whether you are old enough to have seen Gerry Sweeney play. If you had seen the City team that won promotion in 75/76 actually play, you would know that the likes of Sir Geoffrey Merrick, Cheese and Tom Ritchie were the stars of that team, not The Sween. GJ is a City legend, end of. Only One Legendary Manager - Alan Dicks & maybe even Terry Cooper Sorry, but Johnson just didn't do anything like enough to compare to those Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn Hocking Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Donald - I question whether you actually saw Gerry Sweeney play. If you had seen City in 75-76 era, you would know that the 'legends' were the likes of Sir Geoffrey Merrick, Cheese and Tom Ritchie, not The Sween. GJ is a City legend. End of. You and Robbo need to get over your hatred of our most successful manager for 20-odd years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CotswoldRed Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Still miss the guy. Says it all for me. Regardless of the success we had, he lit up the website with his interviews, had time for everyone, a great sense of humour and loved this club. Charisma is bucket loads for a footie manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somerset_Sam Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Good maybe even GREAT manager. Legend F@@K NO! Wedlock, Atyeo, Gow, Sweeney, some people might even say Tinnion, they were City Legends Only One Legendary Manager - Alan Dicks & maybe even Terry Cooper Sorry, but Johnson just didn't do anything like enough to compare to those Great Manager but behind Dicks and Cooper Dicks a legend cos he took us to our highest ever finish, Cooper a legend cos he took a club that was skint and on its knees and brought it back to life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SE23Red Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Good maybe even GREAT manager. Legend F@@K NO! Wedlock, Atyeo, Gow, Sweeney, some people might even say Tinnion, they were City Legends Only One Legendary Manager - Alan Dicks & maybe even Terry Cooper Sorry, but Johnson just didn't do anything like enough to compare to those In the last 50+ years I think only Cooper and Johnson have contributed to CIty moving up the divisions without also playing a part in us going down. Dicks left after taking us down again in 1980 but his achievement in delivering 4 seasons of top flight football has him at the top of the pile for me. Cooper and Johnson have similar records in very nearly achieving double promotions. If you do not consider them legends then they were each surely only a game or two from being so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Colby-Tit Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Only One Legendary Manager - Alan Dicks & maybe even Terry Cooper Ahem...Harry Thickett? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Donald - I question whether you actually saw Gerry Sweeney play. If you had seen City in 75-76 era, you would know that the 'legends' were the likes of Sir Geoffrey Merrick, Cheese and Tom Ritchie, not The Sween. GJ is a City legend. End of. You and Robbo need to get over your hatred of our most successful manager for 20-odd years. Re-Reading my post, which I've rightly amended I do mean most of the promotion team from that era. END OF??? Does that mean I can't discuss it anymore? Personally I don't see Johnson as a legend at all, nothing to do with Hatred, just don't think he did enough to rank up amongst the Bristol City greats, he's rightly alongside the likes of Ward and Joe Jordan, but I wouldn't rank him as a legend and too even attempt to rank him alongside Cooper and Dicks is almost belittling their achivements. Dicks and Cooper had MASSIVE MASSIVE postive effects for this club and brought this club geninue glory, Dicks in actually getting us to the top flight and Cooper for rebuilding a club on it's knees to a standing of repute. Johnson took over a team, got us promoted and got us to the play-off final, but was also given more money to spend than any manager in our history and wasted a large proportion of it on rubbish and left the club in a poor position on and off the field when he did leave which has resulted in massive losses after the play-off final, he MASSIVELY underachived given his backing, which for me rules out classing him as a legend. He did alot of good for this club no doubt, but I PERSONALLY wouldn't class him as a Legend. Any how, this has been done a million times before and I'm not willing to re-run endlessly over old ground, I don't see him as a legend, Cooper and Dick (and Thickett!) YES, Johnson, No - As I said before much overused word, Any use of the world hatred is just pointless, pathetic and to be expected from yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 In the last 50+ years I think only Cooper and Johnson have contributed to CIty moving up the divisions without also playing a part in us going down. Dicks left after taking us down again in 1980 but his achievement in delivering 4 seasons of top flight football has him at the top of the pile for me. Cooper and Johnson have similar records in very nearly achieving double promotions. If you do not consider them legends then they were each surely only a game or two from being so! Cooper, Yes, Johnson, No - Result wise yes, but if you look at each managers resources and what they had when they started, their is no comparision to them. Cooper got us up and kept us their on less than nothing, Ok it was a different world in football terms but he started with nothing whatsoever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webzcas Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Most definately yes. Completely turned the club around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chappers Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Johnson took over a team, got us promoted and got us to the play-off final, but was also given more money to spend than any manager in our history and wasted a large proportion of it on rubbish and left the club in a poor position on and off the field when he did leave which has resulted in massive losses after the play-off final, he MASSIVELY underachived given his backing, which for me rules out classing him as a legend. He did alot of good for this club no doubt, but I PERSONALLY wouldn't class him as a Legend. Pretty accurate assessment. I would add to that his complete overlooking of youth development has also had a negative long-term effect on the Club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy082005 Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 I think he is. yep, for me to. He bought this club back from the brink at what was a bad time, and took us on a ride which we will never forget. Promotion season ending with that amazing day v Rotherham, then our first season in the Championship! Wembley! the whole Bounce around the ground........this club had a real togetherness that it certainly doesnt have now. The time was right for him to move on, but he achieved a great deal in his time here. He achieved a lot more then just one promotion and one play-off final....he put this whole club back on the map, and got us to where we rightfully belong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Popodopolous Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Based purely on my time following, yes absolutely. Took us back up after nearly a decade in the wilderness and got us to within 1 win of the PL. Time was right for him to go but yes great manager for us in the main. Here's another theory, not strictly on topic but anyway. Victim of his own early success? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cider head Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Donald - I question whether you actually saw Gerry Sweeney play. If you had seen City in 75-76 era, you would know that the 'legends' were the likes of Sir Geoffrey Merrick, Cheese and Tom Ritchie, not The Sween. GJ is a City legend. End of. You and Robbo need to get over your hatred of our most successful manager for 20-odd years. I dunno Gerry sweeney is 20th on the all time BCFC goal scorers list with 59 goals during 490 games between 1971 and 1982, not bad for a defender and a few more games and goals than geoff merrick 433 games between 1967-1982 that said i would have them both in any all time Bristol city team along with Ritchie and maybe Cheese. As for GJ he would be behind Cooper and Dicks for me, he would have been higher but he never got to finish the job off that Dicks did, Cooper different case as he lifted us out the crap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SE23Red Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Cooper, Yes, Johnson, No - Result wise yes, but if you look at each managers resources and what they had when they started, their is no comparision to them. Cooper got us up and kept us their on less than nothing, Ok it was a different world in football terms but he started with nothing whatsoever. Sure - I'm not going to say anything to belittle Coopers contribution to our history. I first started watching City during the Cooper era and remember it fondly. However to claim Johnson 'massively underachieved' is madness. He delivered consistent top half finishes in a league where he started with a league 1 squad. The money he had was massive in terms of our club and our history but not worthy of particular note at the top end of this league at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 We were a dead and buried league 1 side. He took us out of that league and almost to the promised land. Legend, defo This. Since 1980 we've finished 10th or higher in the 2nd tier 4 times; twice at the hands of Johnson. We are in a far stronger position than we have been at any time since the days of the old Divison 1 campaigns. That's a long time and IMO makes him a City legend for getting us there in such a short space of time. Yes it was time to move on, but that doesn't erase his achievements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glynriley Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Gerry Sweeney IS a legend along with these other 7 Peter Aitken, Julian Marshall, David Rodgers, Geoff Merrick, Trevor Tainton, Chris Garland and Jimmy Mann. Without this lot , we would not be discussing the likes or GJ or TC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_Lemon Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Nope not for me. League 1 Promotion season was fantastic though Wembley season we rode our luck at most of the time, and it was a very poor league with only WBA being the only great team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralphindevon Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 The promotion season followed by the play off season was a real purple patch that won't be forgotten. For me it's easier to call players legends than managers, you can see what they achieve on the pitch. To be a legend manager would be to win things over a long period and get respect from fans and players alike over them years. Too many flaws for the legend tag for me but good luck at Northampton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodeRed Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Johnson? good manager Yes - Legend No We got promotion from L1 but the club wasn't on it's knees like it was in 1982/3. We had lost to Swansea in that massive defeat but the club was solvent and SL provided the funds for GJ to improve the team, we also still had some good players. All Gary needed to do was steady the ship, get the players behaving more profesionally and bring a few players in - which he did. I'm not saying it was easy, planty of managers had failed before him - but the crucial point is that he did have the cash backing of SL and was able to sign pretty much whoever he wanted within the ample budget given to him by SL. Some would say he wasted a lot of money on questionable buys and loans and his reliance on family members - when not always in the best interests of BCFC (IMO) - has been well documented. Terry Cooper - Legend undoubtedly For those not around in 82-3 it is difficult to understand how low things had sunk. The club had gone broke, the majority of the Ist team had either torn up the contracts or been sold, Roy Hodgson had been sacked (wonder what he's doing now!) and we were in the 4th div. no money and basically a squad of 17-18 year old reserves. Terry Cooper dragged the club back through sheer force of his personality with a team cobbled up at times with 16 year old work experience kids (remember the Kelly brothers?) and local players from the Downs of similar leagues (Grimshaw, Richard Thomson, John "Donkey" Palmer anyone ??). Plus free transfer like Riley and Crawford What Terry did was to put the pride back into City, He developed a fantastic relationship with the fans and drove the tiny squad to promotion often coming on for the last 15-20 minutes and changing the game by "winning" a free kick. Most City fans who were around then will tell you that despite being in the 4th and 3rd divisions it was the most enjoyable time to be a City fan. Alan Dicks - Legend Did what no other manager has done in BS3 in the modern era, he did it without a benevolent chairman like SL - in fact the directors then were pretty hopeless, in it for what they could get, - he had little money and relied on youth winning promotion and keeping us there in spite of the inept directors. To say he took us down is unfair. Key players left under the new freedom of contract, others were injured and the directors wouldn't spend to keep us up. They were too quick to fire AD and the replacements- Bob Houghton/Roy Hodgson - have subsequently in interviews stated the the board hid the truth about the financial situation when interviewing them for the job. CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portland Bill Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Still miss the guy. Says it all for me. Regardless of the success we had, he lit up the website with his interviews, had time for everyone, a great sense of humour and loved this club. Charisma is bucket loads for a footie manager. I think "loved the club" is a bit extreme!. He did a very good job but legend no. Alan Dicks and Terry Cooper are the only managers IMO that deserve that status since I've been following City. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spudski Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Who cares... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCFC_Dan Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Johnson took over a team, got us promoted and got us to the play-off final, but was also given more money to spend than any manager in our history and wasted a large proportion of it on rubbish and left the club in a poor position on and off the field when he did leave which has resulted in massive losses after the play-off final, he MASSIVELY underachived given his backing, which for me rules out classing him as a legend. He did alot of good for this club no doubt, but I PERSONALLY wouldn't class him as a Legend. He spent less in league one than Wilson, and less in his first Championship season than Ward. He only really started spending once the club was stable in the Championship (which it still ought to be now and if we go down Johnson can't be blamed in my opinion) You can't compare the money spent by Johnson with that spent by managers from a previous era because, firstly the money was a lot lower in the past, and secondly did you expect him to refuse it? "Yes, Steve, I know you're happy to pay for Nicky Maynard, but I don't want to spend the money because then people will belittle my achievements." I don't see why it's not possible to respect the achievements of Dicks, Cooper and Johnson (plus Jordan and others) without devaluing any of them. A manager can only work with what he has. Dicks took over a side in the second division with some good young players to work with and took them up - good. Cooper took over a side at the very bottom with low expectations and rebuilt the club - well done there. Johnson took over a bunch of overpaid, underachieving wasters at the bottom of the third division and came within a game of the top - an achievement in itself irrespective of what others have done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith_Lemon Posted March 4, 2011 Report Share Posted March 4, 2011 Who cares... Sorry Mr. Moody, its just a topic of discussion and a matter of opinion, could turn around and say who cares that you say who cares Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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