Gerry Gow interview with Gary James

**Rudolf Hucker** · October 11, 2016

The following article was published on the Man City forum, Blue Moon and Facebook by the author Gary James who interviewed Gerry in October 2014. I hope that he won't mind me reproducing it here. It's a great read ...

Here's a more detailed interview I did with Gerry Gow in 2014. In this he talks about his time at City and his life since, including working the night shift at Tesco: TALKING CITY WITH GARY JAMES

Each League programme this season will feature a conversation between author Gary James and a former player, manager, official, fan or other with a passion for City.

For today’s feature Gary spoke with 1981 FA Cup finalist Gerry Gow, who became a cult hero during a 36 game City career between 1980 and 1982.

Gerry, let’s start with your departure from Bristol City in 1980. You were a real hero there, so was it difficult to leave?

I loved the club and the fans, and I was club captain. They treated me really well and we had a great relationship – just like at Maine Road really. But the manager Alan Dicks was replaced by Bobby Houghton with Roy Hodgson as his number two, and the style of play changed. Although I didn’t want to leave I felt I had to go because I didn’t like that the defence were encouraged to pump the ball 80 yards upfield. As a midfielder I couldn’t see the point in me being there. I may as well have been at Wimbledon watching the tennis ball go back and forth! Both men have had great records since, but back then for me it wasn’t appropriate and I told them.

Were other clubs interested?

Yes. In fact Malcolm Allison had offered a lot of money for me when he was still City boss, but Alan Dicks was still in charge then and he wouldn’t sell me and, to be honest, I didn’t want to leave Bristol City while Dicks was there. I’d been there from school and Aston Villa and Newcastle were keen, but City were the first to make an offer and I was very happy to come to Maine Road. I got a call on a Sunday morning saying John Bond had made an offer and would I like to talk with City. That was it. I wanted to sign, no matter what, but I have to be honest that had Sunderland or West Brom offered first then I’d have been happy going there instead. I needed to leave Houghton & Hodgson’s style of play at Bristol.

John Bond once told me that City couldn’t give you a medical back then because you’d have failed it. Is that true?

I did have a medical and I did fail it! It was my knee. I went from being absolutely elated to thinking it was all over. I don’t know what happened behind the scenes but from what I remember City took out a clause in the contract for several months to ensure that I was fit before they finalised the deal. I should have made my debut at Brighton with Tommy Hutchison and Bobby McDonald (25/10/80) but this delayed it and I appeared the following week when we won 1-0 at home to Norwich.

Together with Hutchison and McDonald, you helped stabilise City lifting the Blues to midtable and FA Cup finalists. Did you feel the transformation?

I’m sure if you ask Tueart, Corrigan or Booth they’d talk about how it all changed but for us three it was all we knew. We came in to a brilliant club with a beautiful stadium – I loved running out towards the Kippax and hearing that crowd, really great! – and we were winning games. That was it, and we just enjoyed the whole experience. There was a great atmosphere and we were welcomed well. If anything our thoughts on Manchester City were about its great history; the style of play that Mercer and Allison, followed by Book, had established. Winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup… that’s what I thought about. It was the potential.

You soon became a cult hero, was that something you worked at?

It’s funny really Gary, because the same had happened at Bristol City and then later at Rotherham. People love to see players fighting for their club and that’s what I tried to do. I always gave my all and, although I didn’t have the skill of Tommy Hutchison – a brilliant old fashioned Scottish winger – I always gave 100% for the shirt I was wearing. I would have died for the club, and I loved Manchester City.

Until Bond arrived as manager the side was quite youthful, was that an issue when you signed?

Malcolm Allison had introduced some very talented young players but you always need experience at your level to support those youngsters in their development. I’d never tried to be a leader and I continued to approach the game in the same way I had from being about 4 years old in Glasgow. I always demanded the best from everybody. Some players are only concerned with their own game, but I have always tried to look out for others. So if someone scores an own goal I’d have a word and say ‘Oi, don’t go having a bad game now. That’s done.’ Tommy Hutchison played good cop I guess and I was the groaner and moaner. It worked well and both approaches were definitely needed that season.

You, Hutchison and McDonald were all cup-tied for the League Cup, yet City still reached the semi-final. Did you watch those games?

Of course and that team should have got to the final because they were without doubt the better side against Liverpool in both legs and were badly let down by the referee. They should have gone through and deserved to on their performance.

Obviously, we should talk about the FA Cup run where City reached Wembley, losing 3-2 in a replay to Spurs. What were your memories of that run?

It’s an old cliché but we had to take every game as it came. It started with the return of Malcolm Allison and him running out to the Kippax for the applause. It was set up for a day when it could’ve all gone wrong, but it didn’t and we won 4-0. Then there was Bond’s old team Norwich (6-0). Both those games were easy wins. Then came the hardest game of the whole competition – Peterborough. They should’ve knocked us out but we managed a 1-0.

The semi-final saw us beat Bobby Robson’s Ipswich – they were a very good side and we were underdogs. I just managed to pass a fitness test in time for that game and I think Bondy wanted me in to help look after Muhren and Thijssen. He needed those two playmakers to be controlled and I think they were.

What are your memories of the final?

I feel I let City down in the replay. I was on the borderline with my thinking and although I didn’t feel that I was struggling in the game I wasn’t happy with my performance. I think that’s because I wasn’t 100% in myself.

My memory is that you still gave your all. Is that how you felt?

It weighs heavily on my mind. I gave everything as I always aimed to do but losing the replay really hit me and I don’t know whether it’s me being selfish because this was my only chance of a FAC winner’s medal, but I cannot be happy being runner-up. Spurs often beat me at key stages in my career. It happened in the FA Youth Cup at Bristol and at other times, so I’ll never be happy. We should have won the FA Cup on the Saturday.

Joe Corrigan told me the other week that he felt we’d have won the game had it been concluded on the Saturday through penalties. Do you feel that?

Yes I do. Actually I was down to take the fifth penalty if it went down to it. In the final my job was to focus on Hoddle, Ardiles and Villa and in that first game Villa was taken off. It wasn’t all down to me but I was determined they would know they were in a game. We came so close to winning the first game and then had our chances in the second. Steve Mackenzie netted a brilliant goal and almost scored another.

You suffered an injury and left in 1982, was it your choice?

I loved the start of the 1981-82 season with Trevor Francis. Playing behind him was a dream and I loved every minute of it, but after the injury I lost my place and I started to doubt whether I could return and contribute at the level I demanded of myself at City. I became convinced that playing reserve football at City would be it from then on. Emlyn Hughes was managing Rotherham and I moved there because, I guess, it was Emlyn Hughes. Funnily enough by the time I was in Rotherham’s first team I felt fully fit and maybe I could have got back in to City’s first team. I loved my time at both clubs, but it would have been nice to stay longer at Maine Road. I think I’d have been able to give another two years had I been injury free.

In the years that followed you had a spell as Yeovil manager and became a publican for a time. How do you feel about life today?

When I was managing Yeovil I signed Ian Botham. He used to come and watch Bristol City and, although he was known for his cricket, he was a very good footballer and did a great job for us. I wouldn’t have picked him if he wasn’t able to do us a job, and crowds increased. But the great thing is that crowds remained after he stopped playing. It was great for us.

I’ve had the same philosophy and tried to give my all to every job I’ve had. I work at Tesco these days and working nights at the moment, but I’ve had a variety of roles since I stopped playing. My pub business was interfering with family life too much and I chose to give it up for the sake of the family – and lost a lot of money in the process but it was worth it for the family.

Finally, do you keep up to date with City?

Yes, I do. My son’s a City fan – in fact he was very upset when I left in 1982 – and I have six grandchildren who are all Blues. We often go down together to watch games on TV. We live on the south coast, but do occasionally get back to Manchester for games. In fact I was here when City beat Spurs 6-0 last season – a great result of course. Let’s hope for the same today!

Gary James’ detailed history of City, “Manchester The City Years”, is now available as a kindle ebook. For details follow Gary on twitter: @garyjameswriter or facebook.com/garyjames4