headhunter Posted March 26, 2022 Report Share Posted March 26, 2022 Listen here: https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/in-conversation-with-joe-royle/ [also on Spotify, Google, Apple] Joe Royle was at City for barely two and a half years [11/77-7/80] but rarely has a player had a greater impact on their debut than he did by grabbing all 4 goals in a 4-1 win at home to Middlesborough. It wasn’t until I did some research prior to interview that I realised what a coup it was for Alan Dicks to sign Joe who was still very much in his prime at age 28. Making his debut for Everton at age 16, he was an ever present at just 21 in the team that won the League in 1969/70 and by then he’d over 120 appearances and averaging a goal every other game! He moved to Man City for a period before joining us but by then his goalscoring prowess had been blunted somewhat and he only managed 18 in 101 appearances – who remembers in addition to the 4 on his debut a hattrick vs. Coventry on Boxing Day 1978 and a last minute winner vs Liverpool a couple of weeks prior to that? Joe talks fondly of his time at City which ended when finances dictated a move to Norwich after relegation from the top flight. He talks about being interviewed for the manager’s job here in 82 which went to Terry Cooper and our loss at that time proved to be Oldham’s gain as he took them to the top flight for what was a 3 year stay in 1991 as well as a losing League Cup Final appearance [1990]. He returned to manage his boyhood club Everton in 1994 and there achieved FA Cup Final success in 1995 which remains their last trophy success. Joe was manager of Man City from 1998-2001 and with successive promotions took them from League 1 to the Premier League and back down to the Championship and predictable sacking. Four years at Ipswich came at a time when the Tractor Boys had major financial problems but twice he took them to the Championship playoffs only to suffer semi-final heartbreak on both occasions to West Ham. Most recently he has been a director at Wigan Athletic. 6 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Never to the dark side Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Good interview, no City follower should ignore it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleepy1968 Posted March 27, 2022 Report Share Posted March 27, 2022 Thanks for doing this David. I wonder what ahole sent JR a form letter then? Pity he refused to pin down the exact timing of that. I expect it never got past Swiss Tony - he wouldn't want anything or anybody interferring with his recruitment spreadsheet would he. Such disrespect. We really have been the authors of our own demise haven't we. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headhunter Posted March 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 On 27/03/2022 at 10:38, Sleepy1968 said: Thanks for doing this David. I wonder what ahole sent JR a form letter then? Pity he refused to pin down the exact timing of that. I expect it never got past Swiss Tony - he wouldn't want anything or anybody interferring with his recruitment spreadsheet would he. Such disrespect. We really have been the authors of our own demise haven't we. Not getting the job in 82 which Joe is quite open about [he went to Oldham with zero managerial experience that same year and look what they did over the period 82-94 with arguably less resources than us], but he wasn't specific about the more recent occasion. If you check his employment record since leaving Ipswich in 2006 he's seems to be fairly busy but with nothing substantive. I guess it could have been any of the occasions from Coppell [2010] onwards. Joe is 73 next week and that makes him younger by two years than Roy Hodgson who's still managing at the highest level - many would argue that in 2016 LJ could have done with an experienced head above him and I've no doubt that Joe could have performed that job admirably. If that rejection Joe alluded to was in 2016 I can understand why it never happened - LJs ego and MAs controlling nature. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davefevs Posted March 28, 2022 Report Share Posted March 28, 2022 Comes across as a lovely guy. Really enjoy this recent series, all from around the time I first started watching City. Royle was the scorer in my first City match (v Liverpool). Love how he called Stockwood - Woodstock. Definitely a letter from Ashton if it was last 5 years, wasn’t it? Really interesting him comparing the role he was offering as like the one Tony Collins did for Alan Dicks. That would not have got down well with Ashton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headhunter Posted April 8, 2022 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2022 Happy birthday Joe .... 73 today. https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/in-conversation-with-joe-royle/ The best manager we never had! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchred Posted April 8, 2022 Report Share Posted April 8, 2022 9 minutes ago, headhunter said: Happy birthday Joe .... 73 today. https://foreverbristolcity.podbean.com/e/in-conversation-with-joe-royle/ The best manager we never had! Happy Birthday Joe, and a great listen Dave, although I would argue Dave Moyes is the best manager we never had! Another monumental **** up! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristol Oil Services Posted April 8, 2022 Report Share Posted April 8, 2022 On 28/03/2022 at 11:34, headhunter said: Not getting the job in 82 which Joe is quite open about [he went to Oldham with zero managerial experience that same year and look what they did over the period 82-94 with arguably less resources than us], but he wasn't specific about the more recent occasion. If you check his employment record since leaving Ipswich in 2006 he's seems to be fairly busy but with nothing substantive. I guess it could have been any of the occasions from Coppell [2010] onwards. Joe is 73 next week and that makes him younger by two years than Roy Hodgson who's still managing at the highest level - many would argue that in 2016 LJ could have done with an experienced head above him and I've no doubt that Joe could have performed that job admirably. If that rejection Joe alluded to was in 2016 I can understand why it never happened - LJs ego and MAs controlling nature. On 28/03/2022 at 13:29, Davefevs said: Comes across as a lovely guy. Definitely a letter from Ashton if it was last 5 years, wasn’t it? Really interesting him comparing the role he was offering as like the one Tony Collins did for Alan Dicks. That would not have got down well with Ashton. I bumped into to Joe in an upmarket North Somerset supermarket the day we played Leeds in September 2012, when George Elokobi was crocked, and very chatty and genial he was too. We stood near the deli counter as he waited for Mrs Royle and he was easy to talk to and get to say something interesting. A few ex players attended that day iirc and Joe was making a weekend of it, spending the weekend with I forget now which former teammate. I remember him saying he used to live in Congresbury back in the glory days, He told me that day that he had applied twice for the job, once when TC got it, and again more recently. When DMc got it, I think it was. As much as I love Coops, just think what Joe Royle might've done here. Just-think-for-a-minute. Or don't, if you don't want to depress yerselfs (any more than you already are). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southvillekiddy Posted April 8, 2022 Report Share Posted April 8, 2022 Always respected Royle and then I heard him interviewed on the Radio and saying that (on principle?) he had never played for a team that wore red. Would have made sense for someone who must have hated Man Utd and Liverpool and loving Everton and Man City, except that he did play for us. Great shame that he said it If he meant he had not managed a team that wore red that was of course correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.