Massively Violent & Decidedly Average by Lee Howey

Author:Lee Howey [Lee Howey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781785903670
Publisher: Biteback Publishing
Published: 2018-04-18T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

PROGRESS AND PETER REID

The situation that Peter Reid inherited was not as desperate as it had been two years earlier, but still indisputably precarious. Not only were Sunderland one place above the relegation zone, we were sinking.

As a player, Peter’s credentials were not in dispute. He was a famously tenacious midfielder, but skilful too. His best days were at Everton where he won two league titles, an FA Cup and a European Cup Winners’ Cup. European Cup glory may have awaited Everton had not English clubs been booted out of Europe following the Heysel Stadium disaster of 1985. He was also an England international, including appearances in the 1986 World Cup.

His only previous job in management had been at Manchester City between 1990 and 1993. His three top-flight finishes there were fifth, fifth again, then ninth. Four games into the 1993–94 season, he was sacked after three defeats and a draw. This seemed harsh at the time. In retrospect it seems incredibly misguided. By 1998 City had dropped down two divisions and been through another five, less successful managers. They would not return to anywhere near fifth in the Premier League for many years; this was a few hundred million quid later in the late 2000s.

Peter joined Sunderland on an interim basis until the end of the 1994–95 season. I don’t think it’s a plot spoiler to mention that he would be there until October 2002. He had turned down several job offers before coming to Roker Park. His appointment was made quickly; in fact, he appeared before us unannounced. I don’t recall any speculative talk about who the new manager might be; there was no time for that.

His personality was markedly different from that of Mick Buxton in that he had one. Peter was full of energy, chat and infectious Scouse enthusiasm. You always knew when he was anywhere within the vicinity; you could hear him. He gave the place an instant lift that we desperately needed because he only had seven games in which to save us.

I was happy that such a well-known, respected and buoyant figure had arrived. There was just one problem: I didn’t even make the bench for any of the seven games. Trevor Hartley was still at the club and had Peter’s considerable ear. Trevor saw little merit in big old-fashioned centre-forwards. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but, whether or not it affected his judgement, the fact that Trevor and I had never really got on too well can’t have helped my cause. Even if my appearances on the pitch had been sporadic since joining the club in 1993, I had always at least been in and around the first team squad. Now I wasn’t.

A couple of days into Reidy’s tenure, I knocked on his door and introduced myself. I was relieved to discover that he at least knew who I was. I was seeking some sort of reassurance. I had never been certain to start games and had now been ejected from the first team squad altogether.

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