HE WAS Manchester City's captain during the glory years of the late 1960s. It was he, not the team's better known flair players, who jointly with Derby's Dave Mackay was voted Footballer of the Year in 1969.
It was Tony Book's granite presence, guile, drive and leadership which were the foundation stone of a squad which allowed the likes of Summerbee, Lee and Bell to flourish. Some of the most iconic images of the club feature Book in the classic black and red striped shirt being hoisted on the shoulders of teammates after FA Cup and League Cup final success.
Book, who has died aged 90, was typically modest and gracious when awarded the Footballer of the Year trophy by the Football Writers Association.
"To receive an award that my boss, Joe Mercer, and Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney, Bert Trautmann and the men of their calibre were given was truly astonishing. It is an honour for which the greatest credit goes to Joe Mercer, Malcolm Allison, and the team. I've had some wonderful help on the way."
He was a very successful player during the Mercer-Allison era and a key figure as the Blues were crowned League One Champions in 1968 followed by a 1-0 victory over Leicester City to lift the FA Cup in 1969 and a 2-1 success against West Bromwich Albion to win the League Cup in 1970. He also won a European Cup Winners' Cup during his days as a defender.
His career with City began in 1966 - the year England won the World Cup - when he was signed for £17,000 from Plymouth Argyle. Malcolm Allison had been an admirer of Book since their days together at non-league Bath City. Allison persuaded Mercer to take a punt on the already experienced Book, saying he was 30 years old when he was actually 32.
This story is from the January 15, 2025 edition of Manchester Evening News.
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This story is from the January 15, 2025 edition of Manchester Evening News.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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