Almost exactly one year on from the excitement and optimism that greeted the arrival of Lawrie McMenemy to Wearside, the Sunderland manager was due to arrive back at Roker Park – following his trip to Mexico to watch the World Cup – on this day in 1986, safe in the knowledge that rebel director Barry Batey was waiting for a showdown with the Sunderland boss.
Batey had held a press conference the previous week to criticise McMenemy’s performance as manager, which included remarks about his wages and
payments to players. The Sunderland director had also claimed he had tried without success to contact Sunderland’s managing director during the World Cup:
He can’t hide for ever. When he does return to Roker Park I would like to sit down with Lawrie and Tom Cowie and try to thrash out a sensible policy for the coming months. We are in desperate trouble. We are losing £50,000 a month and season ticket sales are 25 per cent down on this time last year.
Batey also stated that he had considered stepping down from the board, which would have ended his long-running power struggle with chairman Tom Cowie, for the good of the club, but he felt he had the support and backing from the fans and had chosen to continue:
I realise how difficult things are for the manager with the chairman and myself so bitterly opposed about the way the club is being run. I even thought of stepping down from the board and if I thought it would help our situation, I would.
But the past few days I have had letters from Sunderland supporters from all parts of the country, urging me to continue my fight. The club is not about Tom Cowie, Lawrie McMenemy or Barry Batey. It’s about the fans. They are angry that we are paying the manager and his players so much for such poor return on the field.
The question of how long McMenemy would put up with the situation at the club was one of the hot topics in football during the summer of 1986, but after weeks of speculation about his position, he announced from Mexico that he was staying at Roker, where he had two years of his contract to run.
But since he made this revelation, a potential reason why he might not choose to walk away was revealed.
It was reported that in ten months at the club, McMenemy had earned £166,078, provoking a strong reaction from the fans after an abysmal first year in charge. McMenemy had made it clear, however, that the boardroom battle must end for the good of the club.
In other news…
Bruno’s bid for the title fails…
Frank Bruno’s world title dream ended in disappointment at Wembley Stadium in the early hours on this day in 1986, when he was knocked out in the 11th round by champion Tim Witherspoon.
Britain’s big boxing hope was ahead on points, but a big right-hand was the beginning of the end for Bruno. Witherspoon followed up with a succession of ruthless punches in the 11th round, and Bruno went down and failed to beat the count.
The referee stepped in to call a halt, feeling that the then 24-year-old Bruno was no longer in a position to continue. The fight was described as being similar to Bruno’s only other defeat at the time, which was a last-round knockout by another American, James “Bonecrusher” Smith, who finished Bruno after being behind on points.
Bruno’s face was so badly swollen that he was unable to be interviewed immediately after the fight, which was watched by a crowd of 50,000 at Wembley. Witherspoon, though, paid tribute to Bruno.
It was a great fight. The greatest fight I have ever fought. I loved it. I loved winning and I love Britain. I want to fight here again. Frank Bruno should not quit. He should go on because he’s the only fighter that ever hurt me. He could beat a lot of the fighters back in the US. They should give him a chance to fight for another title. He’s a nice guy and he’s a nice fighter, but I had the attitude before the fight to win.
Cram asked to lead the walkout…
Record-breaking Mackem Steve Cram revealed on this day in 1986 that he had been asked to lead an England team walk-out from the Commonwealth Games in protest at political interference.
He said after winning the 800 metres at the Pearl Assurance invitation meeting in Birmingham:
There is a suggestion that I should lead a walk-out of the England team. I don’t know why I have been chosen to lead a walk-out, but I have spoken to one or two athletes and they seem to think it would not be a bad idea.
Cram criticised the Government for joining the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, saying concern should not boycott the Commonwealth Games, which start a few days later. He said he would not organise a walk-out, but would back such a move “if there was enough support from athletes.”
Cram, who holds the world records for the mile and the 2,000 metres, and was Commonwealth, European and World champion over 1,500 metres, said:
I sympathise with the thoughts behind it, at least it would be athletes making the choice. I suppose it would bring some pressure to bear, but I am not a political animal. To achieve anything the whole England team would have to walk out, but even then I doubt it would achieve anything.
I don’t think athletes should ever be used in this way. It is a shame our Government were supporting a boycott six years ago in Moscow but are now turning round and say they countries shouldn’t boycott the Commonwealth Games.
I firmly believe boycotts achieve nothing and I would like to see the African nations go there to make their point. I certainly don’t expect anything to come of it and I don’t intend to go round and organise a walk-out.”
Cox chases Hartlepool defender…
Former Newcastle boss and Stokoe’s assistant back in 73’, Arthur Cox, was chasing Hartlepool centre-half David Linighan for his current club Derby County back on this day in 1986.
Cox, having led Derby back into the Second Division, was ready to pay £70,000 for the then 21-year-old Linighan. Wigan felt they were close to clinching his signature until Derby moved in. The Hartlepool defender, whose brother Alan is with Oldham, had also had talks with Blackpool and Rotherham.
