Ex-bath player who went on to glory with Man City
Football coach Steve Book was inspired as a youngster by a photo on his nan’s dining table in Bath of his uncle Tony lifting the FA Cup.
But he says the sheer magnitude of former Bath City player Tony’s status at Manchester City only dawned on him as the club’s glory days returned.
The Cheltenham Town goalkeeping coach grew up knowing ‘our Tone’ - who played for had enjoyed a successful career with City, who visit the Jonny-rocks Stadium in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday.
But the esteem in which ‘Skip’ is held by the Premier League club, with all their wealth and recent success, has confirmed him as one of their all-time greats, right up there with modern day heroes like Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Aguero.
Tony is an honorary president of the club, as well as being life president of their official supporters’ club. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame in January 2004 and, in normal times, he hosts hospitality guests at the Etihad Stadium.
After signing for them in 1966, he lifted more trophies as captain than any other player in their history.
He was named Footballer of the Year after a superb first season in a revered team, managed by Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison.
Tony won the European Cup Winners’ Cup (1970), First Division title (1967/68), FA Cup (1969), League Cup (1970) and Charity Shield (1972) during his playing days.
He became manager in 1974 and was in charge for six years, playing regularly in Europe and finishing runners-up in the 1976/77 League Championship after winning the 1976 League Cup.
“When I was young he was already the manager and he never used to boast about his playing achievements, so for me it was just ‘normal,’” said Steve, who was born the year Tony captained City to FA Cup final glory against Leicester City.
“As they’ve got all the money over the last 10 years or so, that’s when you realise what a proper legend he is there.
“He won everything, but he was always very modest about it.”
The majority of Book family members - and there are plenty, with Tony one of seven brothers are still based in Bath and most of them support Man City.
“It’s only my dad’s lot that support Man United and we’re the rebels I suppose, but City have a massive following in Bath thanks to
Tony,” Steve said.
“He’s lived in Manchester since he first went up there, but pretty much anyone of a certain age in Bath knows about Tony and loads of them used to go up on coaches to watch him.
“They’d have a drink with the City players after the game, which was crackers and I know it was always a good evening with Tony!”
Steve’s early memories of his uncle are weekly phone calls to the family home in Bath. “Our nan used to stay with us a lot and he’d ring every Sunday night,” he said. “He also paid for her to have a phone because it was quite expensive back then.
“I always used to think ‘any chance of a ticket?’ and I have been up there to watch them, as well as one game at Bristol City.
“I remember him coming down to see my old man and turning up at our house in his massive Jaguar.
“My nan had this black table with elephant trunks as the legs from when they were based in India with my grandad in the army and I used to look at the photo of Tony lifting the FA Cup and think ‘imagine that.’”
Tony played in non-league football with Peasedown Miners and then Bath City, where he began a long association with Allison.
He played under Allison briefly for Toronto City in Canada before joining Plymouth Argyle, entering the Football League for the first time at the age of 30, although Argyle believed him to be 28 due to a doctored birth certificate.
Two years later he joined Man City for £17,000, which is £9,000 more than Cheltenham paid Forest Green for Steve’s services in 1997 before he too went on to make his Football League debut at 30.
“Obviously he was on a very different scale, reaching the very top level and I was down in the lower leagues, but we both got our breaks late on,” Steve said
“I remember him saying to me at a family wedding, if you’re good enough, you’re good enough and he told me that I was good enough.
“He had a lot of knockbacks and he proved them all wrong, so I used that when it came to my own career.”
Steve won the FA Trophy and two promotions during seven years as a player with Cheltenham and the 51-year-old has been on the coaching staff at Whaddon Road for more than a decade.
He ended up following his father Kim’s footsteps by becoming a goalkeeper by trade, but when he was younger he played at rightback, just like his uncle.
At junior school he played outfield with his classmates for the school team, but also a couple of years above his age group in goal, underlining his early promise.
But at secondary school he missed a cross country meeting and was told he’d never represent the school again.
“It was a rugby school anyway,” he said. “But that was still a massive knock back and I remember my teacher goading me at times about coming from a football family so I wanted to shut him up as well!
“Proving people wrong was a big motivation for me and I remember a careers officer laughing in my face when I said I was going to be a pro footballer.”
Tony worked as a bricklayer before becoming a full-time footballer, while Steve worked as a carpenter.
Steve is known for being quickwitted, which he says comes from his dad, with Tony’s sense of humour far drier.
When the draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup paired Cheltenham with Man City, he was quickly on the phone to the great man, who is now 86.
“It’s a great tie for the club and the whole place is buzzing,” Steve said.
“It will give the club a bit of profile and it’s two ends of the football spectrum because for them it’s money no object, while we have to beg, steal and borrow.
“We might have say £500 a week for a keeper, which I’m guessing is slightly different to Pep (Guardiola)!”
The match will be played behindclosed-doors, but it is being broadcast live on BBC One, kicking off at 5.30pm on Saturday, meaning it will be the biggest audience ever for a match involving Cheltenham.
“It’s such a shame there won’t be any fans there because Whaddon Road would have been buzzing and I have phoned Tony because I am sure he’d have been there too,” Steve said.
“Every hanger on in Bath would have wanted a ticket too and all my cousins will be wanting us to lose!
“We won’t be able to have our hair cut for the big game, but I am sure Man City will manage to.”
❝ Manchester City have a massive following in Bath thanks to Tony. Steve Book, inset