Manager who gave up Man United for love
FORMER Manchester United and Scotland manager Tommy Docherty has died at the age of 92.
The charismatic Scot, known as “The Doc”, had been ill for some time. His family were at his bedside.
Docherty spent nine years as a player with Preston, with spells at Arsenal and Chelsea, and won 25 caps for Scotland before going on to manage 12 clubs, including Chelsea, Aston Villa and Derby, as well as a stint in charge of his national side.
He led Chelsea to the 1965 League Cup but he is best known for his five years at Old Trafford, which saw George Best fail to revive his United career and relegation in 1974. However, his team was back in the top flight after a season and he oversaw an FA Cup final win over Bob Paisley’s League and European Cup- winning Liverpool in 1977.
Docherty’s time at Manchester United came to an abrupt end in 1977 after it was publicly revealed that he was having an affair with the wife of club physio Laurie Brown.
Irrepressible
It also marked the end of his marriage to Agnes after 28 years and four children together. But his relationship with Mary Brown flourished and the couple later married and had two daughters together.
“I must be the only man to lose his job for falling in love,” he would say. But he also declared Mary to be worth “20 Man Uniteds”.
Born in the Gorbals in Glasgow, Docherty served in the Highland Light Infantry and was on duty in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in 1946 when it was blown up by terrorists, killing 91 people.
He perfected his footballing skills in the Army and that earned him a contract with Celtic before he moved to Preston at the age of 21, playing alongside soccer great Tom Finney.
He also won 25 Scotland caps and went to two World Cups, but is best remembered as a manager in a career that took also him to Portugal and Australia.
He retired from football in 1988, after a year in charge of non- league Altrincham. Famously irrepressible and with an apparently endless repertoire of jokes and anecdotes, he worked as an after- dinner speaker and media pundit on football shows such as Saint And Greavsie.
Docherty, who lived in the Northwest, was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
In a statement, the family said: “Tommy passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at home.
“He was a much- loved husband, father and papa and will be terribly missed. We ask that our privacy be respected at this time. There will be no further comment.”
Manchester United said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Tommy Docherty, who led us to FA Cup victory in 1977 with a thrilling, attacking team in the best traditions of Manchester United.
“Everyone at the club sends sincere condolences to Tommy’s loved ones.”
Witty
Lou Macari and Sammy McIlroy, both of whom played under Docherty at United, gave fond tributes to their former manager.
Macari told Sky Sports News: “He was a larger than life character who could make anybody laugh and that was his big strength. You get in the dressing room an hour from kick- off and he would entertain you all the way to three o’clock. As a result, the players were relaxed.”
McIlroy added: “He was an unbelievable bloke, very witty, always joking, always talking about football and it was a great pleasure at the time to be in his company around the Seventies when I had just broken into the side.
“For about four to five years, we were an unbelievable side and that was all down to the Doc.”
Rod Petrie, president of the Scottish Football Association, said football had lost “a tremendous personality”.