Lineker-led highs and relegation haunted lows of the yo-yo decade
A TIME OF DRIFTING BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND CROWD BEHAVIOUR AND DWINDLING ATTENDANCES
FOUR of Leicester City’s seasons in the 1980s involved either promotion to, or relegation from, the old First Division, writes official club historian John Hutchinson. In preparation for the 1979/80 season, manager Jock Wallace, in his second season at Filbert Street and aiming for promotion to the top flight, strengthened his young side by signing striker Alan Young (for a club record fee of £250,000), Ian Wilson, Gregor Stevens and Pat Byrne.
Larry May’s winning goal at Orient in the last game of the season secured the second tier title, giving rise to mass celebrations on the Brisbane Road pitch by the travelling supporters. The only real blip in the season was the humiliating FA Cup defeat in a third round replay to Isthmian League side Harlow Town.
In the close season, a function room called the Belvoir Suite was built on to the old Main Stand and Wallace, confident his side would do well back in the top flight, signed Partick Thistle’s striker, Jim Melrose, for £250,000.
Andy Peake scored a spectacular goal in a 2-0 home victory over champions Liverpool in August 1980 and, in January 1981, City, although bottom of the table, completed the double over Liverpool, ending the Reds’ 85-match unbeaten run at Anfield.
A month later, in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid relegation, Wallace narrowly failed to sign Dutch superstar Johan Cruyff, but he did succeed in signing winger Steve Lynex who went on to play 240 games while at Filbert Street.
The following season (1981/82) saw Wallace’s newly-relegated side miss out on promotion, despite Gary Lineker’s goals in his first full season in the first team.
Mid-table in March, City defeated Shrewsbury Town 5-2 in a memorable FA Cup quarter-final clash at Filbert Street when the home side used three goalkeepers. Mark Wallington’s seven-year ever-present run in the first team ended when he was injured and Alan Young and then Steve Lynex took over in goal.
In the semi-final, City were defeated 2-0 at Villa Park by a Spurs side inspired by Ossie Ardiles and Glenn Hoddle. Compounding the misery, Tommy Williams broke his leg and Ian Wilson scored an own goal.
During the close season, centreback John O’Neill played in the group stage for Northern Ireland in the 1982 World Cup in Spain, alongside Martin O’Neill. A month later, Wallace broke his contract and defected to Motherwell, despite the best efforts of chairman Terry Shipman to prevent the move.
Wallace’s successor was Coventry City’s manager, the ex-Liverpool and England wing-half, Gordon Milne.
He soon selected future England international Alan Smith (Wallace’s last signing, from non-league AlveEverton church) to be Lineker’s strike partner. Over the next three seasons they plundered 122 goals between them.
The loan signing of Gerry Daly from Milne’s old club, Coventry, was the catalyst for an unbeaten run of 15 games which took City to the third promotion spot in May 1983. They needed to win their last game, at home against Burnley, to ensure promotion at Fulham’s expense.
In the event they drew 0-0, but Fulham lost at Derby amid controversy when the referee ended the game early because of crowd problems.
A Football League enquiry upheld the Fulham result and Leicester were back in the top flight.
The following season (1983/84), City’s shirt design incorporated a new running fox crest, thin white vertical stripes and, for the first time, a sponsor’s logo. This advertised the Ind Coope brewery, whose corporate colours resulted in the notorious green and yellow away kit for the next two seasons.
In December 1983, the club played its ever Sunday fixture, away at Nottingham Forest.
Lineker’s 22 goals helped Leicester to finish in 15th and also earned him his first England cap. Meanwhile,
Paul Ramsey was capped by Northern Ireland.
The curtain-raiser to the club’s centenary season (1984/85) was a double-header at Filbert Street. The first match, between Leicester players from the 1960s and 1970s, was followed by a match against Alex Ferguson’s European Super Cup holders, Aberdeen.
Three months later, Kevin MacDonald transferred to Liverpool and the Foxes again finished in 15th place again. Lineker’s 24 goals won him the Golden Boot.
That summer, in June 1985, Lineker went to league champions
for an initial fee of £800,000, keeper Mark Wallington went to Derby County after playing 460 games for Leicester and Andy Peake went to Grimsby Town.
Incoming players were centreback Russell Osman and the Motherwell pair of Ali Mauchlen and Gary McAllister.
Milne’s team struggled in 1985/86, finishing 19th. Despite the loan signing of ex-England, West Brom and Real Madrid star Laurie Cunningham, the average home attendance was only 11,792.
With decaying stadia nationwide, hooliganism, fenced in crowds and English clubs banned from Europe after the Heysel disaster, football was going through a difficult time. For the rest of the decade, average home crowds at Filbert Street never reached 12,000, with two seasons averaging crowds of just over 10,000.
In June 1986, Bryan Hamilton became team manager, working in harness with Milne who became general manager until the end of the season.
Hamilton’s first signing was the young Wigan centre-back Steve Walsh, who went on to become a true club legend in his 14 years at Filbert Street.
In December 1986, Barcelona’s Lineker returned to Filbert Street for Tommy Williams’ testimonial match. Four months later, with relegation looming, Arsenal signed top scorer Alan Smith for £800,000 and immediately loaned him back to the Foxes for the rest of the season to help them in their unsuccessful fight against relegation.
The remainder of the decade was bleak for Leicester City. Despite signing striker Mike Newell for a club record £300,000 and the arrival of the “Mighty Finn” Jari Rantanen, the newly-relegated side, wearing the Walkers logo on their shirts for the first time, lost five of their first six games.
In September, Scotland international Ian Wilson left for Everton. Three months later, with the team at the bottom of the Second Division, Hamilton was sacked.
In the second half of the season, new boss David Pleat improved results dramatically and the Foxes finished in 13th position.
This form made City favourites for promotion the following season (1988/89). Alan Paris, Tony Spearing and Jimmy Quinn were added to the squad, but the team finished in a hugely disappointing 15th.
In April of 1989, the Hillsborough disaster had cast a massive shadow over English football.
However, with the Taylor Report into the disaster, England’s Italia 90 exploits rekindling the country’s passion for its national sport, and the establishment of the Premier League, the next decade changed the face of football forever.
The fortunes of Leicester City were also to change dramatically in the 1990s.
THE ERA OF LEICESTER CITY’S LEGENDARY STRIKER WAS ALSO
TIERS, UGLY