Why did Stan Anderson leave?

We seemed to finish somewhere between 4th and 6th every year - in those days only the top 2 when up.

In 1972/3 crowds dropped and we struggled to score it looked like we would finish mid table. A 3rd round FAC defeat at Plymouth was the final straw, so no cup run like we had in 1970 and 1971 and 1972.
 
think he just thought it wasnt gonna happen for him at the Boro- my first manager when I started on 1970. Can remember Dr Neil Philips telling a story in his book about a return plane journey after a defeat against lowly Plymouth in the FA Cup in 1973 and he sat next to Stan and he never said a word on the way back, he turned round and said to the chairman - he has took the team as far as he could and wished to resign, ... went to manage AEK Athens , which may have been in the picture as to why he left, tad warmer than the Boro
 
Last edited:
alanmoodysdog said:
think he just thought it wasnt gonna happen for him at the Boro- my first manager when I started on 1970. Can remember Dr Neil Philips telling a story in his book about a return plane journey after a defeat against lowly Plymouth in the FA Cup in 1973 and he sat next to Stan and he never said a word on the way back, he turned round and said to the chairman - he has took the team as far as he could and wished to resign, ... went to manage AEK Athens , which may have been in the picture as to why he left, tad warmer than the Boro
Click to expand...
Enjoy your posts, they always bring good comments and people involved at the time.
 
His last 2 signings alanmoodysdog were exceptional, Alan Foggon from Cardiff & his final signing a certain Graeme Souness from Spurs, he certainly knew how to spot talent, add those players to his other signings, John Craggs, John Hickton, Stuey Boam, gave debuts to Jim Platt, Dave Mills, Willie Maddren then there's the team almost that ran away with the 2nd division championship

Willie Maddren was very simialr in spotting talent as his signings for Bruces team proved
 
Last edited:
There is a really good (auto) biography with Stan.
Stan Anderson Captain of the North written with Mark Metcalf - very interesting because not only does it talk about his times at the three big north east clubs but it also touches on corruption and why teams would often be world beaters at home and then get trounced away. Look back at Boro's records and you will see it time and again, we would destroy a team at Ayresome knocking loads of goals past them then a week later be hammered off the park by the same team.
But getting back to the topic, Stan was a football purist. I interviewed him about this as well. He developed many of his ideas while watching international games in the England squad. He believed in playing the ball on the deck and a passing game front to back. Like Swansea or Arsenal, or Tony Mowbray. You could say he was several decades ahead of his time. Yet not everyone is prepared to be patient with this fans or players. And that always irked him.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stan-Anderson-Captain-North/dp/1899807985
 
Cliff Mitchell the old gazette reporter got a lift back to the Boro after the game on our
AA coach as he could not travel with the team as he normally did,first thing he did on arriving was buy a copy of the sports gazette.Stan left 2 weeks later after a run of 4 wins in 18 games
 
Robert Nichols said:
There is a really good (auto) biography with Stan.
Stan Anderson Captain of the North written with Mark Metcalf - very interesting because not only does it talk about his times at the three big north east clubs but it also touches on corruption and why teams would often be world beaters at home and then get trounced away. Look back at Boro's records and you will see it time and again, we would destroy a team at Ayresome knocking loads of goals past them then a week later be hammered off the park by the same team.
But getting back to the topic, Stan was a football purist. I interviewed him about this as well. He developed many of his ideas while watching international games in the England squad. He believed in playing the ball on the deck and a passing game front to back. Like Swansea or Arsenal, or Tony Mowbray. You could say he was several decades ahead of his time. Yet not everyone is prepared to be patient with this fans or players. And that always irked him.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stan-Anderson-Captain-North/dp/1899807985
Click to expand...
Cheers, I`pick that up.
 
I've heard this patience thing before from managers after unsuccessful spells. Stan had great support during his tenure. The team were struggling when he went, the crowds were dropping.

He had 7 good years at the club, he wouldn't have had more than three in the current era, he'd have been sacked after his second failure to get us up.
 
Just been reading Captain of the North East myself. In it Stan says that he felt that he had taken Boro as far as he could. He also admits that AEK were lined up before resigned and they doubled his wages. He didn’t stay with them long though because Greek football at that time was hugely corrupt with referees being bought to make dodgy decisions and there was also some nasty violence.
 
Last edited:
Just think Stans team would of made the play offs every year in modern times,they were such an exciting team my first heroes Derek Downing,Mcmordie and George Smith some of the unsung heroes
 
Stan was manager for 6.5 years it was a decent stretch, some good signings, Hickton, Boam, Foggon, Platt, Craggs, Souness - Jack's great side of 1974 was really Stan's team with just Murdoch added.

Souness said recently on a Sky interview his first game at Boro was Plymouth away in 1973 and he joked he got the manager sacked. Souness was played at left back.

Didn't Stan manager Doncaster soon after AEK Athens?

We took some great FAC scalps in the 1970-72 period - West Ham, Man City, Man United - some say the board didn't want promotion, because he would too much financial pressure on the club. They certainly were careful, but Stan was never forced to sell players like recent managers at the Boro.
 
Redwurzel said:
Didn't Stan manager Doncaster soon after AEK Athens?
Click to expand...
Yep. And Notlob.

He was signing books in the old shop in Captain Cook Square, probably ten years ago. I'm not one for speaking to my heroes, but Rob was in there at the time and pushed me forward. So I ended up with a signed book and quite a long chat with Stan. He seemed like a really nice chap.
 
Some great memories of Stans years st Boro .Cup games v West Ham, Man United and Man City.

Only just failed to get us promoted and introduction Of John Hickton and Souness gave Jack Charlton a sound foundation for promotion winning team.
 
He deserves to be remembered fondly, but surely nobody on the planet would say moving him on and then getting Jack Charlton in was not absolutely the right thing to do?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top