Sammy McIlroy reflects on career highs and lows - Man Utd relegation & promotion, Man City stint & more

Sammy McIlroy reflected on his amazing career during a recent exclusive interview with ManchesterWorld.

The former Manchester United great spent 13 years at Old Trafford and witnessed the club’s decline from European champions to relegation, promotion back to the top-flight, nearly winning a First Division title, and leaving under a cloud during Ron Atkison’s reign.

But McIlroy also played for Manchester City for a brief spell in the latter stages of his career, and had an outstanding period with Northern Ireland where he represented his country in two World Cups.

As the 67-year-old’s autobiography The Last Busby Babe, the Autobiography of Sammy McIlroy MBE, with Wayne Barton goes on sale this coming Monday, McIlroy spoke to ManchesterWorld about the highs and lows of his playing days. Here’s what he had to say…

‘Last Busby Babe’ title and Sir Matt Busby’s legacy

“For me personally, it’s a fantastic honour. It got to me more later in life, than it did when I was a player. I didn’t really think about it when I was a player. Even when I went into management, I didn’t think much about it, but since I’ve gone back to United and worked at United and people bring it up more now than ever. It’s a great honour for me because, for me, this man is what Manchester United is all about. What he went through, the teams he built, the legacy he left and for managers to try and achieve what he did is virtually impossible. Really, it was only the great Sir Alex [Ferguson] who got the trophies back and handled the club the way Sir Matt did. Sir Matt knew everyone who worked at that football club. When I first went there at 15 as an apprentice and signed, he knew all the apprentices by their first names, the groundsmen by their first names, the laundry ladies by their first names. He made everyone feel part of the club. For a 15-year-old apprentice, to train with my hero George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, it was great to mix with those greats just after they’d won the European Cup in 1968, and that was down to him. He wanted to see if I’d freeze, how I’d handle it, give the ball to Denis Law or make a bad pass. I came away in later years and realised that was fantastic.”

United’s post-Busby decline

“In that stage, since breaking into the team, I had a car injury and I could see the team declining. Frank O’Farrell gave me my first game and Tommy Docherty replaced him. I’m picking up the paper every day and seeing players coming in left right and centre, while I’m out for six months. He brought in experienced players, but unfortunately we went down. But when he first came, January to May, I was completely out of it. Then he took me on a youth-team tour to get me some football and I was nowhere near ready. I had a punctured lung, four broken ribs, I couldn’t breathe right. But he took me away just to look at me. But he told me he’d give me a chance which was great.”

Promotion in 1974/75

“Everyone talks about that season. It made us, and that season we had record attendances home and away. Every away game was locked out. Docherty, when he finally got his feet under the table and got the players he wanted, it was a joy to play in. We all got on well together, we had characters in the team. Right throughout those years, from the promotion-winning team to the FA-winning team, I thought those days we were going to get better. But unfortunately, Tommy left and we had to start again.”

Finishing second in 1979/80

“If Dave Sexton had won it that season, that could have been the change. But we went into the final day of the season and Liverpool were still favourites and we were away at Leeds and they won 2-0. That was the closest I got to a First Division title, which I wanted from when I first joined. We hadn’t won that since Sir Matt, we won cups with Doc, got to two finals and won one, and then got to one with Dave Sexton. The FA Cup final was always a great one to play in. But we all wanted that First Division title and second was the closest I got. The pressure on Manchester United to be successful will never go away, from my time to now it’ll never go away.”

Leaving United & Ron Atkinson

“I do regret leaving. I was broken hearted. I remember going to collect my stuff and I had an accountant with me at the time, and I wanted to ask if the deal was done. I didn’t want to go. I regret leaving, but the situation with me and Big Ron wasn’t just down to football; changing my testimonial date, he had it in for me. It’s water under the bridge now and I have worked with him at MUTV since. He’s told me on a few occasions that things could have been different.”

Playing for City

“I left Stoke and they were great with me. They agreed to let me have a free transfer, which I really admired them for. I could have had a free transfer with Johnny Giles at West Brom, Brighton made enquiries and big Billy McNeill came in at City and I thought I’d see how it would go. I was beginning to have Achilles problems, and things didn’t work for me at City. They had come up from the Second Division and were nowhere near ready to challenge in the old Second Division. There was a section of City fans that didn’t take to me because of the ‘Last Busby’ title. I even scored on my debut for City at Coventry and I got booed. I got booed on my home debut for City when my name was read out. So I knew the writing was on the wall.”

Northern Ireland career

“My debut was in ‘71 but it had to be at Hull because of The Troubles and my mum and dad came over from Belfast to watch it. Two World Cups and a couple of British Championships isn’t bad for Northern Ireland. I worked under some great people: Terry Neill, Dave Clements, Danny Blanchflower - a hero of mine - and then Billy Bingham. When Billy came from 1980 to 1986 we had a fantastic time.”

Working in hospitality & punditry for United

“I keep in with the ex-players and others from different generations. We all have a good laugh. It’s great to see them and it helps me stay connected to the club. I love the club inside out. As a player and what I do now, I’ve been with the club for almost 25 years. It’s good because you go round the suites and these kids look at you wondering who you are, but the grandad will know me. They’d rather talk about [Cristiano] Ronaldo, but every time they do I talk about George Best. ‘Tell your dad or grandad to show you a video of George Best’. He was a lovely man as well - great company.”

This is the second article from our exclusive interview with McIlroy. In the next edition, we’ll bring you the United great’s opinion on the current team and squad, and how today’s group differ from the post-Busby era.