| WHO WAS THE BEST MANAGER IN ENGLAND DURING BILL NICHOLSON’S TIME AS MANAGER AT THFC: 1958-74?
As the names of competitions have changed many times over the years since 1958 and new competitions have started, I will use the following at all times in this article.
KEY:
DIV 1 = Division 1; FAC = FA Cup; FLC – Football League Cup in all its many names; EC = European Cup/Champions League; ECWC = European Cup Winners Cup; ICFC = Inter Cities Fairs Cup; UEFA C – UEFA Cup
ALSO: If I name the competition in full it stands for all the versions of that competition.
I am ignoring Charity Shield matches, as this is not a proper competition in my mind.
AND: I am ignoring runners-up/beaten finalists. This assessment is about winners only. As the old adage days, “No-one remembers or cares who is second in the League or who loses a Cup Final.”
1. BACKGROUND.
On October 11th 2023 it will be the 65th anniversary of Bill Nicholson becoming Tottenham Hotspur’s manager. We Spurs fans know Bill was our most successful manager ever, winning 8 major trophies (11 if you count the Charity Shield, which I will not in this paper.) Also Bill achieved so many firsts, as I will reveal. Finally, he created arguably the finest football team ever to grace the Football League.
So what is Bill’s legacy and how does he compare to his fellow contemporary managers?
Bill was Spurs’ manager from October 1958 to November 1974. As such, for ease’s sake, I will take it that he was manager from the start of the 1958-9 season through to the end of the 1973-4 season.
2. SO DIFFERENT TO TODAY.
Now those 16 seasons were remarkable in so many ways. They were the most open seasons in the history of the Football League.
Consider this:
**In the 16 seasons from 1958-9 to 1973-4, 11 different clubs won the League Division 1 … BUT in the 50 seasons from 1974-5 to 2022-3 only 12 different clubs have done so
**In the 16 seasons from 1958-9 to 1973-4, 13 different clubs won the FA Cup … BUT in the 50 seasons from 1974-5 to 2022-3 only 15 different clubs have done so
**In the 13 seasons from 1960-1 (its first season) to 1973-4 13 different clubs won the Football League Cup … BUT in the 50 seasons from 1974-5 to 2022-23 only 18 different clubs have done so
**In the 1960s no club retained the Division 1 title. That is the only full decade in the history of the Football League that no club retained the Division1 title (WWI & WWII caused part decades in the playing of the Football League).
**Please remember it was only 2 points a win in those days.
Clearly it was more difficult to win a trophy in Bill’s time, as the competition was from more clubs and no club dominated. However, after Bill’s time, it was easier for a few clubs to dominate winning these trophies and, so, harder for all teams to win anything.
WHY COULD SO MANY DIFFERENT TEAMS WIN TROPHIES IN THE SEASONS 1958-8 TO 1973-4 BUT NOT IN SUBSEQUENT SEASONS ?
THREE MAIN REASONS …
1. In 1961 the £20 per week set maximum salary for all footballers was lifted, allowing clubs to pay their players whatever they chose to. Up to 1961 the greatest players e.g. Danny Blanchflower, could only be paid the same maximum salary as an average player in the same club could achieve. Clearly abolishing the maximum wage would allow the richer clubs to attract the best players by offering high wages. And they did.
2. At the same time Division 1 clubs were allowed to charge higher admission charges than lower league clubs, reflecting the move towards big clubs gaining supporters from beyond their own area. Again clubs could increase their income and spend that on players.
So clubs like Spurs, Man Utd, Liverpool, Everton who all had capacities in the high 50,000s to 60,000s started to earn a far higher income than clubs like Preston, who had a capacity of 26,000. Simple economics started to give larger clubs an edge over those with smaller grounds and fan bases.
[Editor’s Note : Entertainment Tax, which had been imposed to support the war effort from 1919 was abolished in 1960. While this was initially only a nominal amount (approximately 5-10%), but, by 1952-3, the club handbook revealed that it was going to be it was almost 30%. The removal of the tax meant additional money for clubs to spend, especially those who attracted the biggest crowds.]
3. Later, in 1980s, the rule that the home club shared gate receipts with the visiting club was scrapped. Once more, clubs with higher capacities could benefit greatly Although these changes took a few seasons to have a real effect, the way football was soon to be dominated by a few wealthier clubs with greater income streams can be seen. But not so in 1958.
SO HOW DID BILL NICHOLSON BUILD HIS GREAT 1960-61 DOUBLE WINNING TEAM?
Well, some of it was in place when Bill became manager. However, a crucial point is that he had been a coach at the club and had worked with these players, so the building blocks of the team were there and Bill new them intimately. He had no need of the usual “getting to know your squad,” that most new managers needed.
In place were Peter Baker, Danny Blanchflower, Maurice Norman, Bobby Smith and Terry Dyson.
Also the few reserves in the double season were in place: John Hollowbread, John Smith, Terry Medwin.
Still, Bill strengthened the squad/team, seeing it needed reinforcements. And what reinforcements Bill accrued ! Bill Brown, Ron Henry, Dave Mackay, Cliff Jones, John White and Les Allen.
I would claim that Mackay, and Jones would get in any all-time Spurs team with Brown, Henry and White being first reserves. Bill’s recruitment was spot on.
And the rest is the history we so admire and celebrate.
But that team lasted just 3 seasons and Bill managed Spurs for 15 years, so how did the rest of his time at Spurs compare to his opponents?
In his 15 years Bill created 1 outstanding team and 2 very good ones.
Let’s study each season of those teams:
TEAM 1 – 1959-64
1958-9: Bill inherited a team that had finished 2nd & 3rd but then 18th in the previous three seasons, so the chances of success seemed to be slipping away. The dismal 18th place seemed to be continuing at the start of the 1958-59 season when the team gained only 9 points from its first 11 matches – relegation form. After Bill became manager the team’s form continued to be poor but a strong finish of 19 points from the final 12 matches saw Spurs safe – but only just by 6 points.
1959-60: The team started well with 8 wins and 6 draws from 15 games. By March Spurs were top of the league and looking a strong bet for the title. But then one of Bill’s recurring issues in these five seasons struck: a bad end of season run. A run of only 4 points from 7 games allowed Burnley to become champions. Spurs should have won the title but 2 home losses – both of which I saw as an 8 year old – over Easter against teams in the bottom seven threw it away. Finishing just 2 points behind Burnley and with a better goal average, a win in either match would have given made Spurs champions.
A low winning points total of 55 made the League eminently winnable. HOWEVER: A Spurs win at Wolves in the penultimate game of the season prevented Wolves winning the Double!
 1960-61: The best season ever. No need to say more.
1961-62: We were in a strong position to retain the title but, again, after Christmas too many draws and a run of only 9 points from 9 games made Ipswich champions by only 4 points. Also, Ipswich beat Spurs twice which handed them the title. A low winning points total of 56 made the league eminently winnable (again).
1962-63: A repeat, as Spurs healthy league position faltered. In the final 11 games, Spurs only gained 9 points allowing Everton to take the title by 6 points.
1963-64: And again, a faltering Spurs lost the title to Liverpool by 6 points, having taken only 7 points from the final 10 games. In these 11 games we lost to Liverpool twice. A low winning points total of 57 made the league eminently winnable. Spurs conceding 81 goals all season against Liverpool’s 45 shows where the title was decided.
Excepting 1960-61, in all of the seasons above the title was a very close race with the champions winning by 6 points or fewer. Also, each year had at least 4 teams in with a chance of the title in April. This made any hiccup, like Spurs repeatedly had, would offer opportunities to 3 other clubs, so increasing the chances of one of then taking that chance and overtaking us. In addition, the total
winning points were quite low making the title eminently winnable. Clearly this applied to other clubs too.
Looking back, there is a suspicion that Bill stayed too loyal, for too long, to too many of the Double team, which may have cost us at least one additional title and maybe two. Also, there was no culture of the rotation of players – the first team always played. This hit Spurs hard, as they went deep into European competitions and the FA Cup in two of these seasons.
It has been suggested that Bill sacrificed the 1962 title in an attempt to win the European Cup, but results do not really support that, as they do not support similar accusations when winning the Cup Winners Cup in 1963. Still, should a manager and coach of Bill’s talent not have found a way to avoid this late season loss of form in 4 out of 5 seasons ? Maybe the team needed refreshing earlier than was attempted either in giving tired first-teamers a rest or buying new players. But that was not the thinking in Bill’s time.
Suffering such a disappointment once is unfortunate, repeating it 3 more times seems careless. But, hey, who am I to criticise Bill?
We know all about the 1960-63 teams: Winners – FL; FAC x 2; ECWC. So how did Bill’s other 2 best teams fare?
TEAM 2: 1966-67
This one season was very successful being sandwiched between very mediocre seasons in which mid-table finishes and poor Cup performances caused dismay at WHL.
In this season Spurs moved top of the table in October only to lose 5 of their next 6 matches before restoring the earlier form.
However, that major blip cost Spurs dearly. Even a good run from Christmas – including winning 9 of the last 10 matches – could not undo its damage with us finishing 3rd, 4 points behind the champions. Definitely another missed chance.
The FA Cup win at Wembley was compensation but Bill must have seen it as another title lost.
BUT … All this talk of “missed opportunities to win the league,” have been in existence from 1888 right up to today. Ask Arsenal fans about last season, 2022-23. So, this was never only a Spurs issue, but one all teams in contention can recognise.
TEAM 3: 1970-74
Spurs played a remarkable 79 Cup matches in the 4 seasons 1970-4, in addition to their 169 league games. And modern teams complain about too many matches !!!!
It was a Spurs Cup feast, as we won the League Cup in 1971 & 1973 with a UEFA Cup win sandwiched between. We were in contention for the league for some of the 1970-71 season but not again. A glorious time to be a Spurs fan.
This rich period of form ended so sadly on May 29th 1974, when Spurs fans rioted in Feyenoord, as we lost the very first Cup Final in our history. Whatever the provocation by the police – and there was much – the behaviour of the THFC fans was deplorable and, effectively, ended Bills’ reign as our manager.
Looking back, we set the standard for English teams’ hooliganism, which Leeds, Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool and many others copied. It drove a stake through Bill’s heart, from which he never recovered. So sad. But this was a great period for Spurs and Bill.
SO HOW DID BILL NICHOLSON DO ?
Well, creating one winning team is tough but three is remarkable and rarely achieved by one manager up until 1974. It put Bill firmly in the top level of club management ever seen before in English football.
Only Busby’ managed it, and that over 20 years.
SO HOW DOES BILL NICHOLSON’S MANAGEMENT CAREER COMPARE TO HIS MAIN OPPONENTS.
KEY: For each club:
*(Main manager 1958-74 in brackets)
*Background to the club pre-1958;
*Achievements 1958-74.
**I WILL REMOVE THE ALSO RANS FIRST BEFORE GETTING DOWN TO THE TOP TEAMS.
ALSO RANS;
IPSWICH TOWN: (Alf Ramsey)
*Alf became the most famous manager ever in English football when he won the World Cup in 1966, something I doubt will be repeated in my lifetime. But England cannot be included in this study of league successes. However, he deserves mention.
*In 1961 took Ipswich to Division 1 for the first time ever and then won it in 1962.
*Left to manage England in 1963
*1 X DIV 1
*Fantastic league achievement by Alf but not enough to trouble Bill.
WOLVES: (Stan Cullis)
*Had a very successful 1950s with 3 x Division 1s but they were a team on the slide as their 1960 FA Cup win was their last success for many years.
*1 x FAC
*Peripheral at best in Nicholson’s years
BURNLEY: (Harry Potts)
*Had a brief 3 seasons’ fame 1960-63 but faded after that. New financial regulations hit them hard.
*1 x DIV 1
**Peripheral at best in Nicholson’s years
EVERTON: (Harry Catterick)
**Recruited Harry Catterick from Sheffield Wednesday in 1961 and went on a successful run in the 60s and 1970
*2 x DIV 1 ; 1 x FAC
**Too peripheral to be a challenge to Bill Nick.
MANCHESTER CITY: (Joe Mercer)
*Recruiting Malcom Allison as coach and promotion in 1966 spring-boarded City to a successful last two seasons in the 1960s and 1 in early 70s after a poor period from 1956 – 65. However, only in contention in 4 seasons, so can be discounted.
*1 x DIV 1 ; 1 x FAC; 1 x ECWC
**Too peripheral to be a challenge to Bill Nick.
CHELSEA: (Tommy Docherty; Dave Sexton)
*Flattered but underachieved under Tommy Docherty, when opportunities for success were squandered. But Sexton produced 2 seasons of success before the club faded away.
*1 x FAC; 1 x ECWC; 1 LC
*Peripheral at best in Nicholson’s years
ARSENAL: (Billy Wright; Bertie Mee)
*The most successful club in England up to the mid-1950s. They slumped until Bertie Mee produced a decent team over 4 seasons. And Mee won the Double, only the second of the century, so that gives him tremendous credit.
*1 x DIV 1; 1 x FAC = The Double; 1 x ICFC
*Peripheral at best in Nicholson’s years
DERBY COUNTY: (Brian Clough)
*Only came into contention in the early 70s when Clough started his successes.
*1 x DIV1
*Peripheral at best in Nicholson’s years.
NOW FOR BILL NICHOLSON’S SERIOUS RIVALS FOR MANAGERIAL DEITY BILL’S MOST SERIOUS RIVALS
LIVERPOOL: (Bill Shankly)
*Liverpool won the first post WWII league title but then sank into Division 2 where they stayed, going nowhere fast. Then Shankly was appointed. He set them on the way to being the most successful club in England.
*Lack of European success is a negative.
*3 x Division 1s makes Shankly a very strong contender to Bill.
A real challenge to Nicholson as the best manager of his time.
*3 x DIV 1; 2 x FAC
MANCHESTER UNITED: (Matt Busby)
*Took over Man Utd in 1945 with the club going nowhere. They had only 2 x League titles to their name, both pre-WWI. Busby invented the modern manager, took an English club into Europe for the first time and set in stone the basis for United to become the most successful English club of all time.
Busby’s winning the European Cup, the first English team to do so, lifts him very high up the list.
Also, the Munich disaster probably/possibly (who knows?) robbed him of the first League & Cup double and first European trophy but history denied him that. In the end you cannot argue with history.
His record over 27 years makes him probably the greatest manager in England of all time, with only Ferguson challenging him. However, Busby was starting to show signs of fading even before the 1968 European Cup win. Yet his 1955-58 Busby Babes and 1964-68 Best/Law/Charlton teams were two of the very best ever seen in England.
A real challenge to Bill.
*2 x DIV 1; 1 x FAC; 1 x EC
LEEDS: (Don Revie)
*In 1961 Revie took over a club in Division 2, with no history of success, Leeds had spent 4 different spells totalling 19 unremarkable seasons in Division 1, only 6 in the top half of the division. Inherited a great youth team – Bremner, Hunter, Lorimer and all. He turned them into a fantastically successful team that took English football by surprise in 1964 and kept them in contention for every trophy until he left in 1974. Today, it would be like taking Birmingham City and making them one of the most feared teams in Europe, which could never happen nowadays. Their weakness was snatching runners-up places from the lips of winners, so their record could (should) have been even better. Also, whilst playing some sublime football, Leeds mastered the arts of cheating in as many ways as possible, which tarnished their reputation outside of Yorkshire. And, of course, today all teams cheat the way Leeds did !
But their record demands real respect for Revie.
*2 x DIV 1; 1 x FAC; 1 x FLC; 2 x ICFC
TOTTENHAM HOTPSUR: (Bill Nicholson)
I have documented Bill’s many successes. But one facet of his reign needs emphasising Bill achieved so many “first time ever” successes in English football – which are never to be underestimated.
BILL NICHOLSON – THE FIRST TIME EVER MANAGER … and yes I include The Charity Shield.
One of Bill’s great achievements was to be the very first to achieve new records. Here goes:
*First 20th century League and Cup Double
*First team ever to hold the FA Cup, Division 1 title & Charity Shield at the same time
*First British team to win a European trophy.
*First to win all 3 English competitive trophies: Division 1; FA Cup; Football League Cup
*First to win 2 x FL Cups
*First to win Division 2 and Division 1 as a player and Division 1 as a manager (Alf did it one year later.)
In favour of Nicholson was this ability to be the first to achieve so many things. Being the first to achieve a feat is always much harder than being the second, third or whatever. Whether one considers the 4 minute mile, climbing Everest, swimming the channel or flying the Atlantic, when one achieved it others followed quickly. This was the same in Bill’s footballing successes. No team had achieved the League and Cup Double in the 50 non-wartime seasons of the 20th century until Bill did. Then teams did the same in every decade after that and still do: 10 in the following 62 seasons.
When the glass ceiling is broken it is easier to pass through it.
In addition these are not bad records either:
*4th manager ever to win 3 FA Cups and the first since 1929
*2nd manager to win 2 European trophies
SO, WHO WAS THE BEST MANAGER OF NICHOLSON’S TIME ?
For consistency of success at a high level from 1958-74 I list 4 managers: Bill Nicholson, Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Don Revie.
MATT BUSBY achieved greatness with the 1968 European Cup win but, I feel, he was in decline through much of Bill’s time. If I take Busby’s full managerial record from 1945, he stands alone but his record during Bill’s time only puts him on a par with Bill.
BILL SHANKLY achieved so much from a poor starting point. Also, he set in stone the basis for Liverpool’s future successes. Creating two teams is a real plus but his failure in Europe is a black mark.
However his achievements, especially winning 3 Division 1 titles, puts him on Bill’s level.
DON REVIE did the “impossible” of taking a “going nowhere” club to the heights of English & European football. Leeds’ dramatic decline 18 months after Revie left confirms Revie’s magic. Like it or not, Revie must be at Bill’s level.
So … I think that all four managers: Nicholson, Busby, Shankly and Revie were superb and turned their clubs into major players in English and European football. Each has his many different plusses and a few dissimilar minuses, so grading them may be a pointless and meaningless task.
My final comment is that the manager who achieved all these wonderful “first time” successes, perhaps, just has the edge but maybe such an edge is not needed, as we marvel at the work all 4 men did.
AH ! BUT ………………………… only one of these 4 managers won the League & Cup Double, the Holy Grail of the post-WWII years. Perhaps that one massive achievement makes Bill the Pope and leaves the others as worthy Cardinals.
But, of course, I may be biased!.
AND NOW FOR THE NERD !
It is said you can prove anything with statistics, so here goes.
Statistical analysis of the seasons 1958-9 to 1973-4.
Rating of winning each competition:
10 points = Division1 tile; European Cup
8 points = UEFA Cup (more open than the ICFC)
7 points = Inter Cities Fairs Cup (more matches than ECWC)
6 points = FA Cup; European Cup Winners Cup (fewer matches that UEFAC)
5 points = Football League Cup (not taken as seriously as FAC in the 1960s/early70s).
So how did the top 4 teams do 1958-9 to 1973-4 ?
BILL NICHOLSON – Tottenham Hotspur 1xLge; 3x FAC; 2xFLC; 1 x ECWC; 1 x UEFA C = 52pts
BILL SHANKLY – Liverpool = 3xLge; 2xFAC = 42pts
MATT BUSBY – Manchester United = 1xEC; 2xLge;1xFAC = 36pts
DON REVIE – Leeds United = 2xLge;1xFAC;2xICFC; 1xFLC = 45pts
QED.
Mike Arnold
September 2023
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