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JOHN DOCHERTY
John Docherty is most the successful and longest serving manager in Cambridge United’s Football League history. Taking charge when Ron Atkinson jumped ship, John guided United into the second tier of English football for the first time and, against all the odds, kept them there for six successive seasons.
John had left Brentford and was kicking his heels when, in September 1976, his old friend Ron Atkinson asked him to help out with some coaching at Cambridge United. It wasn’t until a year later, though, at the start of the 1977-78 season, that he was formally appointed to the United coaching staff.
United were riding high in the old Third Division in January 1978 when Big Ron departed for West Brom. John was initially appointed ‘team manager’, with Paddy Sowden as ‘general manager’.
John had been brought up on street football in Glasgow and was the polar opposite of his flamboyant predecessor. He was a pragmatist, to Ron’s idealist, and this quickly became apparent when he started to move away from Ron’s favoured 4-3-3 to a tighter 4-4-2 system, especially away from home. United were conceding too often, he said. It worked a treat, and United stormed to promotion in second place, conceding only 15 goals in his 19 games in charge.
John was confirmed as manager, in sole charge, at the start of the 1978-79 season, aged just 38. Chairman David Ruston was 100% behind him: “His tactics got us up into the second division”, he said. United finished their first ever season in the second tier in 12th place, above the likes of Burnley, Leicester, Luton, Sheffield United and Blackburn.
The following season United finished eighth, one place behind West Ham and one above Newcastle. Every season United were favourites for relegation; every season John Docherty proved the doubters wrong. Under his charge United never finished below 14th place in the Second Division and, thus, never had to play in the first round of the League Cup the following season. His team recorded famous league victories over heavyweights like Stoke City, West Ham, Newcastle, Birmingham, Sunderland, QPR, Chelsea, Leicester and Derby.
In 1980, in the League Cup, the U’s knocked out holders Wolves, winning both legs, and then Aston Villa, who were destined to win the First Division championship that season … and the European Cup the next. Don’t forget, in those days teams would field their strongest line up in domestic cup competitions. John’s decision to play Steve Fallon as a sweeper at Molineux was a tactical masterstroke and caught the attention of England manager Ron Greenwood who wondered whether it might work for the national team! It was a truly golden age to be a Cambridge United fan.
John departed the Abbey after a poor start to the 1983-84 season, with United’s finances strained by a new rule that deprived away teams a share of the home gate.
In May 1989 ‘The Doc’ was appointed as George Graham’s successor at Millwall, and the following year he steered the Lions to promotion to the first division for the first – and only – time. John Docherty was a history maker at the Den. John Docherty was a history maker at the Abbey, and he now takes his rightful place in the Cambridge United Hall of Fame.
Click below to see the scrapbooks that covered the period John Dochert was manager
John Docherty is most the successful and longest serving manager in Cambridge United’s Football League history. Taking charge when Ron Atkinson jumped ship, John guided United into the second tier of English football for the first time and, against all the odds, kept them there for six successive seasons.
John had left Brentford and was kicking his heels when, in September 1976, his old friend Ron Atkinson asked him to help out with some coaching at Cambridge United. It wasn’t until a year later, though, at the start of the 1977-78 season, that he was formally appointed to the United coaching staff.
United were riding high in the old Third Division in January 1978 when Big Ron departed for West Brom. John was initially appointed ‘team manager’, with Paddy Sowden as ‘general manager’.
John had been brought up on street football in Glasgow and was the polar opposite of his flamboyant predecessor. He was a pragmatist, to Ron’s idealist, and this quickly became apparent when he started to move away from Ron’s favoured 4-3-3 to a tighter 4-4-2 system, especially away from home. United were conceding too often, he said. It worked a treat, and United stormed to promotion in second place, conceding only 15 goals in his 19 games in charge.
John was confirmed as manager, in sole charge, at the start of the 1978-79 season, aged just 38. Chairman David Ruston was 100% behind him: “His tactics got us up into the second division”, he said. United finished their first ever season in the second tier in 12th place, above the likes of Burnley, Leicester, Luton, Sheffield United and Blackburn.
The following season United finished eighth, one place behind West Ham and one above Newcastle. Every season United were favourites for relegation; every season John Docherty proved the doubters wrong. Under his charge United never finished below 14th place in the Second Division and, thus, never had to play in the first round of the League Cup the following season. His team recorded famous league victories over heavyweights like Stoke City, West Ham, Newcastle, Birmingham, Sunderland, QPR, Chelsea, Leicester and Derby.
In 1980, in the League Cup, the U’s knocked out holders Wolves, winning both legs, and then Aston Villa, who were destined to win the First Division championship that season … and the European Cup the next. Don’t forget, in those days teams would field their strongest line up in domestic cup competitions. John’s decision to play Steve Fallon as a sweeper at Molineux was a tactical masterstroke and caught the attention of England manager Ron Greenwood who wondered whether it might work for the national team! It was a truly golden age to be a Cambridge United fan.
John departed the Abbey after a poor start to the 1983-84 season, with United’s finances strained by a new rule that deprived away teams a share of the home gate.
In May 1989 ‘The Doc’ was appointed as George Graham’s successor at Millwall, and the following year he steered the Lions to promotion to the first division for the first – and only – time. John Docherty was a history maker at the Den. John Docherty was a history maker at the Abbey, and he now takes his rightful place in the Cambridge United Hall of Fame.
Click below to see the scrapbooks that covered the period John Dochert was manager