Previous year's summer turmoils.... (not great nostalgia)

[Badger]

Thinking about this yesterday, and really the current turmoil is nothing new for Saints in the close season. Obviously 2014 is immediately in everyone's minds as a comparison, but thinking back we've had similar instances of panic in June & July since I can remember.

 

What has changed though is the internet which provides a place for coming together of supporters, and where the panic and rumour can build up momentum whereas at one time we relied on the Evening Echo to give us our updates, and you could only mull over this with family, and friends at school, work or pub.

 

In the time I've followed Saints (late 1960's) we've faced numerous summer dramas:

 

1973 - Ron Davies leaves Saints (end of an era), no one particularly bothered in those days he was going to Pompey to 'retire' , in fact it seemed a bit quaint. Lawrie Mac joins as Team Manager Designate (what would we make of that ?)

1974 Relegation , end of the world is nigh, should we retain LM ? Terry Paine given a free (bigger end of an era)?

1975 - failed to get promotion , would Mike Channon stay?, should we retain LM ? Signing of Peter Rodrigues , 32, on a free transfer ? Lack of ambition etc

1976 - FA Cup euphoria - what was there to moan about ? Lack of signings perhaps, no one then suggested unrealistic targets or expected the board to spend excessive amounts ( this would have been £300,000 on a single player).

1977 - Mike Channon leaves (another end of the world is nigh moment)

1979 - was this the year of the Lawrie to Leeds summer ?

1980 - Keegan euphoria

1981- - Lawrie to Man Utd rumours ?

1982 - rumblings of discontent and KK likely to leave rumours

1985 - Lawrie quits , who to take over ? I seem to recall a lot of uninspiring names touted - Ray Harford for one - before Nicholl was appointed

1986 -89 - can't recall any but must have been some

1990 - World Cup year, already rumblings of sacking Chris Nicholl (probably had been for a couple of seasons)

1991 - Nicholl sacked, replacement ? Redknapp (believe it or not) was largely the fans choice, then Branfoot selected.

1992 - Shearer going, Dixon & Speedie signing, being rooked by spurs & Venables over Ruddock at a tribunal.

1995 - Alan Ball leaves

1996 - Dave Merrington relieved of duties

1997 - Souness & LM quit, His Rupertship arrives, Berkovic slips through the net (we didn't even know he hadn't permanently signed) bigger Balls up than the Toby fiasco

1999 - Great escape, but Dave Jones news breaks shortly after the season ends

 

I can't be bothered with 2000 onwards as by this stage we were getting the internet to pour out the anger.

 

 

The items in bold would probably be on a par with the current situation for the level of hysteria that might have unleashed had we had the internet at our disposal.

 

Surprising looking abck how often we've had the managerial upheavel, which is remarkable for a club once known for "not sacking managers".

 

Question then, which of the above or other turmoils would have caused the biggest meltdown of all ?