In This Month July 1977

Docherty leaves his wife… and then Man United breaks up with him

Tommy ‘The Doc’ losses his job soon after his affair came out

“It was a bombshell,” said a defeated-looking Tommy Docherty after finding out the Manchester United board wanted him out of Old Trafford. The sensational sacking was not due to a poor run in form; far from it actually, Docherty’s men has just beaten fierce rivals Liverpool to lift the FA Cup - so why was he sacked?

Two weeks prior to the FA Cup triumph, it was revealed that the Scot had been unfaithful to his wife of 27-years of marriage, and that he had been with Mary Brown, the wife of club physio, Laurie Brown. Not just an innocent post-season rub down eh, Tommy?

A few awkward days later, Docherty made his first public appearance sporting a lovely crimson and purple eye. Not the physiotherapy Laurie Brown is used to dishing out. 

Docherty thought his job was safe after the cup victory: “The board want me to stay and that's terrific." How wrong you were; and this only fuelled the blaze of publicity it received. Docherty claimed that the board had asked him to resign but the 25-timed-international refused as he thought he didn’t do anything wrong. However, the club found a breach in his contract and relieved Docherty of his duties there and then; suppose the breach had something to do with sleeping with the physio’s wife.

It wasn’t the board who wanted Docherty out, in fact, it was the wives of the Manchester United players who wanted the manager’s head as they exerted an immense amount of pressure on the board to get rid of the sly Scotsman. The then 49-year-old was on holiday in the Lake District but the club directors recall him to give him the nail in the coffin. 

But the story ends relatively happy as Docherty and Mrs. Brown tied the knot. Managers have always been sexier than physiotherapists anyway.

Also in this month…

1930 The first two World Cup matches ever kicked off simultaneously as France and the United States beat Mexico 4-1 and Belgium 3-0 respectively in Uruguay.

1974 Bill Shankley held the reigns as Liverpool boss for 15 years before he retired. The Legendary Kop manager won eleven major honours including three First Division triumphs, two FA Cups and a UEFA Cup.

2010 Spain defeated the Netherlands in the first World Cup to be hosted in Africa. Andres Iniesta’s extra-time goal in the 116^th minute was enough to guarantee that Spain were the first ever European team to win the biggest competitive trophy outside of their own continent.