Albion legend Johnny Giles takes stock of career

Nov 19 2010 By Chris Lepkowski

Everyone is at it these days – using their own book to right the wrongs of their life.

West Bromwich Albion have been associated with a fair share of Mea Culpas recently in the form of hard-back.

Cyrille Regis brought out his excellent autobiography, with Bobby Gould following suit.

Both touched on their mixed fortunes at The Hawthorns.

And now it’s the turn of Johnny Giles, former two-time manager of the Baggies.

His book was understandable.

The portrayal of him in David Peace’s ‘‘factional’’ novel The Damned United had Giles heading straight to the courts after feeling aggrieved by references to his character in the book.

He probably would have been joined by Brian Clough, Peter Taylor and Billy Bremner, had they still been alive.

But of more interest to Albion fans will be the sections on their club.

Giles first came to B71 in 1975, helping the Division Two club to promotion in ’76 and seventh in their first year back in the top flight.

He left in the summer of 1977, citing an unhappiness with his role at the club and his perception of a manager’s role.

He was replaced by Ronnie Allen, before Ron Atkinson came in at the start of 1978.

By the time Giles, a former Ireland international, who turned 70 earlier this month, returned to the club in 1984 things were very different.

Mismanagement at managerial and boardroom level had left Albion in a mess, not least financially.

Players were sold and replaced with lesser footballers. With hooliganism rife, attendances were lower than ever before. And Giles admits he was wrong to return.

His second stint was unsuccessful – he quit during the opening weeks of the disastrous 1985-86 campaign, when the Baggies took just one point from their first ten games.

He now claims – serving as a potential warning for the Liverpool supporters clamouring for Kenny Dalglish – that his seven-year spell out of management left him rusty and out of touch.

Speaking ahead of the launch of his new book, simply called A Football Man, Giles concedes that he has mixed memories of a club he still holds with great affection.

“I had two of my happiest years there during my first spell. John Wile, Ally Robertson, Willie Johnston, Len Cantello, Tony Brown, Bryan Robson ... we had some fantastic players,” he recalls.

“It was a job I had to learn quickly in. I made mistakes. One of them was making too many changes too quickly and too rashly.

“I hadn’t settled into the place myself and I was making big decisions.

“But then we beat Bristol City 2-0 and that was the turning point.