Tommy Docherty has passed away

dogwithabone

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He epitomised Manchester United. Style, swagger and, dare I say it, a touch of arrogance. It’s a brave man who, upon his team losing to Southampton in the 1976 final, declared United will be back next year and win it - and we duly beat, of all teams, Liverpool in the 1977 final and that was when the FA Cup was one of the biggest occasions on the sporting calendar worldwide.

He could have gone on to genuine greatness with us but things conspired against him and it wasn’t to be. I’m not sure he ever fell in love with United the way a lot of past managers and players do but his time with us and the football we played can’t be under estimated.
 

Eric has landed

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I started watching United in the Doc's days, still as exciting football as I've seen since, players who really enjoyed playing the game. Worked Overseas most of my life, wherever I've been Man Utd is the team foreigners relate to when they know I'm from the UK. After years away from home finally secured a season ticket in 2018 and managed to see almost all home games (missed just 2) even being based in Eastern Europe during this time, meant lots of air travel, hotels in Salford, taxis around Manchester - but worth every penny. RIP Doc and thanks for the great memories.
 
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buchansleftleg

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RIP Doc...a loveable rogue who will no doubt be telling some absolute whoppers up in Football Heaven.

I loved watching his team and he had the swagger of a great Manager if not the actual record of one. A real football character!
 

MUM

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RIP Tommy lad, crazy home and away games under your leadership.
Condolences to family and friends.
 

RedIan

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Sad sad news, i started my Old Trafford journeys when Tommy Doc was manager. Great great days.
Great attacking teams, Coppell, Hill, Greenoffs, Pearson, Lou Maccari - and the atmosphere on the Stretford end was just electric..i was only a kid back then but lived for match day on the stretford end. . The Tunnel ruled!
RIP The Doc.
 

rk4utd

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Remember having a rosette made for me when I was 5 back in 76 - and my dad updating it in 77 when we did for the scousers. Been in love with united ever since - and have followed them all over and through the thick and thin - but it all started with the doc and his red army!

Stepney greenhof buchan daly macari hill Pearson Nichol Houston - so many memories - sad day indeed.

RIP doc - from one of your Red Army...
 

711

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After SAF he was the next best manager for me by a long chalk. Gave us youth and attack in abundance. I've been laughed at on here for saying I even enjoyed relegation, his rebuilding and fight to turn it around was absolutely thrilling, and anyone with half a brain could see he was going to carry on and storm back into the top division. Thanks Doc.

I met him about twenty years ago and he seemed ancient then to be honest.
 

Falcow

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I started watching United in the season when we were relegated to the 2nd division and the Doc was manager - we absolutely blitzed the 2nd division with attacking football and 2 wingers with Stuart Pearson upfront. Steve Coppell and Gordon Hill were 2 fantastic wingers in his team.

He had top deal with the demise of the "holy trinity" with Best, Law and Charlton's era coming to the end and did upset a few people along the way.

It was very sad that he got sacked for having an affair with Mary Brown the physio's wife and then spent the rest of his life happily married with her - after we'd just beaten Liverpool in the FA Cup ending their treble opportunity !

RIP Tommy Doc....
Didnt realise he ended up married to her. Different times imagine being sacked for that now.

RIP The Doc, a bit before my time.
 

rk4utd

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He epitomised Manchester United. Style, swagger and, dare I say it, a touch of arrogance. It’s a brave man who, upon his team losing to Southampton in the 1976 final, declared United will be back next year and win it - and we duly beat, of all teams, Liverpool in the 1977 final and that was when the FA Cup was one of the biggest occasions on the sporting calendar worldwide.

He could have gone on to genuine greatness with us but things conspired against him and it wasn’t to be. I’m not sure he ever fell in love with United the way a lot of past managers and players do but his time with us and the football we played can’t be under estimated.
He loved united to the bottom of his soul - he used to come in on none match days to soak up old Trafford atmosphere when it was empty - but like anybody jilted in their prime he never got over being sacked for falling in love with the physios wife. He then had to watch sexton undo his work before sniping in the press at Atkinson and then Fergie until he won the first title. He never got over being sacked by the football love of his life for the actual love of his life I’m afraid.
 

Livvie

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A team for 2020

Clemence
Cherry
Charlton
Hunter
Dunne
Fitzpatrick
Quixall
Stiles
Peters
Rossi
Maradona

Manager: Tommy Docherty

RIP Tommy
 

Moriarty

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A sad day. We all loved the Doc back then. I was there for his first game in charge against Leeds on a freezing December day in 1972. Christmas was just round the corner and we'd suffered a 0-5 humiliation at Palace the week before.

Old Trafford was packed and noisy singing 'we want to see the Doc' and he duly obliged by walking out and waving to us. We tore into Leeds that day. Willie Morgan beating Reaney time and time again - no easy task - and peppering them with crosses, one of which was knocked in by MacDougall at the Scoreboard End. Leeds, being Leeds, got a late equalizer through Clarke but I suppose the game will live in the memory because of the kid that ran on and tackled Lorimer.

Like @wolvored said, had he stayed, we would have been champions by 1980. RIP Tommy. Thanks for the memories.
 

man united 4eva

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R I P Tommy... Your brand of football 4-2-4 was always exciting to watch... win.. lose or draw.. Great memories especially being at Wembley in 77.. it more than made up for the disappointment in the 76 final as we stopped liverpool winning 'The Treble'.. :devil:
 

Saddy

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Didnt realise he ended up married to her. Different times imagine being sacked for that now.

RIP The Doc, a bit before my time.
I actually met him 2 years ago in a bungalow we were thinking about buying ( Stockport area but I won't say where ) - I walked into the house not knowing he was there and saw a Duncan Edwards photo on a magazine and mentioned to the woman (Mary) showing us around that I was a United fan. The woman said that you will find out when you see the rest of the house.

We walked into a small living room upstairs and I saw Scotland football memorabilia around the room with a guy watching the telly - I knew straight away it was Tommy Doc sat there and we had a chat for 10 minutes about football. We didn't buy the house but what a great moment for me and I told him what a great manager he'd been for the club with the style of football we'd played !
 

Red_toad

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My first United manager, makes you realise you’re getting on a bit when you find out he got to 92. my condolences to his family, R.I.P Doc
 

Falcow

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I actually met him 2 years ago in a bungalow we were thinking about buying ( Stockport area but I won't say where ) - I walked into the house not knowing he was there and saw a Duncan Edwards photo on a magazine and mentioned to the woman (Mary) showing us around that I was a United fan. The woman said that you will find out when you see the rest of the house.

We walked into a small living room upstairs and I saw Scotland football memorabilia around the room with a guy watching the telly - I knew straight away it was Tommy Doc sat there and we had a chat for 10 minutes about football. We didn't buy the house but what a great moment for me and I told him what a great manager he'd been for the club with the style of football we'd played !
Wow that was some surprise. That was great meeting him. Glad to hear his mind was still sound.

Hold on though... a bungalow with an upstairs?
 

Bondi77

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Sad to hear,
A Manchester United manager in every way
RIP the Doc.
 

Saddy

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Wow that was some surprise. That was great meeting him. Glad to hear his mind was still sound.

Hold on though... a bungalow with an upstairs?
Dormer bungalow I think the description - right on the side of a canal on a slope so you walked in and the top floor was still on the ground floor up the slope - nice place but we wouldn't pay the asking price which I won't say out of respect to them. I think they probably stayed there.
 

Threesus

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Thanks for getting us out of the championship. And thank you for stopping Liverpool from winning the treble.
You will never be forgotten.
 

Tribec

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Back in 76, my dad did a job for The Doc, and after paying my dad he offered him some tickets to a game at Old Trafford. This turned out to be the derby played days after the cup final defeat, but that was my first trip to Old Trafford. His team was my team, I may have just started school back then, but that team was fantastic, a joy to watch. True to the United way, and with players of whom all were heroes to someone. If it wasn't Buchan, it was Hill, if not him Pearson or Coppell. I do believe we'd have won the league around 1979/80 had he stayed.

A few years later my dad had to return to do another job, by this time he'd long since left United and I don't think he was managing at that point, but I still begged my dad to let me go with him. Tommy and Mary were very understanding when my dad asked if I could "help" him (all I did was stand next to him), as he chatted to Tommy about football and United. Another chunk of my childhood has departed with the death of Tommy Docherty, whilst Busby and Fergie are the greatest managers we've ever had, watching that young team of the Doc's was enthralling and captivating, it's no wonder we had such big crowds whilst he was manager.
 

Fitchett

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Used to love watching United play exciting, vibrant football under the Doc. RIP Tommy, you provided some great memories.
 

redshaw

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Rest in peace Doc

With him living local he used to appear regularly on the media in the 90s and 2000s, was great to hear from him and Dennis Law etc. One of his old jokes was if Liverpool were playing in his back garden he'd draw the curtains.
 

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RIP Doc. Absolutely loved the Doc’s teams. Played with wingers the Utd way.
 

surf

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RIP Doc. Built exciting young teams at Chelsea in the 60's and with us in the 70's. Hilariously funny man with an endless fund of good stories. A great character and one of several successful Scots managers of his era - Busby, Shankly, Stein, Fergie, Dalglish, Graham.