Tony Book, Manchester City title winner and ‘club legend’, dies aged 90 | Manchester City

The previous Manchester Metropolis ­captain and supervisor Tony Ebook has died on the age of 90. Ebook, whose ­honours as a Metropolis participant included a First Division title in 1968 and an FA Cup a 12 months later, additionally performed for Bathtub Metropolis and ­Plymouth.

Manchester Metropolis mentioned in a ­assertion: “It’s with large ­unhappiness and the heaviest of hearts that we announce the ­passing of former Manchester Metropolis captain and supervisor Tony Ebook, aged 90. A true membership legend in each sense of the phrase.” Ebook made 315 ­appearances for Metropolis between 1966 and 1974, scoring 5 targets.

He additionally received a League Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup in his days as a defender at Metropolis. As ­supervisor from 1974-79 he received the League Cup in 1976 and got here second within the First Division in 1977, dropping out to Liverpool by a degree. Ebook later took an vital position within the youth setup, serving to to win the FA Youth Cup in 1986.

Ebook spent a lot of his profession with non-league Bathtub Metropolis in his house city and had Malcolm Allison, who managed him there, and a few lies about his age to thank for his late breakthrough as an expert.

­Allison signed Ebook for Toronto Metropolis in 1964, then introduced him to ­Plymouth after telling the administrators Ebook was 28, not 30, and advising the total‑again to physician his start certificates by two years.

Ebook was 32 when he signed for Metropolis for £17,000 and a tribute posted by the membership on Tuesday mentioned he was once more presupposed to be two years youthful to get the deal by means of. ­Allison was at that time the assistant to Joe Mercer.

Ebook continued to play for Metropolis till the age of 39 when, after a spell as caretaker supervisor, he grew to become Ron Saunders’s assistant. When Saunders was sacked Ebook took over and was supervisor of the workforce that received 1-0 at Previous Trafford in 1974 when Manchester United have been relegated.

Ebook had two additional spells in caretaker cost, in 1989 and 1993, and was a part of Peter Reid’s teaching employees. He later grew to become an honorary membership president.

Former teammate Mike ­Summerbee informed the membership’s web site: “I believe he was among the best defenders the membership has ever signed – and that’s not being disrespectful to our different nice defenders – he was simply an distinctive participant and a terrific reader of the sport.

“He was additionally a really modest particular person, and he discovered it troublesome to simply accept the reward heaped on his shoulders, generally as a result of he didn’t assume he deserved it.

“I used to be shut mates with George Finest, and he at all times mentioned Tony was his most troublesome opponent, which is kind of a praise given George’s expertise. He was an excellent man. Very humble, sort and he can be sadly missed.”

Metropolis’s chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, mentioned: “For practically 60 years Tony helped to form Manchester Metropolis. Not simply in what he contributed as a participant, captain and supervisor however in the way in which he performed himself. His hopes and ambitions for his membership have been matched solely by his unimaginable humility concerning his personal important achievements.

“He’ll perpetually be remembered by our supporters as a person who helped to put the foundations upon which unprecedented success may very well be constructed.”