Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Bond: Jimmy Sirrel drove me mad!
IT would be an understatement to say John Bond is not a big fan of continental bosses. However, one particular manager from another country always used to get his goat. Cherries' televised clash against Notts County tonight will evoke memories of the rivalry between the two clubs in the early 1970s, not least Bond's stormy relationship with his counterpart Jimmy Sirrel. He used to drive me mad! said Bond of the late Scotsman who is revered by the County faithful as the club's greatest manager of all time. Bond first locked horns with Sirrel during his debut season as Cherries manager in 1970-71 when he slammed County's strong-arm approach following a 2-1 defeat at Meadow Lane. The return fixture dubbed The County Crunch was another feisty affair and again had Bond spitting feathers at County's spoiling tactics. It hurts me to think that a team has to resort to these methods, said Bond at the time. Managers, as well as players, owe it to their profession to give of their best at all times. And the best lies in skill and technique. A crowd of 15,430 packed into Dean Court to see Phil Boyer's late equaliser earn Cherries a share of the spoils after Ted MacDougall had missed a penalty. County went on to take the Division Four title with Cherries finishing as runners-up. Jimmy did a fantastic job, said Bond, speaking to the Daily Echo last night. He would do everything under the sun to aggravate you and we had some rare old battles. When I reflect on it now, it was gamesmanship and he was very good at it because he used to get my back up. I got on okay with him in the end. At one stage, we even went to court over a player called Don Masson. I tried for my life to sign him, but couldn't. He was a great player and they were a tough side. I always thought they would be the only team that would stop us that season and so it proved. Bond arrived from West Ham in May 1970 following relegation for Cherries the previous season and instantly revived the club's fortunes. With MacDougall bagging 49 goals, the club's first promotion campaign was memorable. We set the town alight! said Bond. The crowds had dwindled the previous season but we were getting 12,000 sometimes. The public liked what they saw and wanted to be part of it. It was a very special time. When I first arrived, the chairman Harold Walker told me I would have about £20,000 to spend. I think I spent about £400,000! We started doing things in training that I had done under Ron Greenwood at West Ham. It was so simple but we made silk purses out of sow ears with some of the players. The players loved it and they became good players. When I left West Ham, they said all I would need was a good memory and that was all it took. All the things I did under Ron worked miracles. It wasn't scientific and they could still do it today. But if the ball doesn't come to them, they don't go and get it. Ted MacDougall attacked balls like nobody else in the game. He was transformed from a 15-goals-a-season merchant to someone who scored almost 90 in two years. Some of these managers from the Continent are more like school teachers these days. I don't like the ones at Liverpool, Chelsea or Portsmouth. They just seem so far removed from the game and what it's all about. Bond, who went on to manage Norwich, Manchester City, Burnley, Swansea, Birmingham and Shrewsbury, will be an interested spectator from the comfort of his armchair when Cherries square up against the Magpies tonight. Always outspoken, his opinions show no signs of dimming, despite his advancing years. He celebrated his 77th birthday just four days ago. Asked for his thoughts on the current goings-on at County, he said: It looks like a lot of nonsense to me. I heard they had a manager on £1m a year. They can't afford that in 20 years, never mind one! The lad from Portsmouth went there (Sol Campbell) and obviously couldn't believe his eyes. It looks to me as if there wasn't the money there that they were talking about. That's only my opinion though!