Many unexpected events have happened in my TV career, including appearing for the defence at an FA disciplinary commission hearing!
The charge was brought against Leeds United manager Howard Wilkinson, who was accused of insulting a linesman with foul and abusive language during his side’s 6-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday, who were managed by Trevor Francis.
The date: Sunday, January 12, 1992.
How was I involved? What was my role both on the day and at the later hearing?
Well, ITV had the exclusive live rights for the old Football League including Division One, which became the Premier League the next season.
I was ITV’s touchline reporter, standing next to Wilkinson, who was in the dugout. What he was actually doing at that moment was shouting at Tony Dorigo, his attacking left back.
The said linesman – neither Wilkinson nor I can recall his name – was not in our vision.
Two or three days after the game, Wilkinson rang me to explain that he had been charged by the FA and would I please find any useful video evidence and would I appear for him at the hearing.
Also attending would be trusted top northern football writer for the Daily Mail David Walker, later to become Leeds United media officer and then sports editor for the Daily Mirror.
This was an embarrassing situation for Wilkinson, now 79, on two counts.
First of all he was innocent, as David and I were thankfully able to prove.
Secondly, Wilkinson, with Graham Taylor’s help, had lately formed the League Managers’ Association which had broken away from FLESA (a body that represented all executives, including team managers) and this did not look good!
But luckily, I found an untransmitted piece of video from our live match coverage that proved Wilkinson was in his area; that I was next to him and that the linesman was a long way from the incident at the other end of the pitch!
The FA Commission was chaired by Geoffrey Thompson, who was completely fair in every way. ITV’s video clip proved Howard’s innocence and the charge was soon dismissed.
Wilkinson was to become the last English manager to win the top League title that season.
To my knowledge, the linesman involved did not have top duties again.
Wilkinson, as he was then, is chairman of the League Managers’ Association as well as a technical UEFA person working on four Pro License courses a year.
He remains a good friend, as does Trevor Francis with both Wilkinson and myself.
Wilkinson told me concerning Trevor: “Our boys were on a similar age and at the same school so we got to know each other. We have been good friends ever since.
“Ironically, our wives (Samantha and Helen) met for the first time at that particular game and Sam told me that, despite Trevor’s team being hammered, Helen was so charming. They got on well and we all became close friends.”
Wilkinson gave one of the eulogies at the funeral of Helen Francis in Solihull in April 2017.
Over the years, before automatic suspensions, clubs had often asked me for video clips of incidents in defence of their players on FA charges.
The legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly brought his centre-half Larry Lloyd into the ATV Studios in Birmingham in the early ‘70s on the day Lloyd was due to appear at an FA hearing at the Midlands Hotel.
I took them to the video department and had the incident relayed on a screen.
There was chaos as Shankly used the video operators like players and manhandled them into different positions around the room, yelling instructions to Lloyd about what he was to say to the commission.
Then he left, leaving ATV people wondering about this madman who did not even say thank you to them.
The FA only once asked me for video evidence and I felt like poacher turned gamekeeper.
The Birmingham City centre-half Noel Blake had head-butted Aston Villa’s Steve McMahon in a feisty local derby at Villa Park.
The Blues manager, Ron Saunders, got wind of their request and before I had made a decision ‘ordered’ me not to release it or otherwise he would ban me from every Midlands ground.
Rightly, I refused to be bullied and therefore decided to provide it to the FA. Blake received a suspension.
Saunders slagged me off in the press both nationally and locally. I responded until my bosses told me to stop it.
The other clubs refused to ban me. Saunders stopped me going to the Blues until two Midlands MPs tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons supporting me and condemning Birmingham City.
The Blues fans took a long while to forgive me.
Ironically, years later, Saunders asked me for a TV pundit’s job. Guess the outcome!
Gary’s back on Tuesday with Utilita Energy in the Birmingham Mail and Coventry Telegraph.
