Former Manchester City boss Malcolm Allison has died aged 83, the club have announced.
Tributes flood in for ex-Blues boss
Former Manchester City boss Malcolm Allison has died aged 83, the club have announced.
Allison managed 11 clubs at home and abroad during his successful career, but he is best known for his time at Manchester City.
Allison was known as one of the most innovative and flamboyant coaches of his generation and had a hugely successful partnership with Joe Mercer at Manchester City in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
City went on to win the second division championship in 1966, the League title in 1968, FA Cup in 1969 and European Cup Winners' Cup and League Cup in 1970.
City's club ambassador Mike Summerbee paid tribute to Allison's impact at the club during his time in charge.
"Malcolm changed football by making us train like athletes, in that respect he was ahead of his time and he was a great tactician as well," said Summerbee.
"He was also one of the lads - in effect he was the 12th player from the sidelines but he knew how to crack the whip and we respected him.
"He was a great psychologist; he knew how to handle me and how to get more out of me. He did the same for Colin Bell, Francis Lee, Neil Young and all of that great side."
Worshipped
City life president and former general secretary Bernard Halford, who knew Allison for more than 40 years, said, "We will never see the likes of him ever again, and he did so much for the club.
"The signing of Tony Book was a masterstroke, but he enhanced the careers of so many other players and they worshipped him.
"You knew he was in a room with you, not many people have that kind of presence but Malcolm did, and he transferred the confidence he had in himself to the team.
"He felt we could beat anybody and he wanted the players to think that way too."
City, whose flags are at half mast, will pay tribute to Allison at their Premier League home game against Arsenal next Sunday.
The club also revealed there will also be an appropriate commemoration to his life and work in the memorial garden at the City of Manchester Stadium.
