All connected with Cambridge United have been saddened to hear of the death, at the age of 84, of former manager John Docherty...
A strong case can be made for Docherty’s position as the most successful manager in United’s history. His achievements in securing promotion to the Second Division in 1978 and, most impressively, in maintaining that position for six seasons against overwhelming odds, cannot be overstressed.
Docherty, having been sacked as manager by Brentford, arrived at the Abbey Stadium in late 1976, taking training sessions on a voluntary basis for his friend Ron Atkinson, the U’s manager at the time. In the summer of 1977 he was appointed full-time coach, providing an effervescent and sometimes brusque counterpoint to the affable Atkinson.
When Atkinson left for West Bromwich Albion in January 1978, with United looking good for promotion from the Third Division, Docherty and assistant manager Paddy Sowden took joint charge of the team. Promotion was duly secured in the season’s final game with a 2-1 home win over Exeter City, and Docherty was confirmed as manager with a two-year contract.
Despite the pundits’ predictions of relegation, United finished their first season in the Second Division in 12th place, justifying Docherty’s defiant statement: ‘We are here to stay’. The following season saw an improvement to eighth, and subsequent finishes in 13th, 14th and 12th places confirmed the manager’s ability to make the best use of slim resources.
Worsening financial pressures, exacerbated when a change in Football League rules meant that clubs would keep all of their home gate money instead of sharing it with their opponents - a heavy blow for the club with the division’s lowest attendances - eventually told, and United were relegated at the end of the 1983-84 season. Docherty had been fired halfway through the season, after five years and seven months as manager.
Docherty became assistant to Frank McLintock at Brentford in February 1984, and then went on to manage Millwall to great effect, taking them into the First Division for the first time in their history in 1988. He later worked at Bradford City before returning to the Den in 1997. He is remembered as the south London club’s most successful manager.
John Docherty, born in Glasgow on 29 September 1940, had plied his footballing trade as a winger with Sheffield United, Reading and in three separate spells at Brentford. He became manager of the Bees in January 1975.
A hard-working player and manager of great talent, he will be sadly missed by the football family.