On This Day (3 Jan 1992): Manager speculation hots up as Murray seeks quick Smith replacement
01/03/2025 01:00 AM
The race to be Denis Smith's successor was heating up.
After losing patience with Denis Smith's inability to get a promotion charge mounted, Bob Murray had pulled the trigger – and now the job of replacing Smith had begun in earnest.
At the top of the list was former Blackburn manager Don Mackay.
Scotsman Mackay had been a goalkeeper in his playing days, playing primarily for Dundee United, before beginning his managerial career in Denmark in the late 70s.
He returned to Scotland to manage Dundee for more than 200 games, getting them up to the Scottish Premiership, and after departing Dens Park he joined Coventry as Bobby Gould's assistant, taking over in the hotseat after Gould's departure. He guided Coventry to their own 'great escape' but couldn't prevent another relegation battle the following season, and was relieved of his duties.
He returned to Scotland to be part of Graeme Souness's coaching staff at Rangers, before joining second division Blackburn, and guiding them into the playoffs on three occasions. He was unsuccessful in each of the playoff campaigns, but did win the Full Members Cup with Blackburn, however after a poor start to the 91-92 season he departed Ewood Park.
However, going after Mackay wasn't as straightforward as it may otherwise have been. Because just as the board decided to get rid of Smith, and earmarked MacKay as his replacement, MacKay had seemingly agreed to take over at Third Division Fulham – but had not yet officially signed the deal.
When asked about the possibility of moving to Roker Park instead of Craven Cottage, MacKay said:
I have always believed that if there are opportunities you have to take them. We can't shut doors on the situation. If there's any truth in it they have to talk to the chairman.
The chairman in question, however, was Sunderland nemesis Jimmy Hill, who certainly wasn't entertaining any notion that MacKay would be leaving West London as quickly as he'd arrived.
We have agreed a contract with Don Mackay and we would not take kindly to an approach by any club.
The reaction to Don's appointment as manager by the players and staff is excellent, and that is reflected in the performances on the field; there is new life about the place, and we have heard nothing from Sunderland.
Murray's back up plan in case a deal with Mackay couldn't be agreed seemed to be top flight Notts County manager Neil Warnock who, when asked about the vacancy at Sunderland, said:
I'm the manager of Notts County and I have no comment to make about speculation.
Of course, Warnock has since revealed he was offered the job, and it's his biggest regret in football not accepting it. He's the one I really wish we'd got in at this point – Steve Coppell was heavily linked too, but never seemed the 'right fit' to me.
Interestingly, Don Mackay officially took over at Fulham in late January, which seems to indicate he was biding his time to see whether a deal could be struck with Sunderland, before putting pen to paper.
Caretaker Malcolm Crosby had guided the team to a convincing win at home to Barnsley, and was preparing to lead the team out at home to Port Vale in the FA Cup. Only a few weeks earlier, Murray had turned down an approach from York to speak with Crosby about their vacant managerial position, and the win over Barnsley had seen Crosby's odds for the job drop from 50/1 to 10/1.
As he prepared for the game against Port Vale, Crosby said:
I'm sure the fans would love us to have a good cup run, But all I'm, interested in is winning as many games as possible and getting the club up the league.
Down in West London, meanwhile, Mackay enjoyed some initial success but departed two years later, with the club struggling in the Third Division – eventually being relegated to the Fourth Division at the end of 93-94. Mackay and Hill didn't get on.
Later in Mackay's tenure at Fulham, during a game at Leyton Orient, Hill came down to the dugout to publicly tell Mackay what he was doing wrong, and at half time came to the dressing room.
Mackay later recalled:
Hill couldn't help himself. At half-time, with us trailing 2-0, he barged into the dressing-room.
"I have been here for so long, I deserve my say," he said. "He told the players, you are not doing this right, you are not doing that right. Then he went out of the door, and pointed at me and said: 'you sort it out'."
The next day, Mackay was sacked.
On the Sunday morning the vice-chairman came to see me. He said: 'you are no longer manager, we are taking it from you'.
The thing that annoyed me is that Jimmy Hill never even told me, he went off to the League Cup final, I saw him on television. We haven't spoken since.
