Swindon Town – The Lou Macari Years, by David Wallis; published by Pitch Publishing; price: £19.99
Recent seasons haven’t been too kind for Swindon Town, but a glance back to the past highlights that fortunes can change quickly in football.
Struggling Robins appoint Macari
Author David Wallis transports us back to the mid-1980s, a time when the Robins were plying their trade in the Football League’s bottom tier, then known as the Fourth Division.
Swindon were hardly pulling up any trees either, finishing the 1983-84 season a lowly 17th.
But then came the introduction of Lou Macari as player-manager in the summer of 1984.
In many ways, it was a gamble by the Wiltshire club. The 35-year-old had enjoyed a glittering playing career with Celtic, Manchester United, and Scotland but was a managerial rookie.
He really had no experience of what life was like in the Football League basement.
Swindon fans could have been forgiven for wondering if Macari was the right man for the job, but, as it turned out, he proved to be an inspired choice.
For while the midfielder may have spent his playing days in the game’s upper echelons, he was no big-time Charlie.
Scot oversees golden years
Taking a leaf out of legendary Celtic boss Jock Stein’s book, Macari kept things simple in terms of tactics and worked hard to get his players in tip-top shape.
A string of shrewd signings at bargain prices also helped to turn the tide.
Wallis takes us through their climb from the Fourth Division to the Second Division via back-to-back promotions in 1986 and 1987. There is an in-depth look at how the Robins performed in each season.
Macari spent five years in the hotseat before leaving for West Ham in 1989 and Wallis gets to the heart of the team’s determination, the controversies – and there were a few – and the glory.
With the views of Macari on that golden era in a stand-alone chapter, it gives the book added weight.
Clearly, this is a book that Swindon fans of a certain age will love. It will bring back plenty of memories of good times in the past.
Younger supporters can also enjoy learning about a memorable chapter in the club’s history.
Wallis had the idea of writing the book for over a decade before finally deciding to take the plunge. It’s been a labour of love and, overall, he’s certainly done the Macari years justice.
Rating: 7/10
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