Former Man Utd and Scotland manager Tommy Docherty dies aged 92

Ollie Irish

31st, December 2020

1 Comment

The Doc (right) with George Best in their Man Utd days

Former Manchester United and Scotland manager Tommy Docherty has passed away aged 92 after a long illness. He was one of Scottish football’s great characters, possessed of a rapier-like wit and with a near-permanent twinkle in his eye.

‘The Doc’ won 25 caps for Scotland, earned on the back of a terrific career at Preston, and he would go on to manage the national team in the early 1970s. He also managed a dozen clubs, including Chelsea, Aston Villa and Derby. He was best known for his five-year spell at Old Trafford, which included an FA Cup final triumph over Bob Paisley’s Liverpool in 1977.

Infamously, Docherty lost the Man Utd job after it was revealed he was having an affair with the wife of United physio Laurie Brown, who was 18 years his junior. He still had ten months of his £20,000-a-year contract to run. Laurie also gave him a black eye for his troubles.

A family statement said: “Tommy passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at home. He was a much-loved husband, father and papa and will be terribly missed. We ask that our privacy be respected at this time. There will no further comment.”

RIP Tommy.

Posted in Man Utd, Scottish football

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  1. Walter Eagle says:

    I love the fact that the image at the top has to include in its caption “The Doc (right)” !
    Surely, surely, no self-respecting football fan could fail to recognise him, or the other guy, whoever it was (left).

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