21.04.2013 Views

Autobiography

Autobiography

Autobiography

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

taking over as manager, MacAnthony achieved<br />

it. Peterborough gained automatic promotion<br />

from League Two in 2008 and League One in<br />

2009.<br />

I know that if I became the owner of a nonleague<br />

or League Two club, the first person I<br />

would wish to employ would be Barry Fry who<br />

is still one of the best judges of talent in the<br />

lower leagues. I’d start from there and aim for<br />

the top, and like MacAnthony have a lot of fun<br />

in between. There is no one better at wheeling<br />

and dealing at that level than Barry, and at<br />

times he kept Peterborough afloat just by<br />

making money in the transfer market, with a<br />

few miracles thrown in. I am convinced that<br />

without him Peterborough Football club would<br />

have gone bust. What Barry did for<br />

Birmingham City Football Club should never be<br />

forgotten either.<br />

He was undoubtedly the catalyst to raising the<br />

profile and helped us start the rebuilding<br />

process, not only of the team but also of the<br />

stadium itself. To this day Barry will receive a<br />

standing ovation whenever he walks into St<br />

Andrew’s. He still does forums with the fans,<br />

and even dressed up as Father Christmas for<br />

the Senior Citizens Club that used to be run by<br />

my mother Rose and Thelma, David Sullivan’s<br />

mother. He is as much a part of Birmingham<br />

City folklore as the blues theme song ‘Keep<br />

Right On to the End of the Road’, introduced by<br />

the Scots winger Alex Govan during the Blues’<br />

FA Cup final run, way back in 1956. Barry is,<br />

without doubt, a legend at Birmingham, and<br />

323

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!