1978: MAN CITY - Football is BIG BUSINESS | Nationwide | Classic BBC Sport | BBC Archive

"The name of the game now is money. Football isn't the cloth cap now... it's big, big, big, big business." - Manchester City chairman, Peter Swales.
Kevin Cosgrove reports on the fortunes of Manchester City Football Club, an ambitious club dedicated to maximising their commercial revenue off the pitch in order to create the best team in the country on it.
This clip is from Nationwide: Win Some - Lose Some, originally broadcast 18 August, 1978.
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[@lovethewave100]

They would all be blown away seeing where the club is today and the money involved.

[@charles-vq6sd]

True

[@bonzodog6872]

The only thing that would be blown away is Peter Swales comb over

[@roaarylion5214]

Then they see the oil

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Business Trips

[@jamesgreen8573]

It’s disgusting what it’s become, sold there soul for success

[@therobot6667]

I think Nationwide did a series on City back in 1978, this is part of it. Would love to see it complete if it still exists.

[@andymiles6311]

On KZbin

[@Spectrescup]

There was an ITV documentary covering the Allison/Bond transition. It's on here.

[@zyban99]

There’s some great combovers in there

[@wr6392]

Their teeth are shockingly decent. Haha

[@nickgreen105]

Hard to believe anyone thought that was a good look! Did they have clippers in those days?

[@Ian-gw2vx]

I was going regular in 1978. Dad always parked his car in the streets of Moss Side to be met by local urchins asking for money to "look after your car" He always paid and no damage done. Probably the Gallagher brothers. Great memories though.

[@dealsfactory5289]

In the 69/70 season some of the adjacent houses took in bicycles for a fee

[@Drumm3rB0y]

Gotta love Liam and Noel Love from Dublin

[@cgavin1]

@@Drumm3rB0y Wash your mouth out! Sure you meant to say Rory and Dónal!

[@Drumm3rB0y]

@@cgavin1 as much a legend the Big R is, I’ll always be loyal to Liam and Noel

[@nonaynever4361]

We used to park outside croke park in Dublin young lad I’ll look after your car mister, no it’s ok there a Rottweiler in it. Can it put out fires mister.

[@jdm65]

Wonderful combover collection. The following year, those cash conscious directors bankrolled Allison's insane spending spree.

[@RollaArtis]

They call this hairstyle the 'Bar code'...it was prevalent in the 70's

[@daviddare8882]

yeah I think Swales had the most impressive one

[@Policestate41]

Swales and scargill were seperated at birth

[@YeOldeFootballChannel]

Sold Peter Barnes to West Brom and spent 1 million pounds for Steve Daley, who did... nothing.

[@michaelroberts7374]

Kaziu Deyna❤

[@MrBobsmith34]

Allowing for inflation 1 million in 1978 is slightly over 6 million now. So that was yearly running costs of the club. Today City's annual expenditure is about £565 million

[@colincolin5696]

How much money do Man City bring in today tho… that’s the difference. Man City have massive yearly costs but still make more a year than they put into it.

[@MrBobsmith34]

@@colincolin5696 yes revenue has gone up in tandem with costs but I suppose what the whole FFP case about city is trying to determine is whether costs are meet by club revenue or cash injections by the owners

[@metas6755]

I'm 93 now. I still remember my grandpa taking me to this stadium back in 1923. Quite the golden days, ain't it? You lot should've seen Bobby Goldien. He was quite a good goal scoring chap with his immense physique.

[@miamitten1123]

You remember the King before Elizabeth II?

[@metas6755]

@@miamitten1123 definitely

[@hi-ls6lt]

Maybe insensitive to ask, but how would you compare watching Pele and Maradona to Messi and Ronaldo? Or would the different eras not make that possible?

[@metas6755]

@@hi-ls6lt thank you for the question young one. Forget about them lot. I saw a player back in my day who was Swift as a horse, stout like an elephant and as hungry as a bloodlust tiger. His name was Teddy Oliver Goldien. 6'3, can dribble, defend, block, tackle, shoot, score and assist. He did everything. I must admit things are different now compared to when we were playing 7-8 men up top as a striker but the fundamentals are still the same.

[@hi-ls6lt]

@@metas6755 thank you for your answer sir. I wish I was able to watch Terry Goldien but I’m lucky to have people like you around to tell me all about players like Terry, who we may never see like again. Once more, thank you for taking the time to answer my question sir. I wish the best for you 😊

[@andya6461]

Interesting how some things change, interesting how some things never change.

[@philiplevins6702]

sat at the table knowing your rocking the strongest combover...go on Peter my son

[@joshuataylor3550]

Very interesting foreshadowing

[@alexandermoonen6170]

Love archive.Every time I watch archive it’s well-worth watching.

[@sammyb1651]

Anyone else getting Frank "Hoss" Cartwright vibes from Swalesey when he starts with the: "chips, teas, pies" material? Bottles and cans, everything under one roof.

[@mattjimbobowen]

Sunshine Indoors!

[@ipuya]

Wow what a different world. Sales were conducted using coins!

[@original.dwornboy]

As it should be today.

[@dealsfactory5289]

The kippax was probably 65p by then but the main stand would have been 1 pound +

[@MajorMatt01]

@@original.dwornboy alright grandad

[@northernvibes6838]

Loved the kippax Best memories

[@iany8230]

Peter Swales!!! He used to own a record shop in Alty. Famous fan Stuart Hall! Where did it all go wrong!?

[@lolgrant]

If you close your eyes when Swales is talking apart from the subject matter of course it's like listening to Peter Hook.

[@GBGOLC]

The writing was on the wall back them, but even these guys could not imagine where football would be today with regards to revenue and turnover.

[@MANCHESTER.IS.BLUE.49]

Absolutely fascinating seeing stuff like this.. I know Swales had City at heart but the club was mismanaged during the 80,s as the club could not compete.. but did have a great team from 1990 to about 1993 but then just fell away when the premier League started. Just didn't have the money to compete, but the fans stuck with that club and now deserve all the success that they are having right now...love City ..💙💙💙

[@H_E_N_X]

1:00 that is the most impressive comb over I've ever seen.

[@andyhowpog]

Spectacular isn't it?

[@MLSNYC88]

Genuinely shocked at Peter Swales candor here. Remember when we'd talk about football clubs as community hubs? This guy wanted every penny spent near Maine Road to go to City. Glad to see we've always had greedy sods at the top.

[@fattypark]

Jimmy Conway left City to pursue a successful career in robbing airlines and tipping waiters highly generously

[@jdm65]

Ah, beat me to it.. The forgotten City years between the Lufthansa heist and being ratted out by Henry Hill.

[@AJM-timecop]

Still remember my pork pie & cup of tea in the corner of Maine Rd in the mid 70s. Good days.

[@nicknewman7848]

seeing as you're a timecop you could always travel back in time to a dark, freezing cold, wet February and stand for 2 hours on a terrace and relive the good old days watching the ball getting stuck in the mud.😁

[@GriefTourist]

This must look like a different planet to today's young generation.

[@tradingcardboss]

I remember as a kid some 50 years plus while reading about what was happening to sports in America . I thought the amount of money they were investing in players and the sports. It would one day happen in England and beyond seems have come to fruition

[@torstenmaier5624]

When football is not so high paid, the sport can win overall.

[@cgavin1]

How much things have changed. That pat on the backside at 00:41 would get you a criminal record in 2022.

[@nicknewman7848]

Not if it was consensual..eh? Know what I mean? wink wink

[@glynquigley4364]

It is weird to watch this in 2022. Today City are in a totally different economic reality to 1978 and do have one of the biggest wage bills and go for big name players. I suspect they won't have the same result to their ambition as happened in the early 1980s. We won't see Pep gutted, having lost a last day "winner stays up game" as in 1983

[@nigelhorton1115]

Great example of the Comb Over

[@stevenwilcox8631]

40 plus years later the club is run by Abu Dhabi royal billionaire Sheikh Mansour who under the City Football Group owns a string of football clubs around the world. It goes to show how far football has gone in the world of business since this was aired in the 1970s.

[@Policestate41]

It's called sports washing with a healthy dose of financial doping

[@thedave7760]

@@Policestate41 It's called brainwashing, get down on your knee boys cos someone is oppressed, we will tell you who is oppressed and you had better agree with us bigot.

[@anisdesai4692]

He'd be astounded if he knew how big that business is.

[@dommidavros2211]

£150K for the maintenance! I bet they spend that on the Christmas party now! 🥳 😆😆

[@Ellio1862]

£150,000 a year to run Maine Road back then, doesn’t even cover one weeks wage for a player.

[@attackpatterndelta8949]

£150k in 1978 would be worth around £680k today. But yeah, the money is crazy.

[@juz882010]

they said 1 million to break even

[@JimGall]

£150k to run Maine Road.

[@miamitten1123]

@@attackpatterndelta8949 Still doesn't cover 2 weeks wage of a player.

[@meropealcyone]

Now, did Jimmy Conway play for City before or after he masterminded the Lufthansa heist?

[@caeserromero3013]

Was there ever a time when City weren't money crazy??

[@MANCHESTER.IS.BLUE.49]

Football is money crazy...not CITY

[@miamitten1123]

The 90's!

[@snookerstones]

City was 1 game away from going out of existence

[@michaelt8682]

that is a serious comb over that chap's got

[@DanRaffaele]

Was that a toupee, a combover, or a toupee with a combover?

[@arilebon]

All 3!

[@grahamhill9499]

He was only 29 when filmed

[@traceya9615]

None of them - it was the classic Swales' Grecian 2000'd Shredded Wheat. He'd have demanded image rights for it nowadays.

[@remotefaith]

It’s a toupover

[@mainchannel1566]

It took nearly 40 years, but they did it.

[@johnny545]

Nope some Arab done it singlehandedly, not one person from Manchester has had anything to do with Manchester City current success

[@iandavis1723]

@@johnny545 There are plenty of people from Manchester who have, and still work for the club for many years behind the scenes.

[@bhaskarmukherjee8710]

@@johnny545 true, truth hurts for some people

[@MANCHESTER.IS.BLUE.49]

@@johnny545the sweet smell of success may I add

[@jamesgreen8573]

@@MANCHESTER.IS.BLUE.49 it would break my heart if that was my club, it’s absolutely vile

[@kevinbrookes4870]

God the fiddling we did operating those turnstiles. Let’s just say we made a few bob on the side lol

[@juliancrittall3291]

Was it the turnstile scam?. Two fans going through together, the turnstile registering one?. I was going to Spurs matches back then, great memories.

[@kamandi1362]

I’m not surprised, but it’s nothing to be proud of.

[@kenreynolds8531]

@@kamandi1362 Always found the gatemen at Maine Road miserable and unhelpful.

[@paulhewitt6614]

The great days of football. Not like the crap now.

[@randyborstol2491]

global capitalism today and idiot sheep roll up to watch

[@UnbelievableEricthegiraffe]

Rose Coloured Spectacles You seem to be wearing.

[@jasonking6892]

Spot on

[@paulhewitt6614]

@@UnbelievableEricthegiraffe no mate. Just enjoyed watching proper football, no rolling around faking injury. Proper 50/50 tackles. And no stupid VAR.

[@miamitten1123]

@@paulhewitt6614 It's the same now....except for VAR ruining it.

[@Doggomorph]

Money but ethics is important too

[@citymad2mancitymad644]

CITY TILL I DIE ..THOSE DAYS THE ROLLERCOASTER UPS AND DOWNS NOW ITS ALL UPS COME ON YOU BLUES

[@daviddowney7703]

Look at them now

[@lowfatmofat2152]

best team in the land and all the world....City...City

[@pocolol8424]

Is that Peter Swales?

[@alingard1]

We could be selling pies. Hahaha. City. Always thinking big.

[@thebat7048]

Wonder whatever happened to this team called Man City 🤔

[@snookerstones]

Became champions of the world

[@tremensdelirious]

It’s big big business

[@ramo1824]

3:57 Making a fortune selling chips tea...😂 We should be getting that money Speaking like a true gew

[@user-lm1os2jy7y]

I’ve got no doubt he was a proper blue but what a blagger.

[@jasonking6892]

Happy days . Real England 🇬🇧 Brilliant

[@natureclips5849]

City have always been money obsessed

[@markfrench9004]

Dr Evil: 'One billion dollars.'

[@HDsharp]

15p for a football program booklet. How much is it now?

[@RustyLightningPhoto]

To see that the football league go from near bankruptcy to the PL being the richest league in the world, that money just needs to filter down to help the lower divines now.

[@freddyeverready]

15p for a program 😲

[@MegaALEXLOUIS]

Tallest floodlights in the league. True pioneers.

[@snookerstones]

Ran the club into debt around this time

[@odoherty9434]

He is right unfortunately

[@decmcgovern9281]

Noel Gallagher would love this this lol

[@UncleBooBoo]

Were there no decent barbers in Manchester at the time?

[@David_D.]

Doesn't seem like it and looking at Foden's noggin there still isn't.

[@andyhowpog]

@@David_D. Foden's noggin, LOL! And I'm a City fan!

[@phillipecook3227]

A very young Mark Radcliffe doing the report?

[@nealpatrick3881]

We want to sell everything to the fans , but it will cost them more. That's what he meant

[@AntGeezer]

‘Go out and spend a couple of hundred thousand on a player’. That won’t last will it?

[@funkyrodent66]

funny, greed has always been in football. but sky sports will make you believe its the overseas' owners ripping the game from us. LOL

[@SK-kh2rs]

When have sky sports said that? They love overseas owners spending as it helps the product they are selling

[@funkyrodent66]

@@SK-kh2rs you must not have a sky sports subscription

[@imgoingtocountdownfromthir4580]

Swales out!

[@ive3336]

saying the public shouldnt be making money off the club when the club is built off the backs of the public is such a dumb statement

[@sjacrane]

Grubby money oriented little man.

[@BOZ_11]

he thinks burger vans are "making a fortune". It's remarkable how small minded and somewhat deluded the people at the top are

[@Darwinion]

An individual stand won't be no. But if you added all those tea/coffee/burger stalls together with a few local shops it would amount to something half decent. West Ham have stripped all that away and it's awful.

[@BOZ_11]

@@Darwinion I think the sum of all burger vans is still chump change, and you're essentially robbing 100+ people of a meagre living for a 0.3% increase in match day earnings. There are so many legitimate financial avenues to pursue, but this miserly dolt insists on putting his hand into the burger man's quite shallow pocket.

[@moonbaby6134]

Swales. Always was a fool

[@redwingrob1036]

LIKE Cloughie said, the average football directors know nothing about the game! THE americanised, commercialised, politicised & racialised 'game' of today I find totally nauseating. I haven't been to watch a game for 20 years; & lastly they're called football GROUNDS, not stadiums! AGAINST MODERN F⚽⚽TBALL 110%.

[@BOZ_11]

@Maxwell Boyne businesses selling for 50k might have an annual turnover of roughly 80k, but i think burger vans around football grounds would make even less than that, since my example is of businesses that run all year round, so i think 60k is closer. Take out running costs, employee wages, taxes; bearing in mind it's only home matches and the end of season break is nearly 3 months long, net profit is probably about 15k, annually. For 20 vans you're looking at 300k per year, on the high end. That 300k is 1 week's salary for 1 top player, and it took a year to earn it. Chump change

[@bulentgunes7954]

ve bugun sampiyonlar ligi sampiyonu nerden nereye

[@shanekelley7682]

Expect to see Noel Gallagher on this video!

[@matthewleslie4448]

They would be relegated five years after this clip

[@njm1259]

They’ll never be a big club they just don’t have enough money

[@lcvillafan]

Now they spend a billion on 4 defenders

[@snookerstones]

Now you’re making things up

[@lcvillafan]

@@snookerstones look it up

[@bobacrey1068]

Made just before Swales let Malcolm Allison go mad with his ridiculous purchases

[@rjpaws]

FFP cheats

[@thewhitedoncheadle8345]

best haircut?

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

In 40 years time City will be owned by Vesuvians and people will hark back to the good old days when earthling oil sheiks owned it.

[@Raul87fat]

one of the most ambitious clubs in Europe?? I thought they were rubbish that time

[@snookerstones]

No

[@andrewlangsdale7445]

City were the 3rd or 4th most successful club in the country in the 1960's and 1970's.

[@StuartAxe]

Then as now, football is about money and greed. Nothing changes.

[@garrybaldy327]

Hello, Peter Swales, you dodgy dealer, you. Still undercounting gate receipts?

[@imgoingtocountdownfromthir4580]

I remember when they announced the attendance, everyone on the Kippax laughed, the crowd looked like 40,000 and they announced it was 25,000, he was a dodgy bugger Swales.

[@Doggomorph]

See his face already know he overwork his workers and take their reward

[@thesatisfiedcustomer4869]

that wig

[@beijingbond]

...played at the back in the 80's.

[@joemorgan636]

WOW WOW look from 1978 to today all the oil money from abroad billionaire Man City buying leagues unbelievable

[@snookerstones]

Who doesn’t buy leagues?

[@jerrydandrige1987]

Back when city didn't buy their history

[@thetruthk5138]

All the successful teams do

[@Policestate41]

@@thetruthk5138 maybe but most use their own money 💰 not dodgy oil / blood money from middle eastern dictatorships

[@thetruthk5138]

@@Policestate41 Makes it more competitive though just waiting for my team to get a major investment

[@SK-kh2rs]

​@@Policestate41there's nothing dodgy about oil money fool 😂 they found oil and sell it in exchange for gazillion of dollars and then they spend those dollars

[@boringlyawesum]

britain was so much better before all this diversity poison

[@uncleraul3462]

Behave. They smashed it on Britains Got Talent.

[@tomjones1424]

😂😂biggest comb over ever

[@Porkcylinder]

‘Big BIG business’ pfahhh is only he has a clue 😂😂

[@0898007]

Ford erectors