‘He’d fine you in Hamlet Cigars!’ – Legendary Millwall boss John Docherty set for Den tribute
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk
Millwall are mourning the loss of John Docherty – the only manager to take them into the top flight of English football.
The 84-year-old – affectionally nicknamed The Doc – steered the South Londoners to promotion from the old Division Two in the 1987-88 season. The Glaswegian replaced George Graham at the old Den in the summer of 1986.
Millwall produced seven straight wins in a 12-match unbeaten run to secure the title. Teddy Sheringham and Tony Cascarino netted 24 and 23 goals respectively.
The Lions spent two campaigns in the old Division One, now the Premier League, and went top of the table after a 3-2 win over QPR in October 1988.
Docherty was sacked in February 1990 and replaced by Bruce Rioch with Millwall going on to be relegated. He also had a brief caretaker spell back with the Lions in the 1996-97 season.
The Lions will pay their respects with a minute’s applause before the home game against Coventry City on Saturday and wear black armbands.
Former Millwall goalkeeper Brian Horne told the South London Press: “We got into the top flight and some stayed there – the likes of Teddy, Cas,
Jimmy (Carter) and Terry Hurlock. He put a team together that gelled and knew what it meant to play with a lion on the chest.
“The fans and everybody just appreciated what he did. It was a sad time when he left and then when the club was back in turmoil they turned to him again.”
“A lot of those players signed professional from the youth ranks – like Teddy, myself, Darren Morgan, Michael Marks and David Thompson. We all got given our chance by Doc – he changed our lives. We became professional footballers under Doc, no matter what we went on to do.
“Everybody is going to be there (from the 1987-88 season) apart from a few players that live a long way away – that shows what they thought of him, how many people are coming to pay their respects. Rhino (Keith Stevens) lives in Australia now and he has sent his love and condolences to the family.
“He was a great man and a man’s man. He didn’t treat you like a kid. He never fined the players financially – he fined us in Hamlet Cigars. If he fined you with 10 Hamlets then you knew you were in big trouble.
“If you were late for training he might take you back to the ground and make you wait to see him for three hours – you wasted my time, I’ll waste yours. He taught us life lessons that have probably stuck with a lot of us right through our lives. He put discipline into us as young teenagers
“You have to take a step back and think about how good an achievement that 1987-88 season was. The players should all be very proud of themselves.”
PICTURES: MILLWALL FC