The man who guided City to their first ever Top flight promotion   Ron Saunders is celebrating his 80th Birthday today.

With City ,  Ron won Second Division title in 1972, which saw them promoted to the First Division for the first time in their history. Saunders steered Norwich City to survival in their first season in the top flight. They also reached the Football League Cup final, losing 1–0 to Tottenham Hotspur. 

Who amongst us old un's can forget those heady days of  Foggo, Bone Cross, Forbes, Stringer  and many others, who lifted City to those first dizzy heights.

  I can remember sitting on St James Hill at Mousehold watching Saunders put his players through hell;  as I sat having a smoke, up came this bare chested figure. He turned to me and said you need to put that out and join these boys; it will do you more good. 

Also seeing the now famous sweat box at the training ground at Trowse,  made of railway sleepers, that helped to make the City team  the fittest in the league for sure.

That was Ron Saunders, hard man yes, but he ran up and down the that hill far more times than his players did,  I never did run it...

Ron went on to manage Manchester City before managing all the Birmingham clubs Aston  Villa, Birmingham and WBA, the only man to have done so. Also he holds another record becoming  the first manager to guide 3 different club to the League Cup Final in 3 successive years

A very happy Birthday Ron,  where ever you are, hope you get to see this little tribute, not forgotten by the Yellow Army.