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| features @ cufconline |
| the knighton era | |
| Michael Knighton's eight years at Brunton
Park could be described as controversial, turbulent even,
but never dull. Knighton is without doubt the most
outspoken personality to be associated with the club in
its 96-year history. Arriving in 1992 with the club at
the bottom of the Football League and massively in debt,
he set about putting in place an ambitious 10-year
programme to take the Cumbrians into the Premiership. As
we all know now, that dream died and by the end of his
tenure, Knighton had become one of the most reviled men
in the club's history. But as we all know too - it wasn't
always like this... |
|
1992 Suits you, sir |
April Knighton attends
final home game of the 1991-92 season against Burnley.
Carlisle finish bottom of the entire Football League. May Speculation starts about proposed takeover of club by Knighton July Takeover goes through. Knighton buys existing shareholders out for approx. £75,000 October Knighton announces the club's debts have been wiped out and the business is back in the black. Sacking of Aidan McCaffery. Dave McCreery replaces him |
1993 Who's the fat boy on the wing? |
February Knighton
oversees the £55,000 sale of striker Andy Watson to
Blackpool May Carlisle finish 18th at the end of Knighton's first season at the helm July Appoints Mick Wadsworth as Director of Coaching. Mervyn Day also arrives as first team coach & goalkeeper. Twelve new players arrive in the summer. October Knighton breaks club transfer record by shelling out £121,000 for David Reeves |
| 1994 |
March Knighton announces
plans for a supporters bond scheme to help finance the
building of a new stand May Carlisle smash into the play-offs with a late season charge of 10 wins in 14 games. Lose to Wycombe over two legs. July Roof of the Scratching Pen stand is removed. However it remains open to spectators. |
1995 Knighton kisses silver |
April Carlisle reach
Wembley for first time. Wembley visit signals £400,000+
profits in the season May Title is clinched and Knighton is feted as a hero. He performs ball-juggling act in front of the Warwick Road End. Open top bus parade through city for United's players & staff July Work begins on the new East Stand. The old Scratching Pen is demolished. September Knighton's recently launched newspaper The Borders on Sunday collapses and folds. Competition from Sunday News & Star is the main reason but the quality of the newspaper's production is appalling. |
1996 The Year of the Alien |
January Wadsworth quits
and joins Norwich as assistant manager. Knighton admits
he couldn't keep him at BP. Mervyn Day appointed in his
place. April The much-delayed East Stand finally opens. Total cost expected to exceed £2 million May Carlisle relegated controversially after York win a re-arranged game at Brighton five days after the official end of the season. Knighton protests to the Football League to no avail. November Story breaks in the local press about Knighton's encounter with aliens on the M62 in the 1970s. He threatens to quit, then changes his mind. |
| 1997 |
April Carlisle win the
Auto Windscreens Shield at Wembley. Knighton announces
the signing of Ian Stevens for £100,000. August Knighton announces he WILL quit as chairman. September Knighton sacks Day and his assistant Peter Hampton and takes charge of the team himself with David Wilkes & John Halpin. October First disquiet from supporters against Knighton is heard as Carlisle lose five games in a row. He gets involved in a heated argument with fanzine editor David Arnison outside the ground. November Knighton sells Warren Aspinall and captain Owen Archdeacon on the same day. December Club is linked with Peter Beardsley and Knighton puts in an offer to Bolton. |
| 1998 |
February Knighton
completes the sales of Matt Jansen to Crystal Palace and
Rory Delap to Derby County. March Knighton quits the UK for tax reasons and goes to live on the Isle of Man. He is still officially in charge of team affairs. May A run of nine defeats in ten games sees Carlisle relegated again. Knighton takes responsiblity. He makes a strong attack on the press in a couple of lengthy articles in the match programme. August Despite a summer of speculation, Knighton refuses to stand down as team manager. He has talks with Peter Beardsley again. Supporters of United hack the official Arsenal website, replacing the home page with a page protesting about Knighton's running of the club. October Knighton launches another bond scheme. He wants 600 fans to pay £4,000 each in order to buy a bond in the club. December With Carlisle near the foot of the 3rd division, Knighton resigns and appoints Nigel Pearson as manager. Despite saying he is "99% certain" that Beardsley will sign, the former Carlisle great joins Hartlepool instead. |
| 1999 |
May Knighton announces
record profits of £1.4 million for the 1997-98 season. May On loan keeper Jimmy Glass scores in the 95th minute v Plymouth to keep Carlisle in the league Knighton and his board vote to release Pearson and look to appoint another new manager. Millionaire insurance magnate Brooks Mileson enters into negotiations with Knighton to buy the club June Keith Mincher is revealed as new coach by the press. Club do not officially unveil him. Mileson withdraws from negotiations. Knighton claims there are rival offers. July Mincher walks out during the pre-season training camp. General manager Martin Wilkinson is hastily appointed |
2000 We'll miss him - won't we? |
January Carlisle fall
into the bottom three again. Supporters groups stage an
SOS 2000 campaign to woo back missing fans. More speculation about renewed negotiations involving Mileson and Knighton March Knighton attempts to put record straight in an hour-long interview with Radio Cumbria. Names two of the rival bidders for his majority shareholding. May Knighton officially resigns as acting chairman. Board sack Wilkinson after Carlisle narrowly avoid relegation June Ian Atkins appointed manager. Peter Clark and Paul Reid sold. Money goes to Knighton's holding company to pay off debts August Knighton's shares pass into the hands of a trust. Restrictions placed on the club's spending plans September DTI announce Knighton and wife Rosemary have been banned for 5 years from being company directors October Knighton announces he is close to selling his stake. Buyers are not identified but board believed to be the favourites. News breaks of an unpaid debt of £362,000 owed by Knighton's holding company to the club. November Knighton rejects a bid of £500,000 from the board of directors to buy his shares. December Property developer Steve Brown and a consortium finally agree a deal with Knighton to take over the club. |