Dennis Tueart says Dave Watson’s contribution to both Manchester City and England is impossible to overrate, describing the iconic former Blues’ centre half as ‘a warrior and total class act.’
Few knew Watson the player – who celebrates his 80th birthday today - better than Tueart.
The flamboyant former City and England winger first became a trusted colleague of his at Sunderland at the start of the 1970s.
The pair famously went on to help the Wearsiders win the 1973 FA Cup, Sunderland’s 1-0 victory over a star-studded Leeds United still resonating today as one of the greatest Wembley Cup shocks of all time.
Tueart and Watson then linked up once again at City – Dennis signing for the Blues in 1974 and Dave also making the move to Maine Road a year later with the pair then proving instrumental in driving City on to 1976 League Cup final glory.
Furthermore, the duo were also proud colleagues on the international stage with England across the mid to late 1970s.
All told, Dennis and Dave were trusted teammates for club and country for the duration of the 1970s.
It was a fiercely competitive and feisty decade and no place for shrinking violets on and off the pitch.
And for Tueart there was no better and more trusted teammate than Watson, a man whose supreme quality, seismic impact and elite legacy endures to this day.
“If you ask me to sum up what Dave brought to both City and England I would say total class,” Tueart says looking back on what was a golden era of the game.
“On the field he was a warrior. A total warrior who was so brave in everything he did.
“And he had a fantastic ability in the air which was so crucial because in those days every team had big centre forwards so lots of long balls would come in pumping into the box.
“But Dave had this unique ability to leap and hang in the air.
“He wasn’t bad on the ground too and he certainly had a great ability with the ball.
“The other great thing was his timing of his tackles.
“His timing was just terrific. Dave had this tremendous ability to slide in and block balls and make tackles at precisely the right time.”
Over the course of his four years at Maine Road, as well as being a towering figure at the heart of the Blues defence, Watson’s aerial prowess and power and eye for goal also marked him out as a formidable attacking weapon.
And Tueart says Watson’s quality at both ends of the field added an extra sheen of power and panache to that fabulous City side assembled by Tony Book.
“As well as being a superb defender what he was also really good at is coming forward for set pieces,” Tueart recalls.
“At City we used to have a special set piece routine, where I used to have a corner kick.
“We would have Mike Doyle make a run to the near post; Joe Royle make a run to the middle of the goal and Big Dave would come in at the back and nine times out of ten we had three terrific headers of the ball who were all a terrific threat.
“So, it made it easier for my job as a winger.
“I just hit it in a straight line and nine times out of ten I would go to the back and they would get it.
“And when you look at that City side that won the League Cup, Dave was a huge part of that success.
“At centre half, he was alongside Mike Doyle, who was our captain.
“That was a terrific pairing – they had a great understanding of the game and complemented one another really well.
“So its impossible to overstate Dave’s quality and contribution.
“If you asked me to sum up what made Dave so special I would simply say he was total class.
“And I don’t use that phrase lightly.
“He was so, so reliable - you could state your life on him.”
A football player in a vintage Manchester City kit, wearing a sky-blue jersey with a white collar and shorts. The image has a header including 'Dave Watson' and the number '80'.
Tribute to Dave Watson's 80th birthday with his stats and honors at Manchester City including his signature.