Pressure dropped Viv

Denis Smith and Busby led the Minstermen to record-breaking league success in 1984 and were also at the helm for the famous FA Cup victory over Arsenal.

Their acheivements attracted wider acclaim and resulted in a move to Sunderland but Busby spoke last night about the actions of Smith at Roker Park that strained their personal relations.

Busby said: "Myself and Denis had worked together for ten years when I went in one morning at Sunderland and he told me I was sacked. I had turned down three offers of management to stay as his assistant and that just shows you what happens to people when there's a bit of pressure on them. They look after themselves.

"We had always agreed that if anything went wrong then we would leave together. I was happy with our partnership and, for me, what he did was a disgrace. We had a good name together as a partnership.

"I had it out with him about three weeks later, told him what I thought of him and left it at that. I have spoken to him only a couple of times since.

"I'm sure it was to do with the pressure the chairman put him under but the players did not like what he had done and he got the sack three weeks later."

Busby also recalled the glorious victory against Arsenal at Bootham Crescent, saying: "I remember Don Howe saying we can't play on that pitch before the game and I said 'Well, we can'. With ten minutes to go, Paul Mariner also said to John MacPhail, 'We'll put ten past you at Highbury'. They never got the chance of course.

"I remember the difference in Arsenal's management's attitude compared to that of (Liverpool's) Joe Fagan and Ronnie Moran when they gave us an education and beat us 8-0. They said if the pitch was all right for us then it was all right for them.

"Even Craig Johnston admitted though in the Cup final programme that we should have beaten them in the 2-2 draw the next time we played them."

Updated: 10:50 Tuesday, November 30, 2004