Mick Tait - Manager of Blyth

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TFDM
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Mick Tait - Manager of Blyth

Post by TFDM » Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:31 pm

Maybe some of you already know this but Mick Tait was appointed manager of Blyth Spartans earlier this month.

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Geordie Quaker
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Re: Mick Tait - Manager of Blyth

Post by Geordie Quaker » Mon Jul 13, 2009 7:24 am

All the best to Mick.

I was chatting to him in a Tynemouth pub during the FA Cup Final and he was well up for the challenge. He didn't seem to know what he was getting into like!

This may stir things up, but given what he had I was always happy with how Tait had Darlo playing, especially away from home where he made us quite difficult to break down. Let us also not forget the Craig Liddle set piece!

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Re: Mick Tait - Manager of Blyth

Post by TFDM » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:47 am

Mick Tait wasn't a bad manager. He did a decent job in very difficult circumstances when he took over under George Reynolds. I know results and performances weren't always the greatest but in all honesty he did as well as could be expected looking back. I was always happy enough with his efforts.

A few Hartlepool United fans I've spoken to have often said he did a decent job for them and turned a pretty useless side (sorry I can't remember what season) into one that was at least difficult to beat.

I always had a lot of time for Mick Tait and was really disappointed with the way previous people involved at the club got shot of him. I hope he does well at Blyth. They showed some terrific form at the end of last season to get away from the drop in Blue Square North so I hope he builds upon it.

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Re: Mick Tait - Manager of Blyth

Post by aveda » Mon Jul 13, 2009 9:54 am

Legend of a player

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Re: Mick Tait - Manager of Blyth

Post by d5rlo » Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:14 am

Tait did his best and seemed a nice fella but if he hadn't been replaced by Hodgy in 2003 we'd have almost certainly gone down that season.

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Re: Mick Tait - Manager of Blyth

Post by Geordie Quaker » Mon Jul 13, 2009 1:46 pm

Quite possibly, Hodgy did do a good job turning it around although it's a tad harsh to say Tait woud have definitely taken us down.

I remember drunkenly telling Mick after the last Pools derby at Feethams that Valentine should never play for DFC again after stupidly getting sent off. Saying that, the same night I also was close lined running across the cricket pitch. To this day I don't know what by :oops:

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Re: Mick Tait - Manager of Blyth

Post by quaker4life » Mon Jul 13, 2009 2:10 pm

TFDM you're thinking of the 1998/99 season I remember the poolies drew several games under Tait (as we did under him in 02/03) before Turner took over.

And unfortunately I must agree if Hodgy hadn't have stepped in we'd have gone down, there was really wasn't anything Tait could to do he still had much of the squad that finished 14th the previous season and was unable tom bring any players in, the club was one it's knees and the team was in free fall.

I felt sorry for him working for Reynolds couldn't have been easy!
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Re: Mick Tait - Manager of Blyth

Post by TFDM » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:03 pm

Its easy enough to say we would have gone down, and to be honest you are probably right. But that said Mick did a decent job before that with virtually no resources (did he ever get anything to play with during his management spells at various clubs money wise?). You've got to remember the club, in every single respect, was on its knees that season and very few people could have done much better.

Whilst I know he isn't everyone's cup of tea Hodgy's ability to stand up to Reynolds and deal with the problems of administration probably had a big standing on that season as much as anything else. There was a heck of a lot going on that season.

Don't forget Mick did a cracking job with the youth team a few seasons back alongside Martin Gray. His work on the youth team means we might stand a chance of producing players like Curtis Main etc in the future. It was him and Gray who really started to get it sorted out in my view.

Regardless, I always had a lot of time for Mick, he deserved better when he got binned by the previous regime and hopefully he does well at Blyth.

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Re: Mick Tait - Manager of Blyth

Post by quaker4life » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:17 pm

At the end of the day Hodgy had the resources and contacts which gave him the upper hand. And I don't think any of the managers after Hodgy's second spell had much to play with everything went into the stadium which had we gone down in 2004 I believe we would have lost.
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Re: Mick Tait - Manager of Blyth

Post by KCChiefs » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:09 pm

Top Bloke, and what a goal against Walsall at home the year we won the Fourth Division Title...

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