“Ron Atkinson had been rebuilding the West Brom side and I readily accepted greater responsibility. In the summer of 1981, I had looked forward to an increasingly important role, but by the time I returned from an end-of-season tour with England, Ron was no longer the manager.
“He had been lured to Manchester United as successor to the sacked Dave Sexton. The Albion players didn’t want Ron to leave, but I understood why he was attracted to the job. United were an enormous club, with the kind of resources Albion couldn’t match. Ron was ambitious and he’d been offered one of football's greatest challenges.