Dave Bassett on Watford regret, Wimbledon rise and Vinnie Jones’ unlikely arrival | OneFootball

Dave Bassett, 81, reflects on Wimbledon’s ascent, a brief Watford spell he calls a mistake, and the day Vinnie Jones arrived speaking little. According to Telegraph, he worries his Dons achievements risk being overlooked.

While he and Sam Hammam rowed over a clause giving the owner a say in team selection, Elton John personally tried to lure him to Watford. He later felt neither side was ready, though he says Elton treated him well.

Promoted four times, Bassett took Wimbledon from non-league to sixth in the top flight, collecting manager of the month in September 1986 after briefly going top. He relished upsetting bigger clubs, including wins over Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham. He says he favoured clubs where underdogs suited his methods.

He reels off stalwarts like Dave Beasant, Alan Cork and Glyn Hodges, proud many kicked on and that sales raised about £10.5m. Jones, he says, was fiercely committed. John Fashanu stayed out of pranks but imposed himself, while dressing-room tricks were rife under a hard but fair regime.

Bassett had left before Wimbledon’s 1988 FA Cup win, watching on TV. He later won two promotions with Sheffield United and another with Nottingham Forest.

Relations with Pierre van Hooijdonk soured when the striker went on strike after scoring 29 goals in Forest’s promotion season, prompting a furious response. There were further spells with Barnsley, Leicester and a caretaker stint at Southampton, where he clashed with Clive Woodward.

Source: Telegraph