MCFCforum Interviews: Spencer Prior

Spencer Prior. Twenty years in the English leagues, and spent 2000-2001 with Manchester City. MCFCforum caught up with Spencer and asked him a few things about his time at the club, and at Leicester City, amongst other things.

 

MCFCforum.com: What do you think of Sven as a manager? Was he hard done by City? How's he doing at Leicester?
Spencer Prior: I think he’s doing a great job at Leicester, and with a bit of time he will get them back into the Prem. He has the budget to take them forward, however, with all these foreign owners and investors they demand instant success. I think that’s where he was hard done by at City … It takes time to build a squad that is balanced and will survive for years rather than be one season wonders.

MCFCforum.com: Do you prefer the "old" struggling City, or the "new" mega rich City? Do you think City could have ever challenged at the top of the league and threatened the Sky4 order without Sheikh Mansour?
Spencer Prior: Personally I’d like to say I love seeing the success that is happening at City now. Unpredictable City are still around as you would have backed them to beat Everton, so there is still a bit of “old City” around. The most disappointing aspect for me regarding the club, is that its lost its family appeal, and is more geared towards the corporates that will be the only people that can afford to go to the games. I also don’t like seeing people jumping on the bandwagon and supporting City because they are suddenly the “Bling” Club of this era. Its a society issue and something that narks me.

MCFCforum.com: What do you think the outcome will be in the FA Cup tie between Manchester City and Leicester City?
Spencer Prior: Who knows. I think if Leicester play a full strength side that click on the day, they may cause an upset. I hope City do treat the FA Cup with respect, as, realistically, it’s their best opportunity of winning silverware this season, and the owners/supporters would love to see a trophy other than a play-off final trophy!!

MCFCforum.com: In a one year stint, you managed to bag four goals for City, more than for any other club during your career. How did you manage that as a defender? What is lacking in our current defence that is keeping them from popping up with an odd goal?
Spencer Prior: Unbelievable that I scored that many goals in 9 games!! Right place, right time. The most important thing was that we got promotion, something I am very proud of. And the memories will live with me forever. The current defenders are doing a great job defending, and that’s their priority. However it would be great for someone to take the weight off Tevez’s shoulders and notch a couple.

MCFCforum.com: You came in late in City's promotion surge and we didn't lose a game when you played, you must have been thinking "bring on the Prem", the dream became reality, what happened? Not just you, but the team?
Spencer Prior: We worked so hard to get up. I believe on the back of successive promotions, and with the additions that were made to the squad, the balance wasn’t quite right to build on the momentum of the promotion.

MCFCforum.com: How were the nerves before the play off at the Millennium Stadium, home town team, in their own backyard? Fortunately a win ensued, but you must have been sickened with Chris Day's save!
Spencer Prior: The save didn’t bother me at all, I just wanted the promotion. I was bought into Cardiff to do a job by Sam Hamman, and we failed in the 1st year. That really hurt us as a group, and we carried that disappointment all year. So it was a wonderful experience winning with so many Cardiff fans in their own back yard. I’d love to see them get into the Prem, as it would complete the journey that I was able and fortunate enough to have been part of.

MCFCforum.com: How did it feel playing in THAT match at Blackburn and how long was it before you realised, with the luck Blackburn had, it was going to be one on those days, where there was no chance we were going to lose?
Spencer Prior: We got absolutely battered by them that day!!I think if the season had of gone one more game we wouldn’t have been able to keep going. Mentally and physically we were shot, but something happened that day that always makes me laugh. It was only when we scored that we realised the stadium was full of City fans who had bought their tickets off the Blackburn supporters. That spurred us on to keep going, and the rest is history.

MCFCforum.com: I've heard good things about you being a pundit in Australia, so does this mean this is the avenue you will be taking, or would you like one day to move back to the UK to either coach or manage? If so, which club would you love to go to?
Spencer Prior: I’m travelling down the coaching pathway, and have completed my A License badge. If part of my journey brings me back to the UK then I’ll try and approach it with the same philosophies I had as a player, at whatever Club I went to. I enjoy doing the TV work, although I do find it difficult to knock players when one day I might have to work with them as their coach/manager. That’s where it becomes difficult.

MCFCforum.com: Just how much has Australian football benefited from the jump from Oceanic to Asian football?
Spencer Prior: Greatly. The competition is much tougher and will raise the standards of football significantly. Not just on the pitch, but also off it, with Clubs having to have a far grater level of professionalism to be successful. By joining the AFC, the FFA has jumped into a much bigger pond with more money coming into the game.

MCFCforum.com: Apart from endless sunshine, the beer, the beaches, the ocean, the terrific lifestyle and the almost perfect attitude to sport, what does Australia have going for it?
Spencer Prior: Ha ha ha we love it here, and its a fantastic place to bring up our 3 kids. They have adapted to the Aussie lifestyle, and I even caught one of them whistling Advance Australia Fair. She is now an ex-daughter by the way!!!

MCFCforum would like to thank Spencer for taking the time to talk to us, and wish him and his family all the best for the future. Thanks also to Bluemooner_mcfc for setting this up for us.

 

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