{"product_id":"9781801506908-we-were-really-there","title":"We Were Really There","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Rebirth of Manchester City\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the story of how Manchester City was saved from oblivion - told by the man who oversaw the rescue operation. Without David Bernstein's work in five critical years as chairman, it is impossible to see how the 2008 takeover, which paved the way for the Guardiola era and unprecedented success, would have been possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWe Were Really There\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of how Manchester City was saved from oblivion - told by the man who oversaw the rescue operation.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwenty-five years before City's historic Treble, they were a national joke, relegated to English football's third division. The only trophies the Citizens were likely to win, said chairman Francis Lee, were 'cups for cock-ups'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEnter David Bernstein. When he succeeded Lee as chairman in March 1998, City had just been relegated from the Premier League and were about to be relegated again. During their season in the third tier, City fans sang choruses of 'We're not really here!' in mocking disbelief at how far their club had fallen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithout Bernstein's work in five critical years as chairman, it is impossible to see how City would have been an attractive proposition to the investors from Abu Dhabi, whose takeover in 2008 paved the way for the Pep Guardiola era and unprecedented success.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThis is the tale of the rebirth of a football club, told from the inside.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41533534765153,"sku":"9781801506908","price":21.14,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_27886613.jpg?v=1722153181","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781801506908-we-were-really-there","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}