Paul Power (footballer born 1953)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 October 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Openshaw, Manchester, England | ||
| Playing position | Left back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1975–1986 | Manchester City | 365 | (26) |
| 1986–1988 | Everton | 54 | (6) |
| Total | 419 | (32) | |
| National team | |||
| England B | 1 | (0) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Paul Power (born 30 October 1953 in Openshaw, Manchester) is an English retired professional footballer. He was a versatile player who could play both in defence and midfield and played for Manchester City F.C. between 1975 and 1986. He played in 447 games for the team scoring 36 goals before transferring to Everton F.C. where he was a key figure in the Championship win in the 1986-87 season. He scored for the Toffees against City at Maine Road on Saturday 29 November 1986 but refused to celebrate because he loved City so much.
During his time at Maine Road he also earned one cap for the England 'B' team. He was named player of the year for the team in both the 1980-81 season and in the 1984-85 season. He led City out at Wembley three times but never appeared in a winning team. In his first player of the year winning season, City went to Wembley to play Spurs in the 100th FA Cup Final.
He scored in all bar two of the rounds in the competition that season, the fifth round match against Peterborough United and the Wembley games against Spurs being the two. His 100th minute free-kick against Ipswich Town at Villa Park was, in Power's own words, the most important goal he ever scored for the Citizens. In the 1984-85 season, he led City to promotion in style under Billy McNeill thrashing Charlton Athletic 5-1 at Maine Road on Saturday 11 May 1985.
He finished his career on a high after signing for Everton in June 1986 for a fee of £65,000. He played in a total of 52 games in the 1986-87, providing valuable experience for a Toffees side who were without key players including Peter Reid and Paul Bracewell for long periods due to injury but still managed to win the league title and give Power a major trophy at long last in his 34th year. His first team chances were more limited in the 1987-88 season when Everton finished fourth under new manager Colin Harvey after the departure of Howard Kendall to Atletico Bilbao, and at the end of the season he retired to join the club's coaching staff. However, he was axed by the club in November 1990 when Howard Kendall took over as manager for the second time.
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