Peter Doherty was one of the finest footballers to have played during his era. The former Irish Inside-left had a marvelous career which spanned for more than two decades, during which he made over 402 appearances and scored 198 goals.
His heroics at club level were extended to the international stage as well, with the Irishman helping his nation qualify for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals.
We will now be looking back at his club career, which prominently revolved around his historic tenure with Manchester City.
Early career and record breaking move to City
Peter Doherty's football journey began with Glentoran in the Irish League. Despite being a professional footballer, the Irishman also worked as a bricklayer and eventually a bus conductor at the time. He managed to win the Irish Cup during his 2 year stay at the club.
This was followed by mock to English club Blackpool for a £2,000 fee, as he jumped ship to England at the age of 19. Following an impressive 3 year spell at Blackpool, Doherty was signed by Manchester City for a then-club record of £10,000 transfer fee.
Doherty was against the move, as he was due to marry a local girl and had just bought a new house in the town. However, Blackpool were in urgent need of money and the transfer fee was too good for them to turn down. Thus, he ultimately joined the Manchester club in 1936.
Tough start to Life at City
Doherty's Manchester City debut came against Preston North End and it was far from being memorable for the player. He was tightly marked by a certain Bill Shankly throughout the game, which made it difficult for the player to produce any impact in the game.
The disappointing debut performance took certain fans by anger, with one person from the crowd mocking the player's £10,000 transfer fee. Doherty went on to have a rather underwhelming time for the reminder of the campaign, which was confirmed by the player himself.
The magical turnaround
Manchester City began the 1936–37 season on a disastrous note, and were in the bottom half of the table until December. Although the club managed to earn huge wins occasionally, they followed it up with long winless streaks. Their worst phase at the time saw them only earn a single win in twelve games.
Despite City's disappointing display as a team, Doherty began to perform brilliantly for the Citizens. He managed to score 12 goals at that point of the season. It was on Christmas day that City's massive turnaround began, with a win over Middlesbrough marking the beginning of an unbeaten run.
By the time it was April, Manchester City were second in the table, only behind Arsenal. The Citizens eventually faced Arsenal in a match with major title implications. City ended up winning the game 2-0, with Doherty on the score sheet. Their unbeaten streak continued until the end of the season, which ultimately led Manchester City to their first ever league title win.
Doherty's contribution was immense in achieving the historical feat, as his 30 goals saw him finish the campaign as the club's leading scorer.
After City
Doherty scored 79 goals in 130 appearances during his time with the Citizens. He unfortunately lost his peak years in football due to World War 2. He served in the RAF during the war period. The Irishman remained registered as a Manchester City player at the time, having scored 60 goals in 89 wartime matches.
The inside-left played for several clubs as a guest during this war period, including Manchester United.
After the war concluded, Doherty left City and joined Derby County. He ended up winning the FA Cup with them. This was followed by moves to Huddersfield Town and Doncaster Rovers, before calling it a time on his memorable career.
