As an assistant, you obviously discuss all management issues with the manager, giving your opinion whenever the need arises. You will never agree on all issues but, following any debate, the manager will then make the final decision. My first minor reservation when it came to my relationship with Peter came during an early coaching session, where in my opinion his instruction to the midfield players was somewhat misleading. Following the session I pointed out that, having been a midfield player for donkey’s years, my input might be beneficial. This suggestion was dismissed, which slightly disappointed me, as it seemed a small issue in the vast scale of running a football team. The main task at struggling Plymouth was to change some of the players, with new blood urgently required. But because it was March, we had less than two months to save Plymouth from relegation.

Kevin Nugent from Leyton Orient became our first major signing. His agent Alan Harris, a former Plymouth player in the Seventies and brother of Ron “Chopper” Harris, had a vastly superior opinion of Kevin’s ability than yours truly. When Peter and I asked what kind of signing-on fee was required, a quote of £100,000 was calmly mentioned. At this point I burst out laughing, which neither the player, his agent, nor Peter appreciated. A brief interval ensued, with Peter informing me that he was not amused by my laughter when we badly needed to sign him.

“How many times has Nugent played for England?” I asked Peter, because to demand such a signing on fee required more substantial credentials than his present career at Orient offered.

After we reconvened, sense prevailed with a massive reduction in the player’s demands. Perhaps it was my Scottish upbringing, but I regarded his first demands as totally unacceptable. My stance was influenced by never having had any money to spend at Bolton. Common sense told me to treat the club’s money like my own, which was always hard-earned.

Peter had employed David Coates as his chief scout, and he set up the Nugent deal and proved influential in a number of our future signings. Peter asked me to suggest other players, particularly a left-back, which was another urgent requirement. “He’s playing at Bradford reserves this week,” I informed him. This meant us both completing the lengthy trip. Steve McCall was the target, and he was playing for Sheffield Wednesday reserves. I had made numerous phone calls regarding Steve’s ability, character, attitude, marital status, age, temper, habits, injury history and all other points to cover my recommendation. It was normal procedure, to try and guarantee that Plymouth would get a reasonable return for the £25,000 they eventually paid for McCall.

All signings are a gamble, whether you pay big or small fee. It is always a question of whether they will they fit in, hit form, stay fit and settle. Persuading players to come to Plymouth, a football outpost, inevitably meant paying them over the odds. If they produced the goods, there was no argument and Steve McCall turned out to be an outstanding success, justifying the whole deal. Despite these promising early signings, though, we were still relegated following our last home match, a 3-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

Two signings boosted the squad before our following league programme started. Gary Poole, a right-back, was recruited on a free transfer from Barnet, while Warren Joyce, the midfielder I had given his debut to at Bolton, also joined from Preston. New faces would continue to appear in a season of transition. With money being spent, expectations soared. Plymouth Argyle spending large amounts of money on players was an exciting novelty for the ardent Pilgrims supporters. If you spend money in football you must guarantee results. While the changes of personnel didn’t have a dynamic effect on our results, a change in the playing rules did.

From the start of the 1992/93 season, goalkeepers were no longer allowed to pick up the ball from a backpass, and this was to cause many goalkeepers, including Plymouth’s, a major problem. Peter may have won 125 caps for England yet, despite his denial, he struggled to deal with this significant change. While Peter would laugh off suggestions that he could not handle the new rule, we did bring in a young goalkeeper called Ray Newland, who would make more appearances than Peter did over the season.

We continued to spend, signing Steve Castle, a midfield general from Leyton Orient for £195,000, and then we pushed the boat out signing Hartlepool winger Paul Dalton for £275,000. Centre-half Keith Hill and right-winger Craig Skinner also joined the club as we searched for the winning formula we needed. Our away form was as bad as our home form was good. By early November we were unbeaten at home, yet had won only one league match away, so it was hardly surprising that certain newspapers had the Plymouth Argyle management team as hot favourites for the sack.

In November a televised first-round FA Cup tie with non-league Dorking heightened the pressure. Peter Shilton, who had played the previous 14 games, left himself out of the side, giving novice Ray Newland an unexpected debut.

As I walked into the Dorking ground I noticed a sports reporter from a national television station.

“Have you come to see us get the sack then?” I shouted over to him.

“Yes we have”, was his instant reply, his lips almost salivating at the thought.

“Bastard!” I muttered to myself as we quickly headed for the away dressing room.

We survived that day, edging to a very tense 3-2 victory. In very difficult circumstances we came through and all the press who had come to see an upset had to go home disappointed. The victory eased the pressure on us. Had we lost who knows what would have happened?