Manchester City didn't even have the chance to celebrate their final playoff victory before shocking news left fans, staff, and even Richard himself shocked.
Former Manchester City chairman Peter Swales dies of a heart attack at 63!
Richard immediately and unilaterally canceled all planned parades, celebrations, and victory events related to City's promotion. There would be no open-top buses, no fireworks, no party atmosphere. Instead, he declared an official period of mourning across the club.
"This isn't the time to celebrate," Richard said firmly as he immediately called an emergency meeting with Robertson and his staff. "The celebration can wait—for now, we show respect. Make sure the players understand."
Thankfully, this year's European Championship meant that many players—such as Henrik Larsson, Jackie McNamara, Robbie Savage, Theodoros Zagorakis, Steve Finnan, and others—had already departed to join their national teams for pre-tournament preparations.
