Denis Smith, Bristol City's manager for fewer than 12 months in the early 1990s, did not believe in pussyfooting or compromise. There was always muscle in his tackles, just as there were in his verbal exchanges.

He takes his place with the game's definitive hardmen. As a Stoke defender, one without fear, he was injured many times – enough for a mention in the Guinness Book of Records. But opposing strikers invariably left the field, too, nursing their bruises

His days at Ashton Gate, following the sacking of quiet Jimmy Lumsden, were not happy. Some matches may have been lifted by the rare instinctive skills of players like Jacki Dziekanowski and Andy Cole. He was apt to lack, however, a relaxed, congenial nature. Too often he clashed with the directors, convinced he was being undermined by them.

Smith's autobiography (Just One of Seven), out this week, takes a lambasting view of the Brsitol City boardroom at the time. The lack of warmth may have been mutual. He spares them little in his retrospective assessment

"Within weeks of my departure, Andy Cole was sold for a new outgoing record for the Robins of £1,750,000 to Newcastle, the very thing I had been pressing to be allowed to do". Why, he went on to ask, was there no sell-on clause in the deal ? It meant City missed out on a generous share of the massive fee that Manchester United paid the Magpies.

Or, come to that Smith continues, why did Polish international Jacki leave on a free transfer "when I would have got money for him." The directors and his successor Osman showed inexperience, he claimed.

Denis Smith has managed half a dozen clubs, taking charge in more than 1000 games. It's an impressive record, remembering the promotions he achieved to offset the sackings.

His career has never been without its bust-ups and ire. He's a single minded, self- confident man, inflexible in an argument. "Too honest for my own good," he said.

His life-story is unequivocal about the things and people who annoyed him. And the first when he arrived in Bristol, was to be told that he could not bring in his own backroom team. "They wanted me to work with Russell Osman, who was already the player-coach. He was not someone I clicked with straighaway".

Nor, according to these intimate pages, did things improve in the longer term. Smith's next club was Oxford and his first opponents were Bristol City. It was a steamy match, with two penalties for Oxford and one of their players, David Penny, sent off. Smith had no complaints about the red-card but he ferociously rounded on Osman, his successor, and accused him of winding-up his player.

Oxford's new manager reflects explosively: "Osman was totally out of order and I collared him in the tunnel at the end of the game…Bearing in mind I'm at least ten years older, I think he was surprised I took him on. But I pinned him against the wall and politely informed him of his mistake".

Politely, Denis? This was strong, dramatic stuff, of the kind not unheard of, when the tunnel has been known to take on the atmosphere of a prize fight. It usually gets hushed-up and consigned to soccer legend.

I'm sure the City's directors of those edgy days would have a markedly different version of some of Denis Smith's fiery, unforgiving accounts of what went on.They would hardly approve of this, for instance: "In writing the book, I had to look up the names of those who were then members of the board....they were just so many faceless chiefs without a clear process in place to assist me in my job…the problem was that they didn't want to listen.... Kate my wife would tell me every morning not to have another argument. But by 10am I'd be blowing my top"

Bristol City, over the years, have not always said their goodbyes to disillusioned managers with the most fulsome of grace. In the case of Smith – and now relayed in a detailed, opinionated book –there is more than a welcome hint of humour,too..

That brings us back to the maverick, Dziekanowski. "He loved his social life. On the night of his goalscoring debut, he had to be taken to the BRI after an incident in a wine bar. Jacki was so talented and drank so much that City fans used to say he made Gazza look like a teetotaller."