My memory of Big Mal is also mainly from the sparring with BFR... in fact wasn't Big Fat Ron just Big Ron up til that point? was it not Big Mal that added in the 'Fat'?
Pretty certain we sang that before Allison.
My main recollection of the man is when his Bristol Rovers side drew us in the FA Cup in 1992-93 and he did a lot of verbal sparring with BFR. I seem to recall H and V at the time did a cartoon of BFR in boxing gear stood over Big Mal victorious with the quote "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" over the top of it. In fact i still have that issue in a box at my moms house.
"He's only got one lung" whatever that was about!!
However, as a manager in his own right, certainly in England, his record is suspect. During his first stint as City's boss, his signing of Rodney Marsh in 1972 is widely credited with scuppering a likely Championship
If every Premier League player gave a week's wages to Alzheimer's research, a cure could be found a lot quicker.