List of Birmingham City F.C. managers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates

File:AlexMcLeish 2009 pre-season cropped.jpg
Alex McLeish led Birmingham to victory in the 2010–11 League Cup.

Birmingham City Football Club, an English professional football club based in the city of Birmingham, was founded in 1875. When league football began, the first teamTemplate:Sndthen playing under the name Small HeathTemplate:Sndcompeted in the Football Alliance before being elected to the newly formed Second Division of the Football League in 1892.Template:Sfnp At that point, club secretary Alf JonesTemplate:Sndits first paid officialTemplate:Sndassumed some of what are now seen as managerial responsibilities.

There have been 44 full-time managers:Template:Efn the most recent appointee, Chris Davies, joined in June 2024. Bob McRoberts was appointed in 1911 as Birmingham's first manager whose role did not include secretarial duties. George Liddell has had the longest tenure, of six years and two months (267 matches) in the 1930s, while Trevor Francis has managed the team for most matches: 290 over five years and five months between 1996 and 2001. All three formerly played for the club. Under Arthur Turner, Birmingham won the 1954–55 Second Division title, followed up with what remains the team's highest league finish, sixth place in the 1955–56 First Division, and reached the 1956 FA Cup Final. Gil Merrick in 1963 and Alex McLeish in 2011 oversaw League Cup wins and Barry Fry led his team to a "double" of third-tier title and Football League Trophy in 1994–95.

All managers who have taken charge of at least one competitive match are listed below. Each manager's entry includes his dates of tenure and the club's overall competitive record (in terms of matches won, drawn and lost), honours won and significant achievements while under his care. Caretaker managers are also included, where known, as well as those who have been in permanent charge.

History

In the early days, team management was undertaken by a club committee. When payment of players was legalised in 1885, Alf Jones began to act as club secretary on a voluntary basis. Small Heath's election to the newly formed Second Division of the Football League in 1892 prompted the board of directors to appoint him as the club's first paid official, responsible as secretary-manager for matters on the field in addition to his administrative duties. In his first season the club won the inaugural Second Division championship, and gained promotion to the First Division for the first time the following year via the Test Match system. Jones's 16-year tenure saw three promotions and three relegations, after the last of which in 1908 he resigned.Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp The second of Alex Watson's three seasons in charge ended with the club having to apply for re-election to the league, and in 1911, responsibility for team affairs passed to former player Bob McRoberts, who became the club's first dedicated team manager.Template:Efn

Frank Richards succeeded Watson as club secretary in 1911, and when the First World War broke out he took over the managerial reins as well. Under Richards Birmingham won the Second Division title in 1921 and signed players such as Joe Bradford, Johnny Crosbie and Dan Tremelling who did much to keep the club in the top flight through the 1920s. He also forgot to enter them in the 1922 FA Cup.Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp Billy BeerTemplate:Sfnp and Bill HarveyTemplate:Sfnp kept them in the First Division, albeit in the lower half of the table, before former Arsenal manager Leslie Knighton took charge in 1928. He led them to their first FA Cup final in 1931 and a top-half league finish the following year, but left when Chelsea made him an offer Birmingham were unable to match.Template:Sfnp Former Birmingham defender George Liddell kept them in the top tier until they were relegated in the last season completed before the Second World War, resigning in September 1939 when league football was suspended. His tenure of just over six years made him the club's longest-serving team manager.Template:Sfnp

Harry Storer, appointed just before the war ended, won the championship of the 1945–46 Football League South wartime league and the Second Division title two years later.Template:Sfnp Under Bob Brocklebank Birmingham were relegated from the First Division, but they reached the semifinal of the 1951 FA Cup and Brocklebank signed many of the players moulded by Arthur Turner into a successful team.Template:Sfnp Turner won promotion in 1955, the next season led the team to their highest league finish of sixth place and their second FA Cup final,Template:Sfnp and in 1957 reached the semifinals of both the FA Cup and the inaugural Inter-Cities Fairs Cup competition.Template:Sfnp In 1958 the club's experimental joint appointment, which gave new arrival Pat Beasley dual authority over playing matters while reducing Turner's responsibility for administrative matters, prompted Turner's resignation after seven months. Beasley himself quit when the club decided on a further restructure.Template:Efn He and successor Gil Merrick took the team to successive finals of the Fairs Cup in 1960 and 1961. Merrick managed them to their first major trophy, beating local rivals Aston Villa 3–1 on aggregate in the 1963 League Cup Final, but after four years of fighting relegation, the board asked for his resignation.Template:Sfnp[1]

File:JimSmith.png
Jim Smith managed Birmingham between 1978 and 1982.

Joe Mallett presided over relegation before acting as assistant to Stan Cullis,Template:Sfnp who laid the foundations for the team's future success before retiring from football in 1970.Template:Sfnp Chosen only after abortive approaches were made to Don Revie, Brian Clough and Ronnie Allen,Template:Sfnp Freddie Goodwin converted the attractive but inconsistent football of Cullis's teams to a skilful, aggressive game capable of winning promotion and maintaining top-flight status.Template:Sfnp The British-record sale of goalscorer Bob Latchford to Everton was partially mitigated by the arrival of Howard Kendall and emergence of Trevor Francis,[2][3] but the team struggled. Goodwin survived a vote of confidence in April 1975,[4] but was sacked in September after his reaction to a training-ground incident provoked Kenny Burns into a transfer request. First-team coach Willie Bell, initially appointed as acting manager,[5][6] achieved little in two years,Template:Sfnp and was replaced by club director Sir Alf Ramsey, whose brief managerial tenure ended with him leaving the club entirely.Template:Efn Jim Smith brought experienced players to the clubTemplate:Sfnp but was sacked to make way for Ron Saunders, who had just walked out on league champions and local rivals Aston Villa.Template:Efn

Financial difficulties and instability at board level led to six managerial changes in seven years. Saunders resigned after FA Cup defeat to non-league Altrincham,[7] John Bond seemed out of touch,Template:Sfnp and in April 1989, once relegation to the Third Division for the first time in the club's history was confirmed, the club's new owners replaced Garry Pendrey with Dave Mackay.[8] Within 18 months, with relegation to the Fourth Division a possibility, Mackay resigned.Template:Sfnp Lou Macari came in, revitalised the side, won the Football League Trophy at Wembley, and three weeks later walked out to join Stoke City.[9] Terry Cooper won promotion back to the second tier and kept the team going during four months of administration before he quit, fearing new owner David Sullivan would want to bring in his own man.[10]

File:Steve Bruce pre-season Germany 2004.jpg
Steve Bruce oversaw Birmingham City's 2002 promotion to the Premier League.

Southend United manager Barry Fry, hired at the cost of a record fine for "poaching",[11] failed to avoid relegation but combined the Division Two title with another victorious trip to Wembley in the Football League Trophy in 1995. After one ineffectual season in the second tier which brought his total of players used up to 61, he was sacked.[12] Trevor Francis introduced Premier League players to the team and took them to the 2001 League Cup final, but three successive play-off semifinal defeats led to his departure by mutual consent.[13] Two months later, after the dispute over his release from previous employers Crystal Palace reached the High Court, Steve Bruce took charge.[14] Bruce, the ninth former player to have served as permanent manager, led the club to promotion via the play-offs in his first season; his tenure of nearly six years made him the club's longest-serving post-war manager.[15] After uncertainty surrounding a takeover bid for the club led him to accept the managerial post at Wigan Athletic,[16] former Scotland manager Alex McLeish was appointed in November 2007.[17]

Unable to avoid relegation at the end of his first part-season, McLeish led the team back to the Premier League at the first attempt in 2009,[18] then guided them to a 12-game unbeaten run, a club record in the top division,[19] and a ninth-place finish, their best since 1959.[20] In 2010–11, his Birmingham team beat Arsenal in the League Cup Final to win their first major trophy in 48 years, but he could not keep them in the top flight, and resigned to take over at Aston Villa.[21] Chris Hughton's team narrowly failed to qualify for the Europa League knockout phase and reached the play-off semi-finals,[22] but with the club in financial turmoil and under a transfer embargo, he left for Premier League Norwich City.[23] Lee Clark led Birmingham to a mid-table finish in his first season, but escaped relegation to the third tier on goal difference via Paul Caddis's stoppage-time equaliser at Bolton Wanderers in the last match of 2013–14. Continuing poor form, with only one home league win in more than a year, brought Clark's dismissal in October 2014.[24][25][26] Burton Albion manager and former Birmingham City player Gary Rowett achieved two tenth-place finishes beforeTemplate:Sndwith the team just outside the play-off positions, and to widespread surpriseTemplate:Sndthe club's new owners sacked him and his staff and within hours appointed former Italian international player Gianfranco Zola,[27] thus beginning a cycle of apparently ill-thought-out managerial changes.[28]

After four months and 24 matches, during which the team won just twice and dropped to 20th place, three points outside the relegation zone with three matches remaining, Zola resigned.[29] Harry Redknapp kept the team in the Championship, and signed a 12-month contract, but six consecutive losses in the first eight games of 2017–18 season brought about his dismissal.[30] His former assistant Steve Cotterill's six straight defeats came five months later.[31][32] Garry Monk kept the team out of the relegation places, repeated the feat in 2018–19 despite transfer restrictions and a nine-point deduction for failure to comply with the league's spending rules, and was popular with the fans, but he was sacked after disputes with the ownership over transfer strategy and style of play.[33] His assistant, Pep Clotet, spent five months as caretaker head coach before being appointed on a permanent basis.Template:Efn Before football resumed after the COVID-19-related hiatus, the club announced that he would leave at the end of the season;[34] the team's form plummeted, Clotet left early, they narrowly avoided relegation, and the BBC's West Midlands correspondent opined that the next appointment was "a decision [the board] cannot afford to get wrong if they are to steer clear of further turmoil and confusion."[35] Aitor Karanka lasted six months of a 2020–21 season played behind closed doors before stepping down in favour of Lee Bowyer, who resigned as manager of Charlton Athletic to convert a Birmingham team "hopelessly out of form" into one that went six games unbeaten to secure safety with two matches remaining.[36][37][38] At the end of yet another relegation-threatened season, Bowyer was replaced by John Eustace,[39] who stabilised the team and avoided relegation against a background of two high-profile failed takeovers followed by a successful change of ownership.[40][41]

Two months into the 2023–24 season, with the team in the play-off places, in a move with echoes of Rowett's replacement by Zola, the American owners sacked Eustace, citing "the importance of implementing a winning mentality and a culture of ambition".[41] Former England international player and Derby County and D.C. United manager Wayne Rooney's 9 defeats in 15 games took Birmingham down to 20th place and set a new club record for shortest tenure, of 83 days.[42][43] Tony Mowbray was appointed in January 2024,[44] but six weeks later medical issues forced his temporary withdrawal from the role. Results were so poor under his assistant, Mark Venus,[45] that the club rehired Gary Rowett as interim manager until the end of the season,[46] but the team were unable to avoid relegation.[47] Mowbray resigned soon afterwards on health grounds,[48] and was replaced by Chris Davies, previously assistant head coach at Tottenham Hotspur, in his first managerial role.[49]

Managers

All first-team matches in national or international competition are counted, except for those in The Combination of 1888–89, the abandoned 1939–40 Football League season and those in wartime leagues and cups. Statistics for the Football Alliance and for the FA Cup before Small Heath F.C.'s 1892 election to the Football League are sourced from Template:Harvp.Template:Sfnp Dates and statistics thereafter until the end of the 2023–24 season are sourced from the English National Football Archive.[50] Discrepancies are noted and sourced within the table.

  • Names of caretaker managers are supplied where known, and periods of caretaker-management are highlighted in italics and marked Template:Dagger.
  • Permanent managers who previously played for the club are marked P.
  • Secretary-managers are marked S.
  • Managers whose tenure includes only wartime matches are marked W.

Win percentage is rounded to one decimal place.

Statistics are complete up to and including the match played on 3 May 2025.

Key

M: Matches played W: Matches won D: Matches drawn L: Matches lost

Table of Birmingham City F.C. managers, including tenure, record and honours
Name Nationality From To M W D L Win% Honours and achievements[51] Notes
Committee 17 October 1881Template:Efn 1 June 1892

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". S English 1 July 1892 1 June 1908

Template:WDL

Template:Ublist
Script error: No such module "Sort". S English 1 July 1908 20 June 1911

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". P Scottish 20 June 1911 30 May 1915

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". S English 30 May 1915 31 May 1923

Template:WDL

Second Division championship 1920–21
Script error: No such module "Sort". P English 31 May 1923 1 March 1927

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". P English 1 March 1927 31 May 1928

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". S English 1 July 1928 8 May 1933Template:Efn

Template:WDL

FA Cup runner-up 1930–31
Script error: No such module "Sort". P English 1 July 1933 30 September 1939

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". SW English October 1939Template:Sfnp 16 August 1943[52]

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". W English 16 August 1943[52] 28 October 1943[53]

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". SW English 28 October 1943[53] 31 May 1945

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". English 1 June 1945 29 November 1948

Template:WDL

Template:Ublist
Script error: No such module "Sort". Template:Dagger 30 November 1948 31 January 1949

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". English 31 January 1949 7 October 1954

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Committee Template:Dagger 7 October 1954 16 November 1954

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". P English 16 November 1954 4 February 1958

Template:WDL

Template:Ublist Template:EfnTemplate:EfnTemplate:Efn
Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 4 February 1958 4 September 1958

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". English 4 September 1958 23 May 1960

Template:WDL

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup runner-up 1958–60 Template:EfnTemplate:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". P English 1 June 1960 28 April 1964[1]

Template:WDL

Template:Ublist
Script error: No such module "Sort". English 1 July 1964 27 December 1965

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". English 27 December 1965 18 March 1970

Template:WDL

Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 18 March 1970 29 May 1970

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". English 29 May 1970 18 September 1975

Template:WDL

Second Division promotion 1971–72
Script error: No such module "Sort". Scottish 18 September 1975 5 September 1977

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". English 8 September 1977 6 March 1978

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". English 12 March 1978 15 February 1982

Template:WDL

Second Division promotion 1979–80
Script error: No such module "Sort". Template:Dagger English 15 February 1982 22 February 1982

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". English 22 February 1982 16 January 1986

Template:WDL

Second Division promotion 1984–85 Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". Template:Dagger English 16 January 1986 22 January 1986

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". English 23 January 1986 27 May 1987

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". P English 28 May 1987 26 April 1989

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". Scottish 26 April 1989 23 January 1991

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". Template:Dagger English 23 January 1991 7 February 1991

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". Scottish 7 February 1991 18 June 1991

Template:WDL

Associate Members' Cup 1990–91
Script error: No such module "Sort". English 9 August 1991 29 November 1993

Template:WDL

Third Division promotion 1991–92
Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 29 November 1993 10 December 1993

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". English 10 December 1993 7 May 1996

Template:WDL

Template:Ublist
Script error: No such module "Sort". P English 10 May 1996 15 October 2001

Template:WDL

League Cup finalist 2000–01
Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 15 October 2001 12 December 2001

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". P English 12 December 2001 23 November 2007

Template:WDL

Template:Ublist Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". Template:Dagger Scottish 23 November 2007 27 November 2007

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". Scottish 28 November 2007 12 June 2011

Template:WDL

Template:Ublist
Script error: No such module "Sort". Irish 22 June 2011 7 June 2012

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". English 26 June 2012 20 October 2014

Template:WDL

Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 20 October 2014 27 October 2014

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". P English 27 October 2014 14 December 2016

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". Italian 14 December 2016 17 April 2017

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". English 18 April 2017 16 September 2017[30]

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". Template:Dagger Irish 16 September 2017[30] 1 October 2017

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". English 2 October 2017 3 March 2018[32]

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". English 5 March 2018 18 June 2019

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". Spanish 20 June 2019 8 July 2020

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Template:Ublist Template:Ublist 9 July 2020 30 July 2020

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". Spanish 31 July 2020 16 March 2021

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". P English 16 March 2021 2 July 2022

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". English 3 July 2022 9 October 2023

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". English 11 October 2023 2 January 2024

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". Template:Dagger English 2 January 2024 8 January 2024

Template:WDL

Script error: No such module "Sort". English 8 January 2024 21 May 2024

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". Template:Dagger English 19 February 2024 19 March 2024

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". Template:Dagger English 19 March 2024 5 May 2024

Template:WDL

Template:Efn
Script error: No such module "Sort". Welsh 6 June 2024 present

Template:WDL

Template:Ublist [54][55]

Notes

Template:Notelist

Sources

  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  • Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
    Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  32. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  41. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  44. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  45. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  46. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  49. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  50. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  51. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1". and Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  52. ↑ a b Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  53. ↑ a b Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  54. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  55. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

External links

Script error: No such module "Navbox". Script error: No such module "Football manager history".

Template:Lists of English football managers Template:Top icon

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=List_of_Birmingham_City_F.C._managers&oldid=5677756"