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Wilf Wild
March 1932 - November 1946
Wilf Wild spent 30 years at Maine Road, starting initially
in 1920 as assistant secretary but eventually taking charge
of managerial duties as well in the early 1930's. Manchester
City achieved substantial success under his jurisdiction,
winning the FA Cup in 1934 and the League Championship in
1937, and many legendary players passed through Maine Road
during his reign, including Frank Swift, Sam Barkas and
Peter Doherty. It was therefore surprising when a team of so
many quality players were relegated in 1938, despite scoring
more goals than anybody else in the First Division. City
finished fifth in the Second Division just prior to war
breaking out, and between 1939 and 1945 Wild had to work
hard to keep the club afloat. He stood down as manager in
1946, offering the job to one of his former players, Sam
Cowan.
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Sam
Cowans
November 1946 - June 1947
Sam Cowan became manager of Manchester City in November
1946, but spent only six months in the job despite
catapulting the team to promotion. Having been a successful
player with City throughout the 1930's, he was already a
legendary figure amongst the supporters who were delighted
to see an 'old boy' back at Maine Road. He had returned to
the club after a coaching stint at Brighton and Hove Albion,
and proceeded to rescue City from the doldrums of the Second
Division with an impressive string of victories inspired by
players such as Eric Westwood, Alan Black and Bert Sproston.
Despite the 1946/47 season ending in promotion, it was to be
Cowan's only season in charge. He still lived on the South
Coast and, when he discovered that the City directors were
unhappy about his frequent commuting, he decided to resign
from the job and return to Brighton. City fans could only
speculate what successes Cowan may have achieved should he
have stayed.
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John
Thomson
July 1947 - February 1950
Jock Thomson had an admirable track record as a player with
Everton, his 300 appearances for the club including an
appearance in the 1933 FA Cup final against Manchester City.
He succeeded the popular Sam Cowan as manager in July 1947,
and what was to be his first job in this position was also
to be his last. In a nondescript two-and-a-half year period
in charge, Thomson guided City to mid-table positions in
1948 and 1949. However, he decided to leave the club during
a woeful 1949/50 campaign which was to end in relegation
after a season which yielded only 35 goals. Thomson packed
his bags in February and headed north to his native Scotland
to run a public house.
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Les
McDowall
June 1950 - May 1963
Les McDowall guided Manchester City through one of their
most successful post-war periods and is the club's longest
serving manager. He had signed for the Blues in 1938,
captaining the side before the outbreak of war. After his
successful playing career at Maine Road, McDowall left to
become manager of Wrexham in 1949. However, the
powers-that-be at City had already earmarked him as
management material and after less than a year at the
Racecourse Ground he accepted the invitation to take up the
reins at City. He joined at a difficult time. The side had
just been relegated, morale was low, and the shadow of Matt
Busby's successful United team loomed ominously. But
McDowall approached the promotion challenge with relish and
steered City back to Division One in 1951. He led the side
to two consecutive FA Cup finals in 1955 and 1956, sampling
defeat by Newcastle in the former but savouring victory in
the latter against Birmingham City after employing the
tactic famously tagged the 'Revie Plan'. This particular cup
final, involving City greats such as Bert Trautmann, Roy
Clarke and Ken Barnes, was to be his most fulfilling
achievement. By the early 1960's, most of the cup-winning
side had left and City found themselves floundering in the
lower regions of Division One. The spectre of relegation
became reality in 1963, and McDowall resigned after thirteen
years at Maine Road.
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George
Poyser
May 1963 - April 1965
George Poyser became City's boss after having previously
spent five years at Maine Road as assistant manager. Before
then, he had worked for both Wolves and Notts County, taking
the Magpies to the quarter-final of the FA Cup in 1954/55.
In May 1963 he inherited a City team which was already on a
downwards spiral towards Division Two after a dreadful set
of results under McDowall. The following season in the lower
division started brightly enough for City, though; Poyser
had signed Derek Kevan and Jimmy Murray to the squad and
City managed to reach the semi-final of the League Cup.
However, confidence took a battering after a third round FA
Cup defeat by lowly Swindon, and City's final league
position of 6th was not good enough for promotion. Standards
dropped further in the 1964/65 season with early exits in
both Cup competitions together with a disappointing 11th
placing in the League contributing to a pervading sense of
doom and gloom. Poyser's days appeared to be numbered and he
vacated his position in April.
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Joe
Mercer OBE
July 1965 - June 1972
Joe Mercer formed one of the greatest teams that the country
had ever seen. He led Manchester City through the glorious
era of the late 1960's and early 1970's, picking up four
major trophies and nurturing classy players like Colin Bell,
Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee along the way. Mercer himself
had excelled as a player, winning honours with Arsenal and
England, and it was after retiring through injury that he
entered the world of management, spending three years at
Sheffield United, before joining Aston Villa in 1958. A
serious stroke led to his departure from the Midlands side
in 1964 but, against the orders of his family and his
doctor, he was back in another hotseat within the year when
he accepted the invitation to join Manchester City. Along
with Malcolm Allison he set about revitalising an ailing
team, his spirit and enthusiasm helping to propel City back
into the First Division in 1966. The side blossomed,
rewarding Joe and Mal's efforts with a sackful of honours
between 1968 and 1971. However, certain disagreements led to
the unfortunate disintegration of the management team in the
1971/72 season, and Mercer left Maine Road to take over at
Coventry City in June 1972. He died in August 1990, but
still remains one of the most revered figures in City
history.
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Malcolm
Allison
October 1971 - March 1973 and January
1979 - October 1980
"Big Mal" remains one of the best coaches that the
country has ever seen. Although he had a respectable playing
career with Charlton and West Ham, it was ultimately his
exciting and effective training methods that received most
recognition. A master tactician and technician of the game,
Allison arrived at City in July 1965 as an assistant to work
alongside Joe Mercer. Their relationship cemented
immediately, both sharing a great respect for each other as
well as hunger for success. Malcolm was the motivator, his
vast knowledge of and sheer exuberance for the game
encouraging the very best performances from his players.
And, as a result, by the late 1960's the Allison influence
had helped to build City into the fittest and most
entertaining team of that time, precipitating a haul of
trophies in a three year spell of glory. However, when
Mercer left the club the following year after a boardroom
disagreement, Malcolm had problems filling the gap and
departed for Crystal Palace in 1973. After a six year
absence, Malcolm returned to City in 1979 to work alongside
General Manager Tony Book. It wasn't to last long. A number
of new signings were made for inflated sums of money
(notably Michael Robinson, Steve Daley and Steve Mackenzie)
and established City favourites like Dave Watson, Asa
Hartford and Gary Owen were sold on for comparatively
little. The success that Allison promised did not
materialise, and City's embarrassing FA Cup defeat by
Halifax was the last straw. The fans had lost faith in Big
Mal, and in October 1980 he lost his job.
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Johnny
Hart
May 1973 - November 1973
Johnny Hart spent almost 12 seasons at Maine Road as a
player, but an unfortunate string of injuries led to him
only making 178 full appearances throughout his career. He
retired in 1963 to become City's coach, a role which he
retained for a further ten seasons before upgrading to
manager in May 1973 after the resignation of Malcolm
Allison. It was Hart who organised the free transfer that
saw Denis Law returning to Maine Road, and he also recruited
goalkeeper Keith Macrae from Motherwell. However, his spell
in charge was curtailed to a mere six months as ill health
forced Hart to give up the job. He still lives close by to
Maine Road, where he is the occasional spectator on a
Saturday.
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Ron
Saunders
November 1973 - April 1974
Ron Saunders lasted only five months as City manager in a
spell straddling 1973 and 1974, his dismissal taking place
soon after City's heartbreaking League Cup final defeat by
Wolves in April 1974. After a playing career with, amongst
others, Everton, Portsmouth and Charlton, Birkenhead-born
Saunders went on to manage Yeovil, Oxford and Norwich, the
latter of whom he took to the League Cup final in April
1973. The Canaries lost to Tottenham, and within a few
months, Saunders had made the move from Norwich to
Manchester after a disagreement with the Carrow Road board.
His difficulty in establishing a rapport with the City
players may have effectively shortened his tenure at Maine
Road, but Saunders deserved some credit for instigating the
signing of hot property Dennis Tueart from Sunderland in
March 1974.
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Tony
Book
April 1974 - July 1979
Malcolm Allison gave Tony Book his big break in football,
signing him to Southern League Bath City before taking him
to Plymouth Argyle in 1964. He had joined football
relatively late, and by the time Allison had persuaded
Manchester City to sign him he was 31. A magnificent
defender, he was also an exemplary captain for the club
during the 'glory days', leading the winning team up the
Wembley steps on two occasions and experiencing triumph in
the League and in Europe. He joined the coaching staff in
1973, first as assistant to Johnny Hart and then to Ron
Saunders. When the latter was sacked, Book stepped into his
shoes and found success two years later in the 1976 League
Cup. A runners-up position in Division One in 1977
demonstrated the strength of a side which consisted of
pedigree players like Asa Hartford, Joe Royle and Brian
Kidd, all Book signings. When Malcolm Allison returned to
City in 1979 to take control of team affairs, Book became
General Manager before undertaking a stint in charge of the
Youth Team who, with promising talent like Steve Redmond and
Ian Brightwell, went on to win the FA Youth Cup in 1986.
After a stint as First Team Coach, Tony later moved to work
with Sunderland where he is currently Chief Scout.
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John
Bond
October 1980 - February 1983
John Bond began his managerial career at Bournemouth in
1970. He followed this with a seven-year stint at Norwich
City, the high point of which was the League Cup final in
1975. In October 1980 the lure of a high-profile job at
Manchester City led to Bond departing Carrow Road for Maine
Road. A confident and gregarious character, he was delighted
to be at the helm of such a big club but was fully aware of
the difficult task that lay ahead. City had been financially
depleted by big-money signings and the side had made an
abysmal start to the 1980/81 season, failing to win one
single league match before his arrival. However, Bond's
three budget signings - Gerry Gow, Tommy Hutchison and Bobby
McDonald - helped to pick up the pieces and the team climbed
up to twelfth place in the league after a series of
much-needed wins. City had a good taste of cup action with
Bond in the same season, reaching the semi-final of the
League Cup against Liverpool and the final of the FA Cup
versus Spurs which the Londoners won in the replay. Despite
the exciting but ultimately short-lived signing of Trevor
Francis the following season, the team's momentum and
motivation faded in after a promising start. City embarked
on a slow descent and with relegation looming in 1983, Bond
was released of his duties.
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John
Benson
February 1983 - June 1983
John Benson's five month stay of execution at City followed
the dismissal of John Bond, who he had assisted at Maine
Road since October 1980. Scottish-born, Benson had spent
three seasons as a player with the Blues before continuing
his playing career with Torquay, Bournemouth and Norwich. He
became a member of John Bond's backroom staff at Carrow Road
and accompanied him to Maine Road in 1980. Bond's departure
left Benson in charge of a sinking ship at City, and on a
black day in May the Blues were condemned to the Second
Division after a home defeat by Luton. As David Pleat danced
a merry jig on the Maine Road turf, John Benson trudged down
the tunnel knowing that his brief reign had come to an end.
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Billy
McNeill MBE
June 1983 - September 1986
A robust centre-half, Billy McNeill made over 800
appearances for Celtic and was voted Scottish Player of the
Year in 1965. After his retirement ten years later he
briefly managed Clyde and Aberdeen before returning to
Parkhead to replace Jock Stein for a five-season stint which
saw Celtic winning the Premiership on three occasions.
McNeill was headhunted by Peter Swales in 1983 with a brief
to rescue the Blues from the doldrums of the Second
Division. He purchased a number of versatile players to aid
the cause - notably Derek Parlane, Neil McNab and Mick
McCarthy - but this still wasn't enough for an immediate
return to the top flight. Promotion was finally achieved the
following May, and was celebrated in style on the final day
of the campaign with a 5-1 thrashing of Cambridge. The
1985/86 season was generally mediocre, however; City's first
Wembley cup final for ten years resulted in a 5-4 defeat by
Chelsea in the much-maligned Full Members Cup, and the Blues
finished a disappointing 16th in the League. The following
September saw McNeill's controversial decision to leave
Maine Road for pastures new at Villa Park, leaving behind in
his wake a stagnating City side destined for the drop.
Ironically, McNeill's new team were also relegated together
with City at the end of the 1986/87 season.
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Jimmy
Frizzell
October 1986 - May 1987
Billy McNeill was succeeded by another Scot, Jimmy Frizzell,
who had gained his footballing spurs with Oldham Athletic
where he made over 300 League appearances. He became the
manager at Boundary Park in 1970, taking them from the
Fourth Division to the Second in four seasons. He was
surprisingly sacked in June 1982, but Billy McNeill came to
the rescue by inviting Frizzell to join him at Maine Road.
He became manager in his own right after McNeill's departure
in 1986, but could not halt the slide towards relegation
after a feeble season which saw only eight league wins and
36 goals. The arrival of Mel Machin in 1987 led to
Frizzell's appointment as General Manager, and since then he
has remained at Maine Road as an integral member of City's
back room staff, presently working as the club's Chief
Scout.
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Mel
Machin
May 1987 - November 1989
Mel Machin was the surprise choice for the Maine Road
hotseat in 1987. Although a 14-year stint at Norwich had
helped to build him a reputation as a steady player and a
respected coach, Machin had no experience of top-flight
management and faced the unenviable task of dredging the
recently relegated City up from the Second Division. To his
credit, he set about the job diligently, reinforcing the
team with a number of popular new faces including Ian
Bishop, Trevor Morley and Clive Allen. Machin also showed
faith in City's promising crop of youngsters with Paul Lake,
Andy Hinchcliffe, Paul Moulden, David White and Ian
Brightwell all making headway in the first team. A patchy
1987/88 League campaign saw City finishing in ninth place in
Division Two, despite an unbeaten nine-match run before
Christmas which included the famous 10-1 demolition of
Huddersfield. Machin also took City into the last eight of
both cup competitions in 1988, a great confidence booster
which invigorated the side and instilled them with the
self-belief that helped to secure promotion the following
year. However, apart from a notable 5-1 victory over
Manchester United, the first half of the new season saw a
succession of poor results which made Machin's position a
precarious one, and in November 1989 he was sacked.
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Howard
Kendall
December 1989 - November 1990
Howard Kendall had a long and illustrious career in English
football with spells at Preston, Everton, Birmingham, Stoke
and Blackburn. He became a player-manager at Ewood Park in
1979, before returning to Everton in 1981. After six
successful years at Goodison which saw a haul of four major
trophies, the lure of continental football took Kendall over
to Spanish side Athletico Bilbao in 1987. His time there was
not fulfilling and Kendall returned to England after just
two years. Almost immediately he secured the vacant post at
Maine Road in a move which proved popular with City fans,
all of whom were hopeful that such a respected manager could
rescue City from their woe in the bottom half of the
Division. He recruited Peter Reid from QPR as player-coach
and signed Adrian Heath, Wayne Clarke and Alan Harper from
Everton to bolster the team. Other significant purchases
included Colin Hendry from Blackburn, Niall Quinn from
Arsenal and Tony Coton from Watford, and in a dramatic
turnaround, a transformed City finished 14th in the League
after just one defeat in the last eleven games of the
season. Things looked rosy for City in the 1990/91 season
after a ten match unbeaten run, but a bombshell was about to
be dropped. In a decision that rocked Maine Road, Howard
Kendall returned to his beloved Everton after less than a
season with City. For the seventh time in a decade, the
Board had to embark on yet another search for a successor.
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Peter
Reid
November 1990 - August 1993
Always the popular choice to succeed Howard Kendall as
manager, Peter Reid was given his big chance in November
1990. A tenacious midfielder, Reid started his playing
career at Bolton before joining Everton in 1982, spending
seven happy and successful years at Goodison Park. He
arrived at Manchester City as a player-coach in December
1989, his boundless energy and enthusiasm winning over many
fans at Maine Road, a factor which undoubtably helped his
promotion to manager after Kendall's shock departure.
Maintaining the consistency that his predecessor had already
cultivated, Reid took City to fifth position in the League
in two consecutive seasons. However, it was inconsistency
which dogged the Blues in the 1992/93 season. They finished
ninth in the League and hopes of a trip to Wembley were
dashed at quarter-final stage when the Blues lost 4-2 to
Spurs at Maine Road. The next season started particularly
badly for Reid, with City failing to win any of their first
five games of the season. After a 2-0 home defeat by
Blackburn in August, Reid lost his job.
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Brain
Horton
September 1993 - 1995
Brian Horton joined a club in turmoil. A manager had been
sacked, the team had suffered a string of bad results and
the campaign to oust chairman Peter Swales was becoming more
vociferous by the day. After much speculation regarding
Peter Reid's replacement, Horton's appointment came out of
the blue. He had entered management after a successful
playing career with Brighton and Luton and became
player-manager of Hull City in June 1984. After leaving
Boothferry Park in 1988, Horton was recruited as an
assistant to Oxford boss Mark Lawrenson but within six
months had taken over as manager after Lawrenson's
departure. He received the summons to Maine Road in
September 1993, kick-starting his City career with a 3-1
away win at Swindon. The season continued erratically,
though. By the New Year, City were wallowing in the Premier
League danger zone, and confidence took a further bash after
a disastrous FA Cup exit at the hands of Cardiff City. By
February, however, the club was injected with a new impetus
when Francis Lee finally took over the reins as Chairman. A
refreshing wave of optimism, heightened by the inspired
signings of Uwe Rosler, Paul Walsh and Peter Beagrie, pulled
City out of the mire. The ensuing 1994/95 season started
promisingly for Horton, with tremendous team performances
against the likes of Everton and Tottenham setting Maine
Road alight. Form dipped after Christmas, however, but vital
wins against Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers over Easter
warded off the threat of relegation.
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Alan
Ball
1995-1996
Alan Ball was a hugely talented player who achieved success
as a member of the 1966 World Cup winning team, and as a
League Championship medal winner with Everton. His playing
pedigree was impressive, and he is obviously a very
knowledgeable footballing figure. However, his managerial
career is far from successful. By the time Francis Lee
started searching for a manager in 1995, Ball was at
Southampton. Once offered, it took no time at all for the
former World Cup winner to accept the City job and he became
manager in time for the 1995-95 campaign. It was not a good
season and culminated in relegation. The majority of
supporters were not surprised - they had not wanted Ball in
the first place and felt his managerial record was
exceptionally poor. They also felt let down after being
promised a high profile, successful manager. Ball's
appointment was never likely to appease supporters who were
by this time frustrated with twenty trophy-less years.
Despite the feelings of the majority, Alan Ball kept his job
and the 1996-97 season commenced with most fans feeling
totally deflated. They still proved their loyalty by turning
out in vast numbers, but they were soon despondent.
Depressing performances and poor results again brought
protests, and the game at Stoke made the headlines because
City fans were joined by Stoke supporters in calling for the
head of Ball. It was a strange situation, but one which was
understandable. After all Stoke had suffered more than most
under the City manager. Naturally, it wasn't long before
Ball moved on. Since leaving City he has occasionally
appeared on television as a soccer pundit. Even in this role
he has angered many supporters by his negative comments
towards City.
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Steve
Coppell
1996
It took some time for City to find a replacement for Alan
Ball and when they did City fans had mixed feelings over the
appointment. Steve Coppell had been a tremendous player with
Manchester United during the 1970s and early 1980s. Injury
forced his retirement in 1983, after which he embarked on a
career in management, becoming the youngest manager in the
League. His managerial history was certainly more impressive
than his predecessor at Maine Road, and he was given a
chance by most supporters to prove his commitment to the
Blues. Unfortunately, after only six matches he resigned,
claiming that managing the Blues was affecting his health.
City supporters were dismayed, especially when he later
returned to Palace and guided them to promotion via the
play-offs. Coppell's reign is the shortest of all City's
permanent managers and he actually managed the Blues for
less games than caretaker Phil Neal (1996) and chairman
Albert Alexander senior (1925/6).
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Frank
Clark
1996-1998
Born at Highfield near Gateshead on 9th September 1943,
Frank Clark served his apprenticeship as a laboratory
technician before signing professionally for Newcastle
United. He had already turned down the chance of a full time
career with both Sunderland and Preston. Earlier Clark had
appeared in the Amateur Cup final at Wembley for Crook Town.
At Newcastle he suffered a broken leg and battled hard to
return to full fitness. In his first full season at
left-back Newcastle lifted the Second Division trophy (1965)
and Clark went on to become a permanent fixture in the
Geordies' line-up, making 457 League and cup appearances - a
remarkable record. In 1975 he was controversially given a
free transfer - Newcastle fans felt he still had much to
offer - and joined Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest. At the
City Ground he won Championship and European Cup medals to
go with his 1969 Fairs' Cup success. He also won League Cup
winners medals in 1978 and 1979. In July 1979 he became
assistant to Ken Knighton at Sunderland, and then assistant
coach at Forest in August 1981. Two months later he teamed
up with Knighton again, this time at Leyton Orient. In May
1983 he became Orient manager, following Knighton's
dismissal, but his first two seasons were not successful and
Orient were relegated to Division Four in 1985. In 1986 he
became Orient's managing director, gaining a seat on the
board, and he developed a side capable of reaching the
play-offs. In July 1991 he gave Peter Eustace responsibility
for team affairs and in June 1993 he replaced Brian Clough
as relegated Nottingham Forest's manager. He won them
promotion immediately, but left a declining Forest in late
1996, shortly before accepting the manager's job at Maine
Road. Although the Blues ended his first season in their
lowest ever position, it is to Clark's credit they even
finished that high. Had the season followed the pattern set
by Ball, Manchester City would have started 1997-98 in
Division Two.
Joe Royle
1998-2001
Joe Royle began his footballing career at Goodison Park
making over 270 appearances for Everton and scoring 119
goals. He spent five seasons as Everton's top scorer,
bagging 23 goals in the Championship-winning side of 1969-70
and winning his first England cap - one of six - against
Malta in 1971.City manager Tony Book bought Royle for £170,000
in 1974 and he went on to claim further honours as he helped
the Blues to the League Cup in 1976. He left Maine Road in
November 1977 to join Bristol City and had a further stint
with Norwich City before being forced to retire from the
game in 1982 due to a bad knee injury.Just three months
later he took over the managerial reins at Oldham Athletic.
Twelve years in charge at Boundary Park, turing a small time
club into a Premiership outfit by 1991. Royle's teams won
many friends with their care-free, cavalier style. But the
bubble bursted when they were relegated and Royle left to
manage Everton. After relegation to the First Division in
1994, Royle resigned from Oldham. He soon replaced
under-fire Everton boss Mike Walker as Everton manager and
in his only full season as manager at Goodison Park he took
Everton to sixth in the Premiership, and narrowly missed out
on a UEFA Cup place. But things did not work out and on
transfer deadline day 1997 when he was not permitted enough
money to get the two norwegians Tore Andre Flo and Claus
Lundekvam. The next day he resigned. After 11 months out of
the game, he accepted the challenge to manage Manchester
City in February 1998. When Joe arrived the club was deep in
the relegation zone and even though he could not save the
club from relegation from the First Division he looked the
right man to lead the club back to better things. His
partnership with Willie Donachie, which had yielded great
results in the past, helped bring a stability and belief to
the playing side of Manchester City. City won two back to
back promotions under their stewartship the remarkable
scenes at Wembley in the Second Division Play off Final will
never be forgotten. Within a year City were on their way
back to the Premiership a 4-1 win at Blackburn on the last
day of the season confirming automatic promotion to the
Premiership. By the end of the season, after a run of twelve
home defeats and relegation, Joe Royle, who three years
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