List of Blackpool F.C. managers

Last updated

Including repeat appointments, there have been 42 full-time managers of Blackpool F.C., the first being Bill Norman between 1918 and 1923. The longest-serving manager was Joe Smith, who occupied the role for 23 years; Michael Appleton, meanwhile, lasted 65 days in the role in his first stint at the club. [1] Blackpool has, on average, appointed a new manager just under every three years. As of September 2024, the club has had thirteen full-time managers in twelve years.

Contents

There have been five repeat appointments: Bob Stokoe, Allan Brown, Simon Grayson, Michael Appleton and Neil Critchley.

In 2014, Jose Riga became the club's first foreign manager.

In 2020, Neil Critchley became the first appointment to be known as a head coach.

List of managers

The statistics in the table below account for Football League and Premier League games only. Play-off games are excluded. [2]
As of 3 September 2024
NameFromToGamesWonDrawnLostWin%Honours won
No manager1896190319663389532.14
Tom Barcroft 1 (secretary-manager)19031909220615510427.73
Jack Cox 1 (player-manager)190919117630182839.47
No manager1911191515248356931.58
Bill Norman 2 c. 1 August 1918c. 31 May 192316874365844.05
No managerc. 31 May 19235 October 1923815212.50
Major Frank Buckley 6 October 1923c. 31 May 192716066365841.25
Sydney Beaumont c. 1 August 1927c. 31 May 1928421382130.95
Harry Evans (honorary manager)c. 1 August 1928c. 31 May 193321083359239.52 Division Two championship (1929–30)
Sandy MacFarlane 1 July 193331 July 19358436242442.86
Joe Smith c. 1 August 193530 April 195867228815522942.86Promotion to Division One (1936–37), FA Cup (1953)
Ron Suart 1 1 May 19581 February 19673631169115631.96
Stan Mortensen 1 1 February 1967April 19699940273240.40
Harry Johnston (caretaker manager)April 1969April 1969 ? ? ? ? ??.??
Les Shannon 1 May 196926 October 19705622171739.29Promotion to Division One (1969–70)
Jimmy Meadows (caretaker manager)26 October 197020 December 1970811612.50
Bob Stokoe 20 December 197023 November 19728028242835.00 1971 Anglo-Italian Cup
No manager23 November 19721 January 1973740357.14
Harry Potts 1 January 19735 May 197614352474436.36
Allan Brown 1 5 May 19766 February 19786928231840.58
Bobby Smith (caretaker manager) [3] 6 February 19787 March 1978201100.00
Jimmy Meadows (caretaker manager)7 March 197820 May 19781316607.69
Bob Stokoe (second time)20 May 197817 August 1979461891939.13
Stan Ternent 19 September 19791 February 198029971331.03
Freddie Scott (caretaker manager)February 1980February 1980 ? ? ? ? ??.??
Alan Ball 1 February 198028 February 19815113142425.49
Allan Brown 1 (second time)1 March 198131 May 19825817172429.31
Sam Ellis 1 June 198228 March 19893111178910537.62Promotion to Division Three (1984–85)
Jimmy Mullen (caretaker manager)28 March 198920 May 19891151545.45
Jimmy Mullen20 May 198930 April 19904510161922.22
Tom White 1 (caretaker manager)30 April 199011 June 1990100100.00
Graham Carr 11 June 199030 November 19901653831.25
Billy Ayre 30 November 199010 June 199416468375941.46Promotion to (new) Division Two (1991–92)
Sam Allardyce 19 July 199429 May 19969241232844.57
Gary Megson 5 July 19961 July 19974618151339.13
Nigel Worthington 1 8 July 199723 December 199911334324730.09
Mike Hennigan &
Mike Davies 1 (caretaker managers)		23 December 19997 January 2000301200.00
Steve McMahon 7 January 20006 June 200420672538134.95Promotion to Division Two (2000–01), League Trophy (2002 and 2004)
Colin Hendry 1 7 June 200410 November 20056218192529.03
Simon Grayson 1 (caretaker manager)10 November 20055 June 2006309101130.00
Simon Grayson 1 5 August 200623 December 200811643373637.06Promotion to The Championship (2006–07)
Tony Parkes &
Steve Thompson (caretaker managers)		24 December 200818 May 20092269727.27
Ian Holloway 21 May 20093 November 201214354404937.76Promotion to the Premier League (2009–10)
Steve Thompson (caretaker manager)3 November 20127 November 2012210150
Michael Appleton 7 November 201211 January 20131127218.18
Steve Thompson (caretaker manager)11 January 201318 February 2013620433.33
Paul Ince 18 February 201321 January 20144012151330
Barry Ferguson 1 (caretaker manager)21 January 20143 May 201420351215
José Riga 11 June 201427 October 20141413107.14
Lee Clark 30 October 20149 May 201532311189.38
Neil McDonald 2 June 201518 May 20161444628.57
Gary Bowyer 1 June 20166 August 201811542403336.52Promotion to League One (2016–17)
Terry McPhillips 6 August 20185 July 20195621181737.5
Simon Grayson 1 6 July 201912 February 2020291091034.48
David Dunn (caretaker manager)12 February 20202 March 2020421150
Neil Critchley 3 2 March 20202 June 20229439243141.49Promotion to The Championship (2020–21)
Michael Appleton 17 June 202218 January 202327681322.22
Mick McCarthy 19 January 20238 April 20231423914.29
Stephen Dobbie (interim)8 April 202323 May 2023630350
Neil Critchley 23 May 202321 August 20244821101743.75
Richard Keogh (interim)21 August 20243 September 202420200
Steve Bruce 3 September 2024present00000

Notes

^1 – Also played for Blackpool
^2 – Norman was the club's first full-time manager
^3 – Position known as head coach henceforth

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    References

    Specific
    1. ↑ "Michael Appleton: Blackburn Rovers announce new manager" Archived 23 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine – BBC Sport, 11 January 2013
    2. ↑ "Blackpool Managers History". soccerbase.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
    3. ↑ ""Great Memories", Bury F.C.'s official website". Archived from the original on 7 August 2011.
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