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Southampton F.C. managers: Ted Bates is the longest-serving manager with an unbroken record of wins

This article will give you an overview of all the managers who have spent their career in Southampton. Five of them stood out, read on to figure it out!
Harry Siuu
By: Harry Siuu

List of Southampton F.C. managers over time

Period

Manager

Country

DOB

06/12/2018 - 30/06/2024

Ralph Hasenhüttl

Austria

09/08/1967

04/12/2018 - 05/12/2018

Kelvin Davis

England

29/09/1976

14/03/2018 - 03/12/2018

Mark Hughes

Wales

01/11/1963

01/07/2017 - 12/03/2018

Mauricio Pellegrino

Argentina

05/10/1971

01/07/2016 - 30/06/2017

Claude Puel

France

02/09/1961

01/07/2014 - 30/06/2016

Ronald Koeman

Netherlands

21/03/1963

18/01/2013 - 30/06/2014

Mauricio Pochettino

Argentina

02/03/1972

12/09/2010 - 17/01/2013

Nigel Adkins

England

11/03/1965

31/08/2010 - 11/09/2010

Dean Wilkins

England

12/07/1962

17/07/2009 - 30/08/2010

Alan Pardew

England

18/07/1961

23/01/2009 - 09/07/2009

Mark Wotte

Netherlands

16/12/1960

01/06/2008 - 23/01/2009

Jan Poortvliet

Netherlands

21/09/1955

18/02/2008 - 30/05/2008

Nigel Pearson

England

21/08/1963

25/01/2008 - 17/02/2008

Jason Dodd

England

02/11/1970

23/12/2005 - 24/01/2008

George Burley

Scotland

03/06/1956

04/12/2005 - 22/12/2005

Dave Bassett

England

04/09/1944

08/12/2004 - 03/12/2005

Harry Redknapp

England

02/03/1947

23/08/2004 - 07/12/2004

Steve Wigley

England

15/10/1961

04/03/2004 - 23/08/2004

Paul Sturrock

Scotland

10/10/1956

14/02/2004 - 03/03/2004

Steve Wigley

England

15/10/1961

22/10/2001 - 13/02/2004

Gordon Strachan

Scotland

09/02/1957

29/03/2001 - 21/10/2001

Stuart Gray

England

19/04/1960

28/01/2000 - 28/03/2001

Glenn Hoddle

England

27/10/1957

23/06/1997 - 27/01/2000

Dave Jones

England

17/08/1956

01/07/1996 - 30/06/1997

Graeme Souness

Scotland

06/05/1953

01/07/1995 - 30/06/1996

Dave Merrington

England

26/01/1945

21/01/1994 - 30/06/1995

Alan Ball

England

12/05/1945

01/07/1991 - 05/01/1994

Ian Branfoot

England

26/01/1947

01/07/1985 - 30/06/1991

Chris Nicholl

Northern Ireland

12/10/1946

01/12/1973 - 30/06/1985

Lawrie McMenemy

England

26/07/1936

01/09/1955 - 30/11/1973

Ted Bates

England

03/05/1918

01/03/1952 - 31/08/1955

George Roughton

England

11/04/1909

01/07/1949 - 31/12/1951

Sid Cann

England

30/10/1911

01/01/1946 - 30/06/1949

Bill Dodgin

England

17/04/1909

01/07/1943 - 31/12/1945

Arthur Dominy

England

11/02/1893

15/03/1937 - 30/06/1943

Tom Parker

England

19/11/1897

01/07/1936 - 14/03/1937

George Goss

England

 

16/05/1931 - 30/06/1936

George Kay

England

21/09/1891

01/10/1925 - 30/06/1931

Arthur Chadwick

England

00/07/1875

01/07/1919 - 31/12/1924

Jimmy McIntyre

England

31/10/1877

01/07/1912 - 30/06/1919

Ernest Arnfield

England

25/12/1853

01/07/1911 - 30/06/1912

George Swift

England

03/02/1870

01/07/1897 - 30/06/1911

Ernest Arnfield

England

25/12/1853

01/07/1896 - 30/06/1897

Alfred McMinn

England

 

01/07/1895 - 30/06/1896

Charles Robson

England

20/06/1859

01/07/1892 - 30/06/1895

Cecil Knight

England

 

During the first years from the founding of Southampton F.C., under the leadership of two English managers, Cecil Knight and Charles Robson, the club didn’t win any title although they had the highest winning percentages. 

Cecil led the team to 15 wins out of 25 matches (60% winning) while Charles helped The Saints achieve 69.57% winning (16 wins over 23 matches). The club reached the first title in 1986, under the lead of Alfred McMinn, it was the Southern League championship in his first attempt. In the period from 1897 to 1911, the club got the most titles, including five Southern League championships, and finished in second place in two seasons of FA Cup, all in Ernest Arnfield’s time.

After that, the club stepped further to some major domestic leagues and cups, such as Third Division, FA Cup, or EFL Cup. Currently, they are managed by an Austrian professional football manager Ralph Hasenhuttl. He has guided the club to 42 wins over a total of 113 matches since 2018.

Top five best managers of Southampton F.C. in the modern era

This section looks back to the five greatest head coaches of Southampton after World War II.

5. Bill Dodgin (1946-1949)

Bill Dodgin was the manager who restarted the club after the shut down of league football in three years from 1943 to 1946. Despite not winning any title, he led Southampton to win 65 matches, drew 28, and lost games, finishing in third place several times in the second division.

4. Nigel Adkins (2010-2013)

Nigel helped The Saints reach 54.03% winning, including 67 winning matches over 124 games. He led the club to second place in League One and the Championship.

3. Gordon Strachan (2001-2004)

Like the other two managers, Gordon also had only three years in charge of Southampton. In the second season with the team, he led Southampton to the highest-ever finish in the prestigious Premier League since the founding of this competition in the 1992-93 season. They reached the eight-placed standing in the 2002-03 Premier League, along with the finalist in the FA Cup. 

Gordon Strachan

2. Ted Bates (1955-1973)

This manager was called “Mr. Southampton” due to his longest-serving tenure as the head coach of Southampton for 18 seasons. Due to the longest period of time leading the club, he led the club to the most games and wins (333 wins over 850 matches). The South Coast club finally won the Third Division during the time of Ted. 

His statue was built outside the main entrance to St Mary’s Stadium. The cost of this statue was raised half by fans and half by Southampton F.C.

Ted Bates

1. Lawrie McMenemy (1973-1985)

Lawrie also had a long time (12 years) being responsible for this South Coast club. They reached second place in the old First Division in the 1983-84 season. He left Southampton and became Sunderland’s manager in 1985, however, he was not successful like he used to be in Southampton.  

Lawrie McMenemy

A few things about Southampton 

Establishment

Southampton Football Club, also known as The Saints due to its history as a church football team, is a professional club that is playing in the prestigious Premier League. They are based in Southampton city, Hampshire, in South East England, hence the name. The club was founded on 21 November 1885 as St. Mary’s Y.M.A. 

The Saints used to play at The Dell from 1898 until 2001. Since August 2001, St Mary’s Stadium has become their home ground. They are playing in red and white shirts with black shorts. 

Southampton F.C.

Achievements

Football League Division One / Premier League

  • Runners-up: 1983–84

Football League Division Two / Football League Championship

  • Runners-up: 1965–66, 1977–78, 2011–12

Football League Division Three / Football League One

  • Champions: 1959–60
  • Runners-up: 1920–21, 2010–11

Football League Third Division South

  • Champions: 1921–22

Southern League

  • Champions: 1896–97, 1897–98, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1903–04

Western League

  • Runners-up: 1903–04, 1905–06, 1907–08
  • Section A Winners: 1907–08

FA Cup

  • Winners: 1975–76
  • Runners-up: 1899–1900, 1901–02, 2002–03

League Cup

  • Runners-up: 1978–79, 2016–17

Full Members Cup

  • Runners-up: 1991–92

FA Community Shield

  • Runners-up: 1976

Football League Trophy

  • Winners: 2009–10

Texaco Cup

  • Runners-up: 1974–75

Anglo-Italian League Cup

  • Runners-up: 1976

Anglo-Franco Friendship Cup

  • Joint-Winners: 1961–62

Hampshire Senior Cup

  • Winners: 1890–91, 1891–92, 1894–95
  • Runners-up: 1892–93, 1893–94, 1895–96

National Fives Tournament

  • Winners: 1971, 1983
  • Runners-up: 1981

London Fives Tournament

  • Runners-up: 1972

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southampton_F.C.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Southampton_F.C._managers

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Harry Siuu
Written by: Harry Siuu
a specialized football specialist with over ten years' experience as a football journalist who works for Betimate.com.

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