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!

By: Harry Siuu

07/08/2021 01:47

southampton-fc-managers-ted-bates-is-the-longest-serving-manager-with-an-unbroken-record-of-wins

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.

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

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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