Club Managers
Last updated : 07 June 2006 By Statto
Co-incidentally Boro's manager at the turn of both centuries was named Robson. John Robson, who was Boro's first manager, was in charge at the end of the 19th century while we all know who was manager at the end of the 20th century.
Gareth Southgate - June 2006 to ????
The Boro captain was persuaded to hang up his boots by Boro chairman Steve Gibson and venture into the cut-throat world of football management. His appointment was shrouded in controversy because he did not hold the correct UEFA coaching badges stipulated by the Premier League.
Steve McClaren - June 2001 to May 2006
Steve McClaren joined Boro from Manchester United in 2001 to take up his first managerial post. After a dodgy start he managed to guide Boro to their first major trophy and qualified for the UEFA Cup two seasons running, losing out in the final in 2006. He left to become England manager after assisting Sven Goran Eriksson for five years.
Bryan Robson - May 1994 to June 2001
Steve Gibson's brave decision to give Bryan his first managerial post has paid off with Boro reaching three major Wembley finals and finally gaining Premier League stability. In December 2000 Terry Venables joined Robson as Head Coach in an attempt to save Boro from relegation and to save Robson's job. Robson left the club with Viv Anderson by mutual consent at the end of the season.
Lennie Lawrence - July 1991 to May 1994
Apart from gaining promotion to the Premier League in his first season Lennie's claim to fame in my book is managing to sell Alan Kernaghan to Man. City for £1.6M. The most memorable matches of his reign were undoubtedly the promotion day win at Wolves and the League Cup semi-final, second leg, against Man. United at Old Trafford.
Colin Todd - March 1990 to June 1991
A reign of just over a season saw few highlights. Taking Bruce Rioch's team to the ZDS Cup Final and a resounding 4-1 last day survival win against the Geordies were the pick of them. Colin resigned in the summer of 1991 amid rumours of 'board interference'.
Bruce Rioch - February 1986 to March 1990 Still a cult hero around the town, Bruce took Boro from the brink of extinction in Division 3 to the heights of Division 1 and back to Division 2 in three roller coaster seasons. After getting Boro to their first Wembley final in the ZDS Cup Final he was sacked because of poor league results.
Willie Maddren - June 1984 to February 1986
Haverton Hill born Willie achieved a lifelong ambition in managing his hometown club after being one of their finest players during the 1970's. Willie was on a hiding to nothing from the start with the club £1.2 million debt. No money was available for new players although he did appoint his successor as coach in October 1985.
Jack Charlton - March 1984 to June 1984 (caretaker)'Big Jack' took the reins for a second time as caretaker-manager after Malcolm Allison's sacking. He managed to stave off relegation to Division 3 in his short spell.
Malcolm Allison - October 1982 to March 1984
High Profile, flamboyant Allison took over with Boro at the bottom of Division 2. He managed to avoid relegation and take Boro to the last 16 in the F.A. Cup. He was sacked after being pressured into selling his best players by the board.
Bobby Murdoch - June 1981 to October 1982
Murdoch took control with the club on a downward spiral, after selling Johnston, Armstrong and Proctor. The side was never strong enough to survive and were only out of the relegation zone for one week in September. Somehow he survived and started with Boro back in Division 2, however after picking up only two points in the first seven games he was dismissed.
John Neal - May 1977 to July 1981
Quiet John Neal was instrumental in the break up of Charlton's team, probably due to pressure from the Board. He sold Souness, Mill, Boam and Cummins for healthy sums. He did however break Boro's record transfer on four occasions when buying Mahoney, Ashcroft, Cochrane and Nattrass. After four seasons he left for Chelsea after disagreeing with the sale of Craig Johnston to Liverpool.
Jack Charlton - May 1973 to April 1977
Jack Charlton had been left with the nucleus of a great side and only brought in Bobby Murdoch to complete the jigsaw. In a record breaking season he guided Boro back to Division 1, picking up the Bell's Manager of the Year award on the way. After three promising seasons in the top flight he resigned, as he had promised four years before. He later went on to become the most popular manager Eire had ever seen taking them to the quarter final of the 1990 World Cup in the USA, narrowly losing to Italy.
Harold Shepherdson - January 1973 to May 1973 (caretaker) This was 'Shep's third and longest spell as caretaker-manager. Remarkably he guided Boro to 4th in Division 2, after losing just three matches in a sixteen match run-in, before handing over to Jack Charlton.
Stan Anderson - April 1966 to January 1973
Sadly Stan Anderson could not stop the slide and within months of taking over he found himself the manager of a Division 3 team. A last day win at home to Oxford United help ed back to Division 2 at the first attempt. He tried all he could to get Boro back to Division 1, finishing fourth twice in the next five seasons. When he suddenly resigned during the 1972-73 season he had laid the foundations of what was to be one of the greatest teams.
Raich Carter - January 1963 to February 1966
Raich Carter had a distinguished record as a player who by the age of 24 had won every honour a player could achieve. Unfortunately he could not do the same in management, he had brief success at Leeds and built a reasonable side at Fourth Division Mansfield. After a progressive slide, over two and a half years, Carter was sacked with Boro in danger of dropping into Division 3 for the first time in their history.
Bob Dennison - July 1954 to January 1963
Bob Dennison had the unenvied task of getting Boro back into Division 1. On several occasions Boro showed promise but failed at the final hurdle, finishing in the top seven four times. He will be remembered for bringing a young Brian Clough into the first team in 1955. Dennison had his contract terminated in January 1963 despite having two years of his contract left. He later won £3,000 for unfair dismissal.
Walter Rowley - June 1952 to February 1954
Rowley's short spell was not particularly anything to write home about. In his only full season Boro finished a mid-table thirteenth and when he resigned, due to ill health, with six games remaining in the next season Boro were fighting a relegation battle. Sadly the managerless team did not survive and Boro were once again relegated to Division 2, where they would stay for 20 years.
David Jack - November 1944 to April 1952
David Jack took charge during WWII when Boro were still playing League North football. After the war Boro were a respected mid-table team apart from the 1950-51 season, Boro were in contention for the title for most of the season but slipped to sixth after gaining only two points in their last eight games. Jack resigned in 1952 due to his wife's ill health.
Wilf Gillow - March 1934 to March 1944
Wilf Gillow had what many fans believed was the closest thing to a championship winning team, only to be halted by WWII. After narrowly avoiding relegation in his first season he guided Boro to fourth in the 1938-39 season. Gillow knew how to get the best out of his players, but then he had the likes of Wilf Mannion, George Hardwick, George Cammsell and Micky Fenton to name but a few. Sadly he died during the war after complications during an operation.
Peter McWilliam - April 1927 to March 1934
Herbert Bamlett - August 1923 to March 1927
Herbert Bamlett started disastrously at Boro, being relegated in his first season. The yo-yo years had arrived, relegation was followed by promotion then relegation in consecutive seasons. The following season, with the help of a certain George Camsell, Boro were promoted back to Division One in record breaking fashion, the team scoring 122 goals, thanks mainly to Camsell who netted 59 for himself. Bamlett did not see the season out after he was sacked close to the end of the promotion push.
Jimmy Howie - April 1920 to July 1923
Howie was the second ex-Newcastle player to take the reigns at Boro. 'Gentleman Jim', as he was know, cut his managerial teeth in the Southern League with Queens Park Rangers. After only three seasons he returned south to become a tobacconist.
Tom McIntosh - August 1911 to December 1919
Tom McIntosh has the honour of taking Boro to their highest ever league position, third in the 1913-14 season. McIntosh's spell as manager was interrupted by WWI after only two seasons, he returned after the war for a short while before a move to Everton.
Andy Walker - June 1910 to January 1911
Andy Walker's short spell as manager was shrouded in controversy off the field, soon after arriving he made an illegal approach for a player at his previous club, Airdrie, he was suspended for four weeks. Later club chairman, Thomas Gibson Poole used Walker as a political pawn to gain election to parliament. They were both permanently suspended from football.
Andy Aitkin - November 1906 to February 1909
Having played over 300 games for Newcastle Andy Aitkin moved to Teesside as Boro's first player-manager. He steered Boro to 6th position in the 1906-07 season. He was forced to leave after a long standing clash of personalities with an "unknown" became too much for him.
Alex Mackie - June 1905 to November 1906
Mackie was not as fortunate as his predecessor, he was banned from the game after accusations of financial wrongdoings. He had previously been suspended while manager of Sunderland after a player allaged the club had given him £100. He did however sell Alf Common to Boro for a then record £1000 before following him down the road.
John Robson - May 1899 to May 1905
John Robson was Boro's first secretary-manager after club secretary Herbert Whinney died just three months before Boro's Football League debut. He managed to take Boro into Division 1 in 1902 after they were runners-up in Division 2. Robson was cleared of any involvement in Boro's first brush with the authorities, after controversial illegal payments to players. When he left in 1905 he had been with the club for over 17 years.
