List of Sheffield United F.C. managers

At its formation in 1889 United did not employ what would today be termed a manager, the side was coached by a trainer and a football committee selected the team and decided upon tactics (this was a continuation of the structure of Sheffield United Cricket Club from which the football team had been formed.)[1] They did appoint Joseph Wostinholm to the position of club secretary and he was responsible for the day-to-day running of the club, matchday organisation and dealing with players and contracts.[1] Wostinholm oversaw a period of rapid growth for the team, culminating in 1898 when United won their one and only First Division championship, after which he retired.[1] Wostinholm was replaced by John Nicholson as secretary and he would remain in post for over 30 years until his death in 1932.[2] Nicholson presided over the most successful period in the club's history as United became a leading force in English football, winning the FA Cup four times and regularly challenged at the top of the league but a second Division One title for the club eluded him.[2]

Following the death of John Nicholson, who died whilst travelling to an away match in Birmingham,[2] the United board turned to Chesterfield manager Teddy Davison to become the club's first real manager.[3] The team were in decline however and were soon relegated for the first time in their history.[3] Davison gradually rebuilt the side with astute signings and young players and regained top-flight status but the club's post-war financial problems would hamper team building for years to come.[3] Davison retired in 1952 and prompted the club to appoint Rotherham United manager Reg Freeman as his successor.[4] Freeman stabilised the team but fell ill and died in 1955,[4] after which United turned to the inexperienced Joe Mercer but he struggled to cope with a team in decline and departed for Aston Villa in 1958.[5] United then appointed Chester manager John Harris who inherited a talented but under performing side which he transformed into a promotion team, returning to Division One in 1961.[6] Harris built a side based on local players and stabilised them in the top-flight but financial issues soon prompted the sale of key players and United were eventually relegated once more.[6] Harris opted to 'move upstairs' to become 'General Manager',[6] and handed the role of team manager to Arthur Rowley but he was sacked after one season following disappointing results.[7] Harris returned as manager and guided the side to promotion once more but after a good start back in the top-flight Harris' confidence faded and he stepped down in 1973 to 'move upstairs' for the second time.[6]

Experienced Blackburn Rovers manager Ken Furphy was the man United turned to replace John Harris.[8] He initially did well but the team was ageing and there was little money to replace players, but after a good finish in his first season a disastrous string of results the following year led to Furphy being sacked in October 1975.[8] Jimmy Sirrel was recruited from Notts County but he proved unpopular with both the players and fans and could not halt the decline, overseeing relegation and then being sacked in September 1977 with United at the bottom of Division Two.[7] The ambitious and colourful Harry Haslam was then handed the reins and although many of his ideas were ahead of their time he built an ageing side based on 'star' players at the end of their career.[9] Now in the Third Division performances deteriorated still further and Haslam stepped down due to illness in January 1981.[9] World Cup winner and then United player Martin Peters was promoted to the position of manager but United were relegated to Division Four at the end of the season and Peters resigned.[5]

With a new ambitious board in place United recruited Ian Porterfield as manager in June 1981.[10] He had an immediate impact, winning the Division Four championship in his first season and taking the club back into the second tier two years later on a meagre budget.[10] Despite this many fans were unhappy with the style of football and Porterfield was sacked in 1986 following supporter protests.[10] Coach Billy McEwan was promoted to the position of manager but failed to improve the standard of play and with attendances falling and the team in danger of relegation once more he was sacked in January 1988.[11] United now turned to the colourful character of Dave Bassett who had most recently had a short, unsuccessful spell as manager of Watford.[12] It was to prove an astute appointment as although he could not prevent relegation in his first season he built a solid, hard working team on a small budget and won back to back promotions, returning the club to the top-flight and achieving regular mid-table finishes.[12] With the formation of the Premier League United's old financial problems and willingness to sell star players without replacing them meant the side eventually succumbed to relegation and when an immediate return was not forthcoming Basset was sacked in December 1995.[12]

The following years proved a turbulent time for United as they chased the ambition of Premiership football.[11] Experienced Howard Kendall was recruited as manager and undertook a complete rebuilding of the side but left in June 1997 to take over at Everton.[11] Player-coach Nigel Spackman was promoted to replace Kendall but after initial promise he quit after only eight months citing boardroom interference.[13] This was to become a recurring theme and replacement Steve Bruce would leave after only one season citing the same reasons.[14] Adrian Heath then proved a disastrous appointment and lasted only six months before being sacked with United looking more likely to be relegated than promoted.[9] The Blades then turned to experienced lower league manager Neil Warnock who managed to stave off relegation and began to rebuild the side on a meagre budget.[15] Warnock proved a divisive figure with fans but after a number of mid-table finishes he achieved promotion back to the Premiership in 2006 but the side were poor the following season and were relegated, prompting the board not to renew Warnock's contract.[15]

Just like Adrian Heath, the appointment of Bryan Robson in 2007 proved an unpopular and unsuccessful one and he was sacked after less than a year following poor results and intense fan pressure.[10] Former assistant manager Kevin Blackwell was appointed as Robson's replacement,[16] but despite reaching the play-off finals in his first full season the team was obviously in decline and he was sacked after only two games of the 2010–11 season.[17] Worse was to come however as player-coach Gary Speed was briefly promoted to manager,[18] but left after only a few months to take over the Welsh national side.[19] Micky Adams then became the third full-time manager of the season and oversaw a disastrous run of results which saw United relegated and Adams sacked after only six months in charge.[20][21] With United in the third tier once more Danny Wilson was appointed as manager in June 2011, despite protests from United fans over his previous association with cross-town rivals Sheffield Wednesday.[22] He guided the club to the League One play-off final in his first full season in charge, losing to Huddersfield Town. Despite the club challenging for promotion the following season, a poor run of results led to Wilson's departure in April 2013,[23] being replaced by Chris Morgan until the end of the season.[23] After a long search for a new boss former Scotland defender David Weir was appointed as Wilson's long-term replacement.[24] His tenure was short-lived however, as he was sacked the following October after winning only one game from thirteen in charge.[25] After Chris Morgan had overseen the team for a brief time, Nigel Clough was appointed as Weir's permanent successor in October 2013.[26]