The top level of the English football league system from its formation in 1888 was the Football League, until the introduction of a Second Division in 1892 when it became known as the Football League First Division. This remained the top level of English football until 1992 when it was replaced by the Premier League. The role of the manager is to select the squad during the league season, develop the tactics of the team and manage potential issues within the squad. Due to the prestige of winning the league championship, the pressures on managers to succeed can be great.

William Sudell managed Preston North End to the inaugural championship in 1888–89, which they retained the following season, with Suddell becoming the first manager to win multiple championships. Since then, a further 24 managers have won the championship on more than one occasion. Alex Ferguson won 13 league championships as manager of Manchester United, which is the most a manager has won. George Ramsay and Bob Paisley won six league championships as managers of Aston Villa and Liverpool respectively. Nine managers — Ted Drake, Bill Nicholson, Alf Ramsey, Joe Mercer, Dave Mackay, Bob Paisley, Howard Kendall, Kenny Dalglish and George Graham – have won the championship as a player and a manager. Dalglish is the only one to have won the championship as a player-manager, a feat he achieved in the 1985–86, 1987–88 and 1989–90 seasons.

English managers have won the most championships, with a total of 58 championships won by 38 different managers. Scottish managers are next with 37 championships won by 10 different managers and Spanish managers are third with seven titles, six won by Pep Guardiola and one by Mikel Arteta. The last English manager to win the championship was Howard Wilkinson, who led Leeds United to victory in the 1991–92 season. Arsène Wenger became the first manager from outside the British Isles to win the championship when he guided Arsenal to the 1997–98 Premier League title. Manuel Pellegrini became the first manager from outside of Europe to win the championship when he guided Manchester City to the 2013–14 Premier League title.

Managers

Period: Football League (1888–1892) • Football League First Division (1892–1992) • Premier League (1992–present)

+English football championship-winning managersSeasonNationalityManagerClubRef. 1888–89Preston North End1889–90Preston North End1890–91Everton1891–92Sunderland 1892–93Sunderland1893–94Aston Villa1894–95Sunderland1895–96Aston Villa1896–97Aston Villa1897–98Sheffield United1898–99Aston Villa1899–1900Aston Villa1900–01Liverpool1901–02Sunderland1902–03The Wednesday1903–04The Wednesday1904–05Newcastle United1905–06Liverpool1906–07Newcastle United1907–08Manchester United1908–09Newcastle United1909–10Aston Villa1910–11Manchester United1911–12Robert MiddletonBlackburn Rovers1912–13Sunderland1913–14Robert MiddletonBlackburn Rovers1914–15Everton1915–191919–20West Bromwich Albion1920–21Burnley1921–22Liverpool1922–23Liverpool1923–24Huddersfield Town1924–25Huddersfield Town1925–26Huddersfield Town1926–27Newcastle United1927–28Everton1928–29The Wednesday1929–30The Wednesday1930–31Arsenal1931–32Everton1932–33Arsenal1933–34 (caretaker)Arsenal1934–35Arsenal1935–36Sunderland1936–37Manchester City1937–38Arsenal1938–39Everton1939–461946–47Liverpool1947–48Arsenal1948–49Portsmouth1949–50Portsmouth1950–51Tottenham Hotspur1951–52Manchester United1952–53Arsenal1953–54Wolverhampton Wanderers1954–55Chelsea1955–56Manchester United1956–57Manchester United1957–58Wolverhampton Wanderers1958–59Wolverhampton Wanderers1959–60Burnley1960–61Tottenham Hotspur1961–62Ipswich Town1962–63Everton1963–64Liverpool1964–65Manchester United1965–66Liverpool1966–67Manchester United1967–68Manchester City1968–69Leeds United1969–70Everton1970–71Arsenal1971–72Derby County1972–73Liverpool1973–74Leeds United1974–75Derby County1975–76Liverpool1976–77Liverpool1977–78Nottingham Forest1978–79Liverpool1979–80Liverpool1980–81Aston Villa1981–82Liverpool1982–83Liverpool1983–84Liverpool1984–85Everton1985–86Liverpool1986–87Everton1987–88Liverpool1988–89Arsenal1989–90Liverpool1990–91Arsenal1991–92Leeds United 1992–93Manchester United1993–94Manchester United1994–95Blackburn Rovers1995–96Manchester United1996–97Manchester United1997–98Arsenal1998–99Manchester United1999–2000Manchester United2000–01Manchester United2001–02Arsenal2002–03Manchester United2003–04Arsenal2004–05Chelsea2005–06Chelsea2006–07Manchester United2007–08Manchester United2008–09Manchester United2009–10Chelsea2010–11Manchester United2011–12Manchester City2012–13Manchester United2013–14Manchester City2014–15Chelsea2015–16Leicester City2016–17Chelsea2017–18Manchester City2018–19Manchester City2019–20Liverpool2020–21Manchester City2021–22Manchester City2022–23Manchester City2023–24Manchester City2024–25Liverpool2025–26Arsenal

By individual +KeyManager is currently active

+English football championship-winning managers by individualRankManagerTitlesClub(s)Winning seasons 1Alex Ferguson Manchester United 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 2George Ramsay Aston Villa 1893–94, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1909–10Bob Paisley Liverpool 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83Pep Guardiola Manchester City 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 5Tom Watson Sunderland, Liverpool 1891–92, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1900–01, 1905–06Matt Busby Manchester United 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1966–677Frank Watt Newcastle United 1904–05, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1926–27Herbert Chapman Huddersfield Town, Arsenal 1923–24, 1924–25, 1930–31, 1932–33Kenny Dalglish Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1994–95 10Stan Cullis Wolverhampton Wanderers 1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59Bill Shankly Liverpool 1963–64, 1965–66, 1972–73Arsène Wenger Arsenal 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04José Mourinho Chelsea 2004–05, 2005–06, 2014–15 14Arthur Dickinson The Wednesday 1902–03, 1903–04Ernest Mangnall Manchester United 1907–08, 1910–11Robert Middleton Blackburn Rovers 1911–12, 1913–14Thomas H. McIntosh Everton 1927–28, 1931–32Robert Brown Sheffield Wednesday 1928–29, 1929–30George Allison Arsenal 1934–35, 1937–38Tom Whittaker Arsenal 1947–48, 1952–53Bob Jackson Portsmouth 1948–49, 1949–50Harry Catterick Everton 1962–63, 1969–70Don Revie Leeds United 1968–69, 1973–74Brian Clough Derby County, Nottingham Forest 1971–72, 1977–78Howard Kendall Everton 1984–85, 1986–87George Graham Arsenal 1988–89, 1990–91

Won the League as a player and a manager

Nine managers have won the championship having previously won the title as a player. Of those, only one, Kenny Dalglish with Liverpool, has won the title in both roles in the same season, triumphing as player-manager in 1985–86.

+Managers who won the league as player and a managerNamePlayer club(s)Player season(s)Manager club(s)Manager season(s) Ted Drake Arsenal 1934–35, 1937–38 Chelsea 1954–55 Bill Nicholson Tottenham Hotspur 1950–51 Tottenham Hotspur 1960–61 Alf Ramsey Tottenham Hotspur 1950–51 Ipswich Town 1961–62 Joe Mercer Everton, Arsenal 1938–39, 1947–48, 1952–53Manchester City1967–68 Dave Mackay Tottenham Hotspur 1960–61 Derby County 1974–75 Bob Paisley Liverpool 1946–47 Liverpool 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83 Howard Kendall Everton 1969–70 Everton 1984–85, 1986–87Kenny Dalglish Liverpool 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86 Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers 1985–86, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1994–95 George Graham Arsenal 1970–71 Arsenal 1988–89, 1990–91

By nationality CountryManagersTotal 38 65 11 41 2 7 4 4 1 3 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Notes

References

Bibliography