List of Blackburn Rovers F.C. managers

John Eustace is the current manager of Blackburn Rovers, an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire.

Founded on 5 November 1875, the club was one of the first to become professional. The club first played in the FA Cup in 1879 and managed to reach the final of the competition in 1882. Blackburn was one of the twelve founding member of the Football League in 1888.

The club have been champions of England three times, in 1911–12, 1913–14 and 1994–95. They have won the FA Cup six times, in 1884, 1885, 1886, 1890, 1891 and 1927–28. The club has also won one Football League Cup in 2001–02, one FA Charity Shield in 1912,[1] and one Full Members' Cup, in 1986–87.

The club was initially managed by a committee of players whose secretary had the same powers and role as a manager has today. In 1884, Scottish-born Thomas Mitchell became secretary-manager. Under Mitchell, Blackburn won the FA Cup three times in a row; 1884, 1885 and 1886. Mitchell would guide Blackburn to a further two FA Cup wins in 1890 and 1891 before he left the club in 1896. His five FA Cups make him the most successful manager in Blackburn's history.

The longest-serving person to manage Blackburn is Robert Middleton, who was in charge of the club for 22 years and 3 months: from 1 August 1903 to 1 February 1922; a total of 605 competitive matches.[2] During his tenure Middleton won two First Division titles (1912, 1914) and one FA Charity Shield in 1912. The shortest serving manager is Henning Berg who was manager from 31 October 2012 to 27 December 2012, a total of 57 days and 10 competitive matches.[3]

There have been a total of 39 permanent managers at Blackburn and 5 caretakers. Two managers have held the position twice, Bob Crompton (December 1926 – February 1931 and June 1938 – March 1941) and Johnny Carey (June 1953 – October 1958 and October 1970 – June 1971), while Tony Parkes has been caretaker 4 separate times.[4]

Every manager has come from the UK except for Johnny Carey and Owen Coyle who are both Irish, Henning Berg who is Norwegian, and Jon Dahl Tomasson who is Danish.

Jon Dahl Tomasson was manager for 18 months having taken over from Tony Mowbray in June 2022 during the close season.[5] He enjoyed a modicum of success in his first season but his second season proved more difficult due to financial difficulties at the club resulting in budgets cuts.

The club's current manager is John Eustace, who took over from Jon Dahl Tomasson on 9 February 2024.

## List of managers

[edit]

Information correct after match played on 26 October 2024.[6] Only competitive matches are counted, except the abandoned 1939–40 Football League season and matches in Wartime Leagues and Cups.

Names of caretaker managers are supplied where known, and the names of caretaker managers are highlighted in italics and marked with an asterisk (*).

List of Blackburn Rovers F.C. managers  Name  | Nationality  | From  | To  | Matches  | Won  | Drawn[a] | Lost  | Win%[b] | Honours  | Refs.

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Thomas Mitchell |  Scotland | 1 August 1884 | 31 May 1896 | 263 | 127 | 53 | 83 | 048.29 | FA Cup winners: 1884, 1885, 1886, 1890, 1891 | [7]
Joseph Warmsley |  England | 1 August 1896 | 31 May 1903 | 248 | 89 | 48 | 111 | 035.89 |  | [8]
Robert Middleton |  England | 1 August 1903 | 1 February 1922 | 605 | 238 | 155 | 212 | 039.34 | First Division champions: 1911-12, 1913-14
FA Charity Shield winners: 1912 | [2]
Jack Carr |  England | 1 February 1922 | 1 December 1926 | 217 | 76 | 60 | 81 | 035.02 |  | [9]
Bob Crompton |  England | 1 December 1926 | 1 February 1931 | 198 | 84 | 41 | 73 | 042.42 | FA Cup winners: 1927-28 | [10]
Arthur Barritt |  England | 1 February 1931 | 30 April 1936 | 238 | 86 | 47 | 105 | 036.13 |  | [11]
Reg Taylor |  England | 1 October 1936 | 1 April 1938 | 72 | 23 | 18 | 31 | 031.94 |  | [12]
Bob Crompton |  England | 1 June 1938 | 31 March 1941 | 57 | 32 | 9 | 16 | 056.14 | Second Division champions: 1938-39 | [10]
Eddie Hapgood |  England | 1 June 1944 | 28 February 1947 | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 029.41 |  | [13]
Will Scott |  England | 1 April 1947 | 1 December 1947 | 28 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 028.57 |  | [14]
Jack Bruton |  England | 1 December 1947 | 31 May 1949 | 70 | 22 | 16 | 32 | 031.43 |  | [15]
Jackie Bestall |  England | 1 June 1949 | 31 May 1953 | 179 | 72 | 35 | 72 | 040.22 |  | [16]
Johnny Carey |  Ireland | 1 June 1953 | 1 October 1958 | 235 | 119 | 49 | 67 | 050.64 |  | [17]
Dally Duncan |  Scotland | 1 October 1958 | 1 June 1960 | 85 | 36 | 15 | 34 | 042.35 |  | [18]
Jack Marshall |  England | 1 June 1960 | 1 February 1967 | 329 | 122 | 79 | 128 | 037.08 |  | [19]
Eddie Quigley |  England | 1 February 1967 | 21 October 1970 | 168 | 65 | 41 | 62 | 038.69 |  | [20]
Johnny Carey |  Ireland | 21 October 1970 | 8 June 1971 | 31 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 016.13 |  | [17]
Ken Furphy |  England | 4 August 1971 | 5 December 1973 | 119 | 50 | 30 | 39 | 042.02 |  | [21]
Richard Dinnis*  |  England | 5 December 1973 | 14 January 1974 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 044.44 |  | [22][23]
Gordon Lee |  England | 14 January 1974 | 12 June 1975 | 82 | 34 | 27 | 21 | 041.46 | Third Division champions: 1974–75 | [24]
Jim Smith |  England | 20 June 1975 | 12 March 1978 | 128 | 46 | 35 | 47 | 035.94 |  | [25]
Norman Bodell*  |  England | 13 March 1978 | 14 April 1978 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 025.00 |  | [26]
Jim Iley |  England | 14 April 1978 | 1 November 1978 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 012.50 |  | [27]
John Pickering |  England | 1 November 1978 | 15 May 1979 | 61 | 15 | 15 | 31 | 024.59 |  | [28]
Howard Kendall |  England | 1 June 1979 | 1 June 1981 | 105 | 48 | 33 | 24 | 045.71 | Third Division runners-up/promoted: 1979–80 | [29]
Bobby Saxton |  England | 31 May 1981 | 30 December 1986 | 257 | 93 | 73 | 91 | 036.19 |  | [30]
Tony Parkes*  |  England | 30 December 1986 | 3 February 1987 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 050.00 |  | [31]
Don Mackay |  Scotland | 3 February 1987 | 2 September 1991 | 232 | 91 | 64 | 77 | 039.22 | Full Members' Cup winners: 1986-87 | [32]
Tony Parkes*  |  England | 2 September 1991 | 12 October 1991 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 055.56 |  | [31]
Kenny Dalglish |  Scotland | 12 October 1991 | 25 June 1995 | 196 | 103 | 46 | 47 | 052.55 | Second Division promoted: 1991-92
Premier League champions: 1994-95 | [33]
Ray Harford |  England | 25 June 1995 | 25 October 1996 | 64 | 24 | 13 | 27 | 037.50 |  | [34]
Tony Parkes*  |  England | 25 October 1996 | 1 June 1997 | 30 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 033.33 |  | [4]
Roy Hodgson |  England | 1 June 1997 | 21 November 1998 | 63 | 22 | 18 | 23 | 034.92 |  | [35][36][37]
Tony Parkes*  |  England | 21 November 1998 | 4 December 1998 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 000.00 |  | [4]
Brian Kidd |  England | 4 December 1998 | 3 November 1999 | 44 | 12 | 18 | 14 | 027.27 |  | [38][39]
Tony Parkes*  |  England | 2 October 1999 | 14 March 2000 | 26 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 042.31 |  | [4]
Graeme Souness |  Scotland | 14 March 2000 | 6 September 2004 | 212 | 86 | 61 | 65 | 040.57 | First Division runners-up/promoted: 2000-01
Football League Cup winners: 2001-02 | [40][41]
Tony Parkes*  |  England | 6 September 2004 | 15 September 2004 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000.00 |  | [4]
Mark Hughes |  Wales | 15 September 2004 | 4 June 2008 | 188 | 82 | 47 | 59 | 043.62 |  | [42][43][44]
Paul Ince |  England | 22 June 2008 | 16 December 2008 | 21 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 028.57 |  | [45][46][47]
Sam Allardyce |  England | 17 December 2008 | 13 December 2010 | 90 | 32 | 24 | 34 | 035.56 |  | [48][49][50]
Steve Kean |  Scotland | 13 December 2010 | 28 September 2012 | 74 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 028.38 |  | [51][52][53]
Eric Black*  |  Scotland | 28 September 2012 | 31 October 2012 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 033.33 |  | [54][55][56]
Henning Berg |  Norway | 31 October 2012 | 27 December 2012 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 010.00 |  | [57][58][3]
Gary Bowyer*  |  England | 27 December 2012 | 11 January 2013 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 075.00 |  | [55][59]
Michael Appleton |  England | 11 January 2013 | 19 March 2013 | 15 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 026.67 |  | [60][61][62]
Gary Bowyer*  |  England | 19 March 2013 | 24 May 2013 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 033.33 |  | [63][59]
Gary Bowyer |  England | 24 May 2013 | 10 November 2015 | 118 | 41 | 43 | 34 | 034.75 |  | [64][65][59]
Paul Lambert |  England | 15 November 2015 | 7 May 2016 | 33 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 036.36 |  | [66][67][68]
Owen Coyle |  Ireland | 2 June 2016 | 21 February 2017 | 37 | 11 | 8 | 18 | 029.73 |  | [69][70][71]
Tony Mowbray |  England | 22 February 2017 | 30 May 2022 | 267 | 108 | 70 | 89 | 040.45 | League One runners-up/promoted: 2017–18 | [72][73]
Jon Dahl Tomasson |  Denmark | 14 June 2022 | 9 February 2024 | 90 | 40 | 14 | 36 | 044.44 |  | [5][74]
Damien Johnson*  |  Northern Ireland | 10 February 2024 | 10 February 2024 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |  |
John Eustace |  England | 11 February 2024[c] |  | 31 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 029.03 |  | [75][76]

## Records

[edit]

### Nationalities

[edit]

As of 25 February 2024 (including caretakers)

* English (32)
* Scottish (7)
* Irish (2)
* Danish (1)
* Northern Irish (1)
* Norwegian (1)
* Welsh (1)

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Drawn matches decided by penalty shoot-outs are counted as draws.
2. ^ Win% is rounded to two decimal places.
3. ^ Eustace's Blackburn appointment was announced on 9 February, but first-team coaches David Lowe and Damien Johnson took charge of the following day's match.

## References

[edit]

Specific

1. ^ Ross, James M. (5 August 2019). "England – List of FA Charity/Community Shield Matches". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
2. ^ a b "Robert Middleton". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
3. ^ a b "Henning Berg". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
4. ^ a b c d e "Tony Parkes". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
5. ^ a b "Jon Dahl Tomasson: Blackburn Rovers appoint head coach on three-year deal". BBC Sport. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
6. ^ "Blackburn Rovers Managers List". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
7. ^ "Thomas Mitchell". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
8. ^ "Joseph Warmsley". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
9. ^ "Jack Carr". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
10. ^ a b "Bob Crompton". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
11. ^ "Arthur Barritt". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
12. ^ "Reg Taylor". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
13. ^ "Eddie Hapgood". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
14. ^ "Will Scott". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
15. ^ "Jackie Bestall". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
16. ^ "Jack Bruton". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
17. ^ a b "Johnny Carey". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
18. ^ "Dally Duncan". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
19. ^ "Jack Marshall". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
20. ^ "Eddie Quigley". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
21. ^ "Ken Furphy". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
22. ^ "Richard Dinnis". ENFA. ENFA. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
23. ^ Neild, Andy (28 November 1998). "The Saturday Interview: Andy Neild meets Richard Dinnis". The Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
24. ^ "Gordon Lee". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
25. ^ "Jim Smith". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
26. ^ "Norman Bodell". ENFA. ENFA. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
27. ^ "Jim Iley". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
28. ^ "John Pickering". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
29. ^ "Howard Kendall". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
30. ^ "Bobby Saxton". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
31. ^ a b "Tony Parkes". ENFA. ENFA. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
32. ^ "Don Mackay". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
33. ^ "Kenny Dalglish". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
34. ^ "Ray Harford". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
35. ^ Ross, Ian (4 December 1998). "Kidd takes the Rovers road to the top". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
36. ^ Taylor, Daniel (21 November 1998). "Hodgson out as Rovers hit bottom". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 February 2009.
37. ^ "Roy Hodgson". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
38. ^ "Boom and bust the Blackburn way". BBC News. 13 May 1999.
39. ^ "Brian Kidd". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
40. ^ "Souness takes Newcastle job". BBC Sport. 6 September 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
41. ^ "Graeme Souness". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
42. ^ Walsh, Ian (16 September 2004). "Hughes leaves a void". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
43. ^ McNulty, Phil (4 June 2008). "Hughes becomes Man City manager". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 June 2008.
44. ^ "Mark Hughes". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
45. ^ "Blackburn appoint Ince as manager". BBC Sport. 22 June 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
46. ^ "Lowly Blackburn sack boss Ince". BBC Sport. 16 December 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
47. ^ "Paul Ince". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
48. ^ Allardyce, Sam (2015), Big Sam: My Autobiography, Headline, p. 230, ISBN 978-1-4722-3267-0
49. ^ "Blackburn Rovers sack manager Sam Allardyce". BBC Sport. 13 December 2010.
50. ^ "Sam Allardyce". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
51. ^ "Steve Kean put in charge by Blackburn". BBC Sport. 22 December 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
52. ^ "Steve Kean 'forced to resign' as Blackburn Rovers manager". BBC Sport. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
53. ^ "Steve Kean". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
54. ^ "Blackburn Rovers: Eric Black focused on first-team matters". BBC Sport. BBC. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
55. ^ a b "Blackburn: Gary Bowyer & Terry McPhillips in charge for January". BBC Sport. 3 January 2013.
56. ^ "Eric Black". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
57. ^ "Blackburn Rovers: Henning Berg appointed manager at Ewood Park". BBC Sport. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
58. ^ "Henning Berg: Blackburn Rovers sack manager after 57 days". BBC Sport. BBC. 27 December 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
59. ^ a b c "Gary Bowyer". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
60. ^ "Michael Appleton: Blackburn Rovers announce new manager". BBC Sport. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
61. ^ "Michael Appleton: Blackburn Rovers sack manager". BBC Sport. 19 March 2013.
62. ^ "Michael Appleton". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
63. ^ "Blackburn Rovers: Gary Bowyer confirmed as caretaker manager". BBC Sport. 22 March 2013.
64. ^ "Gary Bowyer: Blackburn Rovers caretaker manager appointed boss". BBC Sport. 24 May 2013.
65. ^ "Gary Bowyer: Blackburn Rovers sack manager after poor start". BBC Sport.
66. ^ "Paul Lambert: Blackburn appoint former Aston Villa manager". BBC Sport. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
67. ^ "Club Statement". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 28 April 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
68. ^ "Paul Lambert". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
69. ^ "Owen Coyle: Blackburn Rovers appoint former Bolton and Burnley manager". BBC Sport. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
70. ^ "Rovers part company with Owen Coyle". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
71. ^ "Owen Coyle". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
72. ^ "Rovers welcome new Head Coach". Rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
73. ^ "Tony Mowbray". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
74. ^ "Jon Dahl Tomasson". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
75. ^ "Eustace appointed Rovers head coach". Rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
76. ^ "John Eustace". Sofascore. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

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Blackburn Rovers Football Club

* History
* Managers
* Players
* Seasons
* Under-23s and Academy

Grounds|

* Alexandra Meadows
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Related articles|

* East Lancashire derby
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* Category
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Blackburn Rovers F.C. – managers

* Mitchell (1884–96)
* Walmsley (1896–03)
* Middleton (1903–22)
* Carr (1922–26)
* Crompton (1926–31)
* Barritt (1931–36)
* Taylor (1936–38)
* Crompton (1938–41)
* Hapgood (1944–47)
* Scott (1947–47)
* Bruton (1947–49)
* Bestall (1949–53)
* Carey (1953–58)
* Duncan (1958–60)
* Marshall (1960–67)
* Quigley (1967–70)
* Carey (1970–71)
* Furphy (1971–73)
* Dinnisc (1973–74)
* Lee (1974–75)
* Smith (1975–78)
* Pickeringc (1978)
* Iley (1978)
* Pickering (1978–79)
* Kendall (1979–81)
* Saxton (1981–86)
* Parkesc (1986–87)
* Mackay (1987–91)
* Parkesc (1991)
* Dalglish (1991–95)
* Harford (1995–96)
* Parkesc (1996–97)
* Hodgson (1997–98)
* Parkesc (1998)
* Kidd (1998–99)
* Parkesc (1999–2000)
* Souness (2000–04)
* Parkesc (2004)
* Hughes (2004–08)
* Ince (2008)
* Allardyce (2008–10)
* Kean (2010–12)
* Blackc (2012)
* Berg (2012)
* Bowyerc (2012–13)
* Appleton (2013)
* Bowyerc (2013)
* Bowyer (2013–15)
* Lambert (2015–16)
* Coyle (2016–17)
* Mowbray (2017–22)
* Tomasson (2022–24)
* Eustace (2024–)

(c) = caretaker manager

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Lists of English football managers by club

Premier League|

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Championship|

* Blackburn Rovers
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League One|

* Barnsley
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League Two|

* Accrington Stanley
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* Milton Keynes Dons
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* Newport County
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* Port Vale
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* Swindon Town
* Tranmere Rovers
* Walsall

Non-League|

* Bury
* Hartlepool United
* Maidstone United
* Margate
* Oldham Athletic
* Rochdale
* Tamworth
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* Yeovil Town
* York City

Clubs are grouped by their division in the 2024–25 season
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