Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Hi there Stanley fans.

I work for FourFourTwo football magazine in London and I'm trying to find out who you, the fans, think is the best manager the club has ever had. Once I get a general consensus I will put it in our magazine for next month. Thank you for your help.

Charlie@442

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Walter Galbraith, 1953-1954. Assembled our most successful team ever, mainly comprising Scottish players, finished 2nd, 3rd, 3rd and 2nd in Div3North in successive seasons (at a time when only one went up) and boosted our gates to around 10,000 (unimaginable now). I would say our most successful manager ever.

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Well with what he has achieved it has to be Coley no one else comes close.

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

I'll go with Walter Galbraith.

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

I too would go with Galbraith for the pre '63 team. Post '68 it has to be Coley and Bell.

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

That sums things up very well fer me, but as the question was all time then gotta be Walter Galbraith.:)

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

True cashy, but which Stanley? I think you could call for equal rights here as they are two different clubs n'est pa?

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

reckon the guy who posted the thread should say? though most of the older fans i see, regard Accrington Stanley as being a founder member of the football league.:)

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

From Frickley to Fulham....from Northwich to Newcastle. 3 promotions, numerous other silverware. Maintaing a club in the FL on meagre crowds and budgets. Keeping his dignity despite all the off field shenanigans....

It simply HAS to be King Coley. :)

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

I agree with Alvin for all those reasons. Coley has improved the side every season for 11 years and has had to rebuild the squad numerous times, Galbraith for my liking wasn't around long enough, never won any silverware, and was a foreigner!!!!!!!!

The other factor for me is that football was a far more level playing field back then whereas now the money differences are far greater. Just take a look down to the Conference to see the bigger clubs that have failed since we came down and you'll see just how good a manager Coley really is.

Coley every time thank you.

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

let's help the OP out and stick a poll on ....

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

In my opinion:

Old days - Walter Galbraith

Early days - Jimmy Hinksman

Later days - Coley

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Is this some sort of pun or no pun intended lol

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Lets not forget though that Galbraith resigned when told his playing budget was to be cut.....as opposed to Coley who has his slashed practically every year!!

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Coley. and bell.

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Hinksman is an interesting call Jeff....His importance in the resurrection of Stanley is often unfairly overshadowed. :)

Why is Leighton James not mentioned here!!! ;)

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

King Coley.

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

I nearly included Hinksman on the poll BUT as good as his acheivements were I think that he did have an unfair advantage over anybody else in that at the time everybody wanted to play for ASFC and trials were oversubscribed. Add in crowds that were way above the average for that level and, IMHO, his acheivements become somewhat diluted. Not to take anything away from him though as he was a great servant to the club and possibly would outrank any other on a points per game ratio.

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Guess nobody will be vouching for Eric's manaerial stint? ;)

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

who?

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Walter Galbraith for me, he built a great team in the mid 50s but can,t argue with the great things Coley has achieved but please lets not put Jimmie Hinksman on the same page.

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

I am old enough to have watched the great Scottish Stanley team in the 1950's when gates were often as high as 7,000........ 14,000 + against PNE in the cup !
This is a very hard call to make....
Galbraith took us to our highest ever placing and almost into the old second tier too! He was very astute at picking up the Scottish players and made them into a great team but he was reasonably well resourced at the time.
Coley has built his teams with virtually nothing in terms of resources and taken us from nowhere back into the league where we belong, and Jimmy Bell is part of that success story too.
Coleman is ranked third behind Fergie and Venger in the longest serving manager stakes and this must add weight to the argument for Coley's nomination. Especially when you consider the finances and infrastructure behind United and Arsenal.
I think that Galbraith, Coley and Jimmy Hinksman are all legends but if we have to nominate one manger then I would go for John Coleman

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Not being an old timer like most of you on here, I only know about JC, that being the case & my natural affinity by association (Scousers :)) I'd have to say John Coleman.

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Achieving everything off nothing! John Coleman... easy!

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

I voted for Coley too, however the 'achieving everything off nothing' praise is only true of some of the more recent League years, really. O'Neill's mismanagement has given Coley a massive squad size this season. While Whalley's bankrolling (scamming of local businesses) gave John relatively good resources at non-league level.
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Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

I think that's a tad harsh. Yes in the Unibond it's true Stanley were one of the more well supported and resourced teams. However we entered the Conference in 2003 where we once again became a small fish (we won the Conference with the 14th highest wage bill) so that's 8 years (and counting) of over achieving!!

I'd also argue the point that even though we were one of the better resourced teams in the regional divisions, we had also been so prior to Coley's arrival, yet still got relegated.

Must say though I thoroughly agree with the Whalley point. As you pointed out in a previous post it has tainted the phoenix story somewhat :(

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Yep, fair point ATC. I didn't intend to take anything away from Coley, only to address a syntax error, being the nitpicker that I am. As I said, I voted him our greatest ever manager. To me he's the dogs bollocks, especially when it comes to playing proper football in the lower leagues.

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Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

well regardless of peoples opinion, the poll on a separate thread has shown Coley to be the undisputable (according to Accy Web) best manager ever with a whacking 71% of the vote

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Coleys record whilst manager at Stanley

FROM................TO.. GAMES..WON..DRAWN..LOST
01 May, 1999 Present 537.... 216.... 131..... 190

points earned @ 3pts per win, 1 pt per draw is 779 and average of 1.45 points per game

Galbraith
FROM................TO.. GAMES..WON..DRAWN..LOST
june 1953 .....aug 58 ...246 ....124 .....50........72

points earned @ 3 pts per win, 1 pt per draw is 422 and an average of 1.71 points per game.


Opinion says Coleman, fact says Galbraith - but Coley has 'played' more than twice as many games

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Thing is yeh can do out wi figures, would be interested to know how many voters actually knew both managers, bet that would show a different result.;)

Re: Accrington's all time greatest manager
 

Ain't many of you left Cashy!!!! :D :D :D