In Charge – But Only For Now

It started (and presumably finished) for James Collins as it did for Steve Davis three autumns ago – with a defeat at Chelsea.

Two men from the less visible areas of the backroom team plunged into the Premier League spotlight in the most demanding of circumstances and unable to stop the rot that cost the permanent manager their job.

Filling the void, keeping the seat warm, taking temporary control, in interim charge….there are various ways of describing the function of employees such as these from positions in the age-group ranks.

But the most popular tag by far for them is ‘caretaker managers’, even in these days when the top man is so often referred to as head coach.

Some return to their regular post in no time, no-one more promptly than Kevin Thelwell. He is listed by the essential www.soccerbase.com website as having served in the role for 24 hours or so – and not even on a match-day.

Others work away on a sort of indefinite basis, though, not knowing when the big announcement is coming and wondering if their own work in the role might make them worthy of an interview.

Unless there is an unexpected about-turn at the negotiating table, James Collins now looks like making a sharp exit from the spotlight and resuming his regular duties.

He joins a long list going back to the man chosen to take charge after Stan Cullis…

Andy Beattie: November, 1964-September 20, 1965, post Stan Cullis, 44 games (19 wins, seven draws, 18 defeats).

Brian Garvey and Brian Owen: November 8-20, 1978, post Sammy Chung, two games (one draw, one defeat).

Ian Ross: January 8-February 2, 1982, post John Barnwell, five games (no wins, no draws, five defeats).

Jim Barron: April 27-June 8, 1984, post Graham Hawkins, five games (one win, two draws, two defeats). 

Sammy Chapman: August-September 4, 1985, post Hawkins/Barron, six games (one win, one draw, four defeats).

Sammy Chapman: November 5, 1985-summer, 1986, post Bill McGarry (second spell), 33 games (eight wins, nine draws, 16 defeats).

Brian Little: Summer-October 6, 1986, post Sammy Chapman, 11 games (five wins, one draw, five defeats).

Peter Shirtliff and Rob Kelly: March 16-29, 1994, post Graham Turner, three games (two wins, one draw).

Bobby Downes and Steve Harrison: November 13-December 13, 1995, post Graham Taylor, six games (two wins, one draw, three defeats). 

Colin Lee: November 5, 1998-June, 1999, post Mark McGhee, 32 games (14 wins, 12 draws, six defeats).

John Ward: December 11, 2000-January 2, 2001, post Colin Lee, four games (three wins, one defeat).

Stuart Gray: November 1-December 7, 2004, post Dave Jones, six games (three wins, one draw, two defeats).

Stuart Gray: July 1-21, 2006, post Glenn Hoddle, no competitive games.

Terry Connor: February 24-July 1, 2012, post Mick McCarthy, 13 games (four draws, nine defeats).

Kevin Thelwell: January 6-7, 2013, post Stale Solbakken, no games.

Rob Edwards: October 27-November 5, 2016, post Walter Zenga, two games (one draw, one defeat).

Steve Davis: October 3-November 13, 2022, post Bruno Lage, seven games (two wins, one draw, four defeats).

James Collins: November, 2025, post Vitor Pereira, one game (one defeat).

*Have we missed any or erred on any of the dates or combinations? If you think we have, please contact us.