Arsenal F.C. managers

Arsenal Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Islington, London. The club was formed in Woolwich in 1886 as Dial Square before it was shortly renamed to Royal Arsenal, and then Woolwich Arsenal in 1893. They became the first southern member admitted into the Football League in 1893, having spent their first four seasons solely participating in cup tournaments and friendlies. The club's name was shortened to Arsenal in 1914, a year after moving to Highbury. In spite of finishing fifth in the Second Division in 1915, Arsenal rejoined the First Division at the expense of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur when football resumed after the First World War. Since that time, they have not fallen below the first tier of the English football league system and hold the record for the longest uninterrupted period in the top flight.

There have been twenty permanent and eight caretaker managers of Arsenal since 1897; Stewart Houston has managed the club in two separate spells as caretaker. The most successful person to manage Arsenal is Arsène Wenger, who won three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups and seven Community Shields between 1996 and 2018. Wenger is the club's longest-serving manager; he surpassed George Allison's record of 13 years in October 2009. Two Arsenal managers have died in the job – Herbert Chapman and Tom Whittaker.

This chronological list comprises all those who have held the position of manager of the first team of Arsenal since their foundation in 1886. Each manager's entry includes his dates of tenure and the club's overall competitive record (in terms of matches won, drawn and lost), honours won and significant achievements while under his care. Caretaker managers are included, where known, as well as those who have been in permanent charge.

Managerial history

From 1893 to 1897, team management was undertaken by a committee of directors. The subsequent managerial role was known originally as "secretary-manager", as the manager also managed the club's affairs off the pitch as well as on it. Following the death of Tom Whittaker in 1956, the role was split and all in the role, from then to this day, have been given the title of manager and concentrated mainly on first-team affairs.

1886–1925: Early years

Although Arsenal was founded in 1886, it was not until 1897 that the club appointed a permanent manager in charge of first-team affairs, with Thomas Mitchell universally recognised as Arsenal's first professional manager. Mitchell joined Arsenal five months after resigning from Blackburn Rovers in October 1896. The Scotsman's time at Woolwich Arsenal was brief and he left his post barely a year into his contract, though he did manage to take the club from tenth to fifth in the league. Mitchell guided Arsenal through a respectable cup run which culminated in the first round proper. William Elcoat succeeded Mitchell as manager in April 1898, and set about reviving the squad with new additions. The changes did not have the desired effect; his team finished seventh in a league of 18 and were beaten 6–0 by Derby County in the FA Cup first round. He departed in February 1899, and like his predecessor only remained for a season.

Harry Bradshaw, appointed in the summer of 1899, was faced with several difficulties, not least falling attendances and limited funds to attract the best players. In his five years at Arsenal, he managed to steer the club away from bankruptcy by signing local talent such as Jimmy Ashcroft and Jimmy Jackson, and directed his team's promotion to the First Division in 1903–04. Phil Kelso

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