List of Newport County A.F.C. managers

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Newport County is a Welsh professional Association football club based in the city of Newport, Wales. The club was founded in 1912 as The Newport & Monmouth County Association Football Club,[1] nicknamed The Ironsides after the Lysaght's Orb Works in the town. The club began in the Southern League but was reformed in 1919[2] and elected into the Football League in 1920.[2] The first manager of Newport County was Davy McDougall, appointed in 1912.[3]

The club's current manager, its 52nd, is Graham Coughlan, appointed on 20 October 2022.

History[edit]

Newport's first ever manager, the Scottish wing-half McDougall, played for the club as in its first year as a player-manager before moving to management.[3] Billy Lucas is the club's longest serving manager having spent 17 years at Newport across three spells from 1953 to 1961, 1962–1967, and 1970–1974.[3] Jimmy Hindmarsh is the club's longest continuously serving manager having spent 13 years at the club from 1922 until 1935.[3] Newport's shortest reigning manager is Lee Harrison, who spent 5 days in charge as caretaker manager in 2011.[4] The club's shortest reigning permanent manager is Eddie May who spent one month at the club during its tumultuous 1988 season.[5]

Four managers have returned to the club for more than one spell in charge: Billy Lucas (1953–61, 1962–67, 1970–74), Colin Addison (1977–78, 1982–85), John Relish (1986, 1989–1993), and Tim Harris (1997–2002, 2011).[3]

The club's most successful manager for honours is Len Ashurst who achieved promotion and a Cup win at the club.[6] However Peter Beadle also achieved Cup wins[7] and runner-up places, and Justin Edinburgh achieved a division play off victory and Cup runner-up place.[8]

Only two County managers, John Relish and Justin Edinburgh, have been inducted into the club's Hall of Fame.[9] Edinburgh was posthumously inducted in December 2019 before a fixture between Newport and Leyton Orient, who he was manager of at the time of his unexpected death in June 2019.[10]

Achievements[edit]

A timeline of managers at Newport County A.F.C. from 1912 to 2020 excluding two occasions where domestic football was suspended for World Wars I and II.
Newport County A.F.C. managerial timeline

The first manager under whom Newport won a major trophy was Billy McCandless, who guided the club to the Third Division South championship in the 1938–39 season. Newport reached the fifth round of the 1948–49 FA Cup under manager Tom Bromilow, the furthest they have gone in the competition, later equalled in 2019. They only narrowly lost the game 3–2 to Portsmouth.[11] Bobby Evans led the club to become runners-up in the 1963 Welsh Cup. Len Ashurst achieved a third place promotion in the 1979–80 Football League Fourth Division and the club became Welsh Cup champions in 1980 under Ashhurst. In 1987 under John Lewis the club were runners-up in the Welsh Cup, losing to Merthyr in the final.

In 1989–90 John Relish secured the Hellenic League championship. Graham Rogers achieved the 1994–1995 Southern League Midland Division championship. Tim Harris again achieved the 2nd place promotion spot in the 1998–1999 Southern League Midland Division season. Peter Nicholas led the club to the runners-up spot in the 2003 FAW Premier Cup, which the club again achieved under Peter Beadle in 2007, and which was followed by Newport winning the competition the following year. Dean Holdsworth led the club to become Conference South champions in 2009–2010. The club were FA Trophy runners-up in 2012 under Justin Edinburgh. Edinburgh produced the club's most recent honours in 2013 when he went on to lead the club back into the Football League, winning the Conference National play-offs against fellow Welsh opponents Wrexham.

Michael Flynn led the club to its joint best performance in the FA Cup, playing against Manchester City in the 2018–19 FA Cup 5th Round for only the second time since 1948–49. Flynn took the club to the 2019 EFL League Two play-off finals where Newport were defeated by Tranmere Rovers and reached the semi-finals of the 2019–20 EFL Trophy where Newport lost to Salford City on penalties. Flynn again led Newport to the 2021 EFL League Two play-off final, losing 1–0 to Morecambe.

List of managers[edit]

No. Picture Name Nationality Contract From To Length of tenure
1 Davy McDougall  Scotland Permanent / player-manager 1 July 1912 30 June 1913 1 year
2 Sam Hollis  England Permanent 1 July 1913 30 June 1917 5 years
3 Harry Parkes  England Permanent / player-manager 1 July 1919 30 June 1922 3 years
4 Jimmy Hindmarsh  England Permanent 1 July 1922 30 June 1935 13 years
5 Louis Page  England Permanent 1 July 1935 9 September 1937 2 years, 2 months, 9 days
6 Billy McCandless  Ireland Permanent 9 September 1937 8 April 1946 8 years, 7 months
7 Tom Bromilow  England Permanent 9 April 1946 30 June 1950 4 years, 2 months, 22 days
8 Fred Stansfield  Wales Permanent 1 July 1950 30 June 1953 3 years
9 Billy Lucas  Wales Permanent / player-manager 1 July 1953 30 June 1961 8 years
10 Bobby Evans  Scotland Permanent / player-manager 1 July 1961 30 June 1962 1 year
11 Billy Lucas  Wales Permanent / player-manager 1 July 1962 30 June 1967 5 years
12 Leslie Graham  England Permanent 1 July 1967 30 June 1969 2 years
13 Bobby Ferguson  England Permanent / player-manager 1 July 1969 30 June 1970 1 year
14 Billy Lucas  Wales Permanent / player-manager 1 July 1970 30 June 1974 4 years
15 Brian Harris  England Permanent 1 July 1974 14 March 1975 8 months, 14 days
16 Dave Elliott  England Permanent / player-manager 15 March 1975 30 June 1976 1 year, 3 months, 16 days
17 Jimmy Scoular  Scotland Permanent 1 July 1976 30 June 1977 1 year
18 Colin Addison  England Permanent 1 July 1977 30 June 1978 1 year
19 Len Ashurst  England Permanent 1 July 1978 30 June 1982 4 years
20 Colin Addison  England Permanent 1 July 1982 30 June 1985 3 years, 1 month
21 Bobby Smith  England Permanent 1 June 1985 25 March 1986 9 months, 25 days
22 John Relish  England Player-manager 25 March 1986 30 June 1986 3 months, 6 days
23 Jimmy Mullen  England Player-manager 1 July 1986 5 March 1987 8 months, 5 days
24 John Lewis  Wales Permanent / player-manager 5 March 1987 7 September 1987 6 months, 3 days
25 Brian Eastick  England Permanent 7 September 1987 11 March 1988 6 months, 5 days
26 Dave Williams  Wales Caretaker manager 11 March 1988 1 August 1988 4 months, 22 days
27 Eddie May  England Permanent 1 August 1988 31 August 1988 1 month
28 John Mahoney  Wales Permanent 1 September 1988 30 June 1989 10 months
29 John Relish  England Permanent / player-manager 1 July 1989 30 June 1993 4 years
30 Graham Rogers  England Permanent 1 July 1993 30 June 1996 3 years
31 Chris Price  England Permanent 1 July 1996 30 June 1997 1 year
32 Tim Harris  England Permanent 1 July 1997 14 November 2002 5 years, 4 months, 14 days
33 Peter Nicholas  Wales Permanent 15 November 2002 13 September 2004 1 year, 9 months, 30 days
34 John Cornforth  Wales Permanent 29 September 2004 13 September 2005 11 months, 16 days
35 Glyn Jones  Wales Caretaker manager 13 September 2005 9 October 2005 27 days
36 Peter Beadle  England Permanent 9 October 2005 27 April 2008 2 years, 6 months, 19 days
37 Dean Holdsworth  England Permanent 1 June 2008 11 January 2011 2 years, 7 months, 11 days
38 Tim Harris  England Permanent 11 January 2011 1 April 2011 2 months, 22 days
39 Anthony Hudson  England Permanent 1 April 2011 28 September 2011 5 months, 28 days
40 Lee Harrison  England Caretaker / player-manager 29 September 2011 3 October 2011 5 days
41 Justin Edinburgh  England Permanent 4 October 2011 6 February 2015 3 years, 4 months, 3 days
42 Jimmy Dack  England Permanent 7 February 2015 4 May 2015 2 months, 28 days
43 Terry Butcher  England Permanent 4 May 2015 1 October 2015 4 months, 28 days
44 John Sheridan  Ireland Permanent 5 October 2015 12 January 2016 3 months, 8 days
45 Warren Feeney  Northern Ireland Permanent 13 January 2016 28 September 2016 8 months, 16 days
46 James Bittner
Sean McCarthy 		 England Wales Caretaker / player-manager
Caretaker manager 		28 September 2016 7 October 2016 10 days
47 Graham Westley  England Permanent 7 October 2016 9 March 2017 5 months, 3 days
48 Michael Flynn  Wales Caretaker (9 March – 9 May 2017)
Player-manager (9 May 2017 – November 2018)

Permanent (November 2018 – 1 October 2021)

9 March 2017 1 October 2021 5 years, 7 months
49 Wayne Hatswell  England Caretaker manager 1 October 2021 19 October 2021 18 days
50 James Rowberry  Wales Permanent 19 October 2021 10 October 2022 12 months
51 Darren Kelly  Northern Ireland Caretaker manager 10 October 2022 20 October 2022 10 days
52 Graham Coughlan  Ireland Permanent 20 October 2022 Present 17 months

Managers with honours[edit]

Name Nationality From To Honours
Justin Edinburgh  England 4 October 2011 6 February 2015 2013 Conference Premier play-off final winners, 2012 FA Trophy Final runners-up
Dean Holdsworth  England 1 June 2008 11 January 2011 Conference South Champions
Peter Beadle  England 9 October 2005 27 April 2008 2007–08 FAW Premier Cup winners, 2006–07 FAW Premier Cup runners-up
Peter Nicholas  Wales 15 November 2002 13 September 2004 2002–03 FAW Premier Cup runners-up
Graham Rogers  England 1 July 1993 30 June 1996 Southern Football League, Midland Division second place promotion
John Relish  England 1 July 1989 30 June 1993 Hellenic League Premier Champions
John Lewis  Wales 5 March 1987 7 September 1987 1986–87 Welsh Cup runners-up
Len Ashurst  England 1 July 1978 30 June 1982 1979–80 Football League Fourth Division third place promotion

1979–80 Welsh Cup Champions

Bobby Evans  Scotland 1 July 1961 30 June 1962 1962–63 Welsh Cup runners-up
Billy McCandless  Ireland 9 September 1937 8 April 1946 1938–39 Third Division South Champions

Hall of Fame[edit]

Inducted date Name Born Died Nationality Manager from Manager to Honours
18 September 2009[12] John Relish 5 October 1953 —  England 1 July 1989 30 June 1993 Hellenic League Premier Champions
28 December 2019[10] Justin Edinburgh 18 December 1969 8 June 2019 (aged 49)  England 4 October 2011 6 February 2015 2013 Conference Premier play-off final winners, 2012 FA Trophy Final runners-up

Notes[edit]


References[edit]

  1. ^ "Sixty-four years on". 100 YEARS OF COCONUTS. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Somerton Park – Newport County". www.newport-county.co.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e Taylor, Andrew (15 October 2014). Newport County AFC The First 100 Years. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-4456-1819-7.
  4. ^ "County stay tempts Lee". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  5. ^ Phillips, Terry (6 October 2009). "Globetrotting Eddie May now at the helm of Porthcawl Town". walesonline. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  6. ^ "League Managers Association – LEN ASHURST". www.leaguemanagers.com. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Beadle's about! Former Newport County boss Peter Beadle joins Hereford United as director of youth football". Hereford Times. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  8. ^ "NEWS | Club Legend Justin Edinburgh to be inducted into NCAFC Hall of Fame at Leyton Orient League fixture". www.newport-county.co.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  9. ^ "Hall of Fame – Newport County". www.newport-county.co.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Legendary former Newport County boss Justin Edinburgh inducted into club's hall of fame". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Portsmouth 3 Newport 2". British Pathe. 17 February 1949. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  12. ^ "John Relish – Newport County". www.newport-county.co.uk. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
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