Tom Watson 1889-96
Tom Watson managed Sunderland for six seasons before leaving to join Liverpool. Watson, probably Sunderland's most successful manager of all time, owned a tobacconist's shop in Sunderland. He assembled the "Team of all the Talents".
Robert Campbell 1896-99
Robert Campbell was always unfortunate to follow the spectacularly successful Tom Watson. He failed to deliver a Championship to Wearside and left to join Bristol City.
Alex Mackie 1899-1905
Alex Mackie probably ranks as Sunderland's second-best manager of all time, steering the club to the Championship and never finishing below sixth in the First Division. Mackie left Sunderland at the end of the 1904-05 season, after two relatively poor seasons.
Robert Kyle 1905-28
Robert Kyle inherited a team deep in trouble but in time led them to the Championship and took them to their first FA Cup final. He went on to become the club's longest serving manager to date; completing 19 full seasons in charge. He steered Sunderland to within a whisker of the Double in 1913. They won the title and lost to Aston Villa in the FA Cup final.
Johnny Cochrane 1928-39
Johnny Cochrane arrived at Sunderland from St. Mirren in 1928 and stayed for 11 years. He completely rebuilt the side, delivering success in the League and FA Cup. He goes down in history as the club's most successful manager in the 20th century.
Bill Murray 1939-57
Bill Murray never really hit the heights of his predecessors in what was a difficult time for the club. He became the first manager since Robert Campbell to leave the job without winning a trophy. He featured as a player in the team that won the League under Johnny Cochrane.
Alan Brown 1957-64
Alan Brown managed Sunderland on two separate occasions. He was regarded as a strict disciplinarian - on and off the field. His style, however, could not halt the clubs decline and they were relegated. He left to join Sheffield Wednesday after guiding Sunderland to promotion in 1964.
George Hardwick 1964-65
George Hardwick was manager for one season and never found life easy at Roker Park. He led the side to a 15th place finish in the top-flight before Ian McColl took over.
Ian McColl 1965-68
Ian McColl became Sunderland's third manager in three years and is remembered as the boss who brought "Slim" Jim Baxter to the club. McColl was eventually sacked and former boss Alan Brown returned to Wearside.
Alan Brown 1968-72
Alan Brown steered the club away from danger in his first season back at Sunderland but was unable to stop them dropping into the Second Division for the second time under his leadership. Brown left at the start of the 1972-73 season and was replaced by caretaker-boss Billy Elliot.
Bob Stokoe 1972-76
In just four years, Bob Stokoe brought more glory to Sunderland than there had been for the whole of the post-War era; clinching a Second Division Championship as well as a famous FA Cup win. Indeed, the FA Cup success in 1973 ranks as perhaps the greatest achievement of any football manager at the club.
Stokoe left in October 1976, citing ill-health as the reason. He returned to the club for a second period at the end of the 1986-87 season. The "messiah" tag so often applied to his managerial abilities is fully deserved. He sadly passed away in February 2004.
Ian MacFarlane 1976 (Caretaker)
Ian MacFarlane was only in charge for seven games before Jimmy Adamson took over.
Jimmy Adamson 1976-78
Jimmy Adamson took charge with the team facing relegation in the face. After a rocky opening spell, he turned round events, with Sunderland losing just three of their last 19 games; but it was not good enough to keep them up. He left for Leeds United after failing to produce an instant return to the top-flight.
Dave Merrington 1978 (Caretaker)
After just eight games in charge, Dave Merrington gave way to Billy Elliott to steer the ship until the end of the season.
Billy Elliott 1978-79
Billy Elliott just failed to steer Sunderland to promotion, tasting last-day heartache as they missed out on a top-three place. He was replaced by Ken Knighton.
Ken Knighton 1979-81
Jimmy Adamson brought Ken Knighton to the club as a coach in the summer of 1978 and within a year he was manager himself. His first season as boss brought glorious promotion and some great football to Roker Park. During the following season, however, his reign was brought to a somewhat premature end. Four games before the end of his second season, Knighton was sacked.
Mick Docherty 1981 (Caretaker)
Mick Docherty replaced Ken Knighton with four games to go. He steered his side to First Division safety with a last-day win at Liverpool. He was replaced during the summer by Alan Durban
Alan Durban 1981-84
Alan Durban, who did a lot of good work in terms of developing young players at the club, lasted less than three seasons at Roker Park, although he kept the club in the top-flight during that time.
Bryan Robson 1984 (Caretaker)
Bryan "Pop" Robson took over for just one game as caretaker boss before former Roker stalwart Len Ashurst was named as boss.
Len Ashurst 1984-85
Len Ashurst was given 13 games to keep Sunderland in the First Division and he did it. The season after Ashurst took the club to Wembley for the Milk Cup final where they lost to Norwich. He also took them down and was sacked.
Lawrie McMenemy 1985-87
The name of Lawrie McMenemy was added to the list of Roker managers in 1985. His appointment was greeted with great joy by the fans but the joy turned out to be short-lived. After an 18th-placed finish in his first season in charge, Sunderland were involved in another relegation scrap the year after and McMenemy departed.
Bob Stokoe 1987 (Caretaker)
Sunderland hero Bob Stokoe was brought in with seven games to go, when relegation to the Third Division, for the first time in the club's history, looked a certainty. Even the 'messiah' found it a miracle too far and, after a play-off defeat to Gillingham, Third Division football loomed for the first time in the club's history.
Denis Smith 1987-1991
Denis Smith led Sunderland to promotion at the first attempt and stayed at Roker Park for six seasons, during which time he took them into the top-flight, via the play-offs (despite a play-off final defeat to Swindon, who were demoted because of financial irregularities), and back down again. Relegation was sealed on the final day of the season ? at Manchester City. He goes down as one of the club's best managers in recent years.
Malcolm Crosby 1991-93
Malcolm Crosby took over as caretaker-manager and led the club to the FA Cup final. The board had no choice but to offer him the job on a permanent basis. Crosby, however, found it difficult to deal with the day-to-day management and he departed before the 1992-93 season was complete.
Terry Butcher 1993-94
Terry Butcher, a lion on the pitch as a player, failed to find success as manager of Sunderland having previously played for the club. He managed Sunderland for 38 games, winning just 10 of them.
Mick Buxton 1994-95
Sunderland started the 1994-95 season with their fourth manager in as many seasons, Mick Buxton. He failed to lift spirits at Roker Park and was replaced by Peter Reid, in March 1995.
Peter Reid 1995-2002
Peter Reid had seven games to save Sunderland from relegation and he did it. The next season he steered the club to the Premiership when no one expected it. The stay there was to be short-lived, when they were relegated despite amassing 40 points. Reid's Sunderland were beaten in a never-to-be-forgotten play-off final in the next season, before winning the First Division with a record 105 points the year after. Reid led the club to two successive seventh-place finishes in the Premiership before things started to go wrong. He was sacked in October 2002. (wanker)
Howard Wilkinson October 2002-March 03 (done nowt for us)
Howard Wilkinson took over from Peter Reid with Sunderland struggling near the bottom of the Premiership. He failed to inspire the team and was replaced by Mick McCarthy with nine games to go.
Mick McCarthy March 03-Present (MICK McCARTHY'S RED ND WHITE ARMY!)
