Darren Ferguson returned to Peterborough United earlier this year to manage them for the fourth time. However, he isn’t top of the list of managers who kept returning to the same club. Here we look at those who couldn’t resist the pull when a team came calling again.
Five Managers Who Returned to the Same Club Time After Time
John Sheridan – Oldham Athletic (Six)
The former Republic of Ireland international midfielder John Sheridan has managed 10 different clubs. However, the pull of Oldham Athletic has been too much for the ex-Leeds United star over the years. Sheridan has taken charge of the Latics no fewer than six times, the latest being his last job before announcing his retirement in 2022.
Sheridan’s first two spells were as a caretaker in 2001 and 2003 while still a player. In 2006 he was given the manager’s job on a permeant basis and stayed until 2009.
Following spells at Chesterfield, Plymouth Argyle and Newport County, Sheridan returned to Oldham in January 2016. He would stay until the summer, saving them from relegation. A disastrous time at Notts County followed and in January 2017 he was back at Boundary Park. In September of the same year, Sheridan left the club by mutual consent.
Between September 2017 and January 2022, Sheridan would have six more managerial jobs before once again returning to Oldham. Once again his tenure would last until September. Soon after he announced his retirement from football management.
Martin Allen – Barnet (Five)
Former West Ham United midfielder Martin Allen has managed nine different clubs, one of those he has taken charge of five times. Tough tackling Allen finished his career in 1998 and began to pursue a career in coaching and management. Following a spell as an assistant at Reading, Allen was given his first chance in management by non-league side Barnet.
With his team looking good for promotion Allen left Barnet for League One Brentford. This was followed by spells in charge at MK Dons, Leicester City and Cheltenham Town before returning to Barnet. His return was brief, leaving after just three games to take charge at Notts County.
It wasn’t long before Allen was back at Barnet however, as he took charge for the last three games of the 2011/12 season on a caretaker basis, saving them from relegation. A League Two title win with Gillingham brought him his first promotion as manager but a poor start to the 2012/13 season brought the sack.
In March 2014, Allen was once again appointed manager at the Hive Stadium Barnet and led the Bees to the Conference title the following year. Their first season back in League Two saw a 15th-place finish with their second going well before Allen requested his release before Christmas with the club just outside the playoff positions.
In March 2018 with Barnet struggling, Allen was once again appointed; however, he was unable to save the club from relegation and he left for the fifth and final time in May 2018.
Darren Ferguson – Peterborough United (Four)
Darren Ferguson the son of Manchester United great Sir Alex Ferguson has managed just three clubs; however, he is now in his fourth spell with one of them, Peterborough United. In his first two full seasons in management, he led United to two promotions, taking Posh from League Two to the Championship. He would leave the club bottom of the table in their first season back in England’s second tier.
Soon after he would take charge at Preston North End. However, he would not last a year before being sacked. Just over one year after leaving Peterborough he was back in charge, this time spending four years with The Posh, taking them back to the Championship and almost establishing them there. Unfortunately on the last day of their second season in the division, they were relegated following a narrow defeat. Ferguson would leave once again the following season by mutual consent.
Almost three years at Doncaster Rovers followed, including another promotion for Ferguson. Another spell in charge at Posh came and went in much the same fashion as previously with him guiding the club to the Championship and then leaving the following season.
Within a year, Posh came calling once more and it was a call that Ferguson could not resist. He has been in charge of United for the fourth time since earlier this year and at present has a contract to the end of the season. Should he be able to repeat his achievements from previous years at the club, it would be of little surprise if he extended his stay.
Graham Westley – Stevenage (Four)
With over 900 games in management with 10 different clubs, Graham Westley is an experienced lower-league manager. However, he has spent most of those games at one club. Stevenage. Founded in 1976, Stevenage have been a Football League club since 2010 who are currently second in League Two.
Westley took charge for the first time in 2003 with the club struggling in the Conference League. He turned their fortunes around, finishing in a comfortable mid-table position. An eighth-place finish the next season was followed by a playoff final defeat. Westley; however, could not go one better and gain promotion, leaving the club at the end of the 2005/2006 season.
Two years later, Westley was back stating that he had come to “finish the job he started” with the aim of taking Stevenage to the Football League. More playoff heartbreak came in his first season back but he did win the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium. The following campaign brought the success that everyone connected to Stevenage had craved for.
42 points from their final 15 games propelled the club to the top of the league earning promotion to the Football League for the first time in their history. Westley had achieved what he set out to do by winning 70 of his 114 games in charge since returning.
The success did not end there as in the first season in England’s fourth tier, Stevenage went from 18th place in January to a playoff place by the end of the season. There would be no heartache this time as back-to-back promotions were achieved meaning that League One would be their destination just a year after promotion from the Conference.
Westley and Stevenage continued to exceed expectations and by January 2011 they were sixth in League One. However, this would be the end of Westley’s second spell in charge as he left to take charge at Preston North End.
Westley was sacked by Preston in February 2013 and just a month later he was back at Stevenage. He kept the club in League One by finishing 18th; however, the following season saw the team suffer relegation. A playoff place followed a year later but defeat signalled the end of his third spell in charge. Former England striker Teddy Sheringham replaced him.
Spells in charge at Peterborough United, Newport County and Barnet preceded his fourth and final appointment at Stevenage. There would be no success this time as his tenure lasted just two months. Graham Westley resigned with the club bottom of League Two. At present, this is his last managerial position.
Jupp Heynckes – Bayern Munich (Four)
A prolific goalscorer in his playing days, Jupp Heynckes went on to manage nine different clubs in three countries. One of which was the German giants Bayern Munich where he would take charge four times. Following eight years at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Heynckes took charge of Bayern for the first time in the summer of 1987.
In four years, Bayern won the league title twice and the German Super Cup twice. They also reached the semifinal of the European Cup and the UEFA Cup. During the 1991/92 season with his team in 12th place, Heynckes was sacked.
In the following 18 years, Heynckes would manage some of Europe’s top teams, including Real Madrid, Atletico Bilbao and Benfica. In 2009 he answered the call from Munich to return as caretaker manager for their last five games. He won four and drew won ensuring Champions League football and a second place finish.
It wasn’t long before he was back taking over once again in 2011, lasting two years. The first ended with the club finishing runners-up in each of the major competitions they played in. The next was much more successful with Heynckes and Munich capturing the Bundesliga title, Champions League, German Supercup and the German FA Cup.
Heynckes left at the end of the 2012/13 season with the intention to retire. He was replaced by Pep Guardiola.
His fourth and last spell at Munich came in the 2017/18 season. He succeeded Carlo Ancelotti when the Italian was sacked early in the season. Heynckes would stay until the end of the season winning the Bundesliga title once more. After 1265 games in management, Heynckes retired.
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