This chronological list of managers of
Aston Villa Football Club comprises all those who have held the position of secretary or manager of the first team of Aston Villa since the formation of the club in 1874. From 1874 to 1934, the team was selected by a committee whose secretary had the same powers and role as a manager has today. There were two secretaries during this period,
George Ramsay and
W. J. Smith. The most successful person to manage the club was George Ramsay, who won six
FA Cups and six
First Division championships in his 42-year reign as secretary.
Jimmy McMullan became the first full-time manager in 1934. Aston Villa were the first top-tier club to appoint a manager from outside the
United Kingdom and the
Republic of Ireland when
Jozef Vengloš was appointed in 1990.
Manager turnover has increased substantially over the past 30 years. The chairman of the time,
Doug Ellis, acquired the nickname
Deadly Doug because of his penchant for hiring and firing managers. In the 37 years that Ellis was involved with the Board, he hired and fired 13 out of the 24 managers that Aston Villa have had over their 133-year history. One of Ellis's last acts before selling the club to
Randy Lerner was to appoint
Martin O'Neill, who was with the club from 4 August 2006 to 9 August 2010.
Managers
This list does not include caretaker managers or those who managed in a temporary capacity
Information correct as of 1......
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