{"id":248675,"date":"2025-07-08T18:33:17","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T18:33:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/248675\/"},"modified":"2025-07-08T18:33:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T18:33:17","slug":"birmingham-citys-managers-ranked-by-win-percentage-as-chris-davies-looks-to-achieve-incredible-feat-with-the-club","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/248675\/","title":{"rendered":"Birmingham City’s managers ranked by win percentage, as Chris Davies looks to achieve incredible feat with the club"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Chris Davies had a dream first season in charge of Birmingham City as he secured the League One title with a record points haul in the division\u2019s history.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He is yet to face any real sticky periods since being appointed the Blues boss, and he, along with the club\u2019s fans, will hope this upward trend continues, as there is a belief they can manage back-to-back promotions<\/a> to reach the Premier League.<\/p>\n

While Chris Davies<\/a> is impressing at the club as manager, he is just joining a long list of incredible men who have been at the helm of Birmingham City<\/a>.<\/p>\n

EFL Analysis<\/strong> have taken a look at the best managers to have been in charge of the Blues throughout the club\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

\"BirminghamPhoto by Mark Thompson\/Getty ImagesWho is the best Birmingham City manager \u2013 ranking the top 10 by win percentage<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve scoured the history books to look at the long line of Birmingham City managers over the years to determine who is the best, at least when it comes to the metric of win percentages. Here\u2019s the top ten.<\/p>\n

10. Pat Beasley \u2013 41.1%<\/p>\n

Pat Beasley had an incredible footballing career, playing for four different English clubs and managing to make over 400 appearances in the Football League.<\/p>\n

He was manager of Birmingham City across two seasons; however, one of those was as a joint manager with another man on this list, Arthur Turner.<\/p>\n

Due to this joint managerial role, the pair will be judged on their solo work, with Arthur Turner proving to have a slightly better win rate than Beasley, as he won 39 of the 95 matches he was in charge of.<\/p>\n

He could have been even more fondly remembered had he managed to win the 1958\u201360 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, as he reached the final but lost to Barcelona.<\/p>\n

9. Chris Hughton \u2013 41.9%<\/p>\n

The former Irish international was in charge of Birmingham City for only one season, taking charge in June 2011 until June the following year, when he moved to Norwich City<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Chris Hughton did a good job at Birmingham the one season he was in charge, taking over from Alex McLeish, who left the Blues after their relegation to the Championship.<\/p>\n

\"ChrisPhoto by AMA\/Corbis via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Hughton led them to the Championship<\/a> play-offs during his one season, losing in the semi-final to Blackpool over two legs.<\/p>\n

During his season in charge, he led them in the Europa League too, meaning he managed them in 62 matches, winning 26 of them.<\/p>\n

\"BarryPhoto by Graham Whitby Boot\/Sportsphoto\/Allstar via Getty Images8. Barry Fry \u2013 43.6%<\/p>\n

Barry Fry was appointed manager in December 1993, remaining in charge until May 1996, when he took a position at Peterborough.<\/p>\n

He was relegated in his first season with Birmingham; however, he would win the Division Two title the next year with the club, thus earning promotion immediately, while also winning the Football League Trophy that season too.<\/p>\n

During the 1995\u201396 season, Fry guided the Blues to the semi-finals of the League Cup but was sacked after the club finished 15th in Division One.<\/p>\n

He would manage a total of 156 games, winning 68, giving him a win percentage of 43.6%.<\/p>\n

7. Arthur Turner \u2013 44.5%<\/p>\n

As mentioned earlier in the article, Arthur Turner was joint manager of the club with Pat Beasley.<\/p>\n

However, Turner was in solo charge before Beasley joined the club, managing a total of 164 games solo, winning 73 of them.<\/p>\n

\n

Turner had great success with the club, as he won the 1955 Second Division title and then guided them to the FA Cup final in 1956.<\/p>\n

6. Frank Richards \u2013 45.1%<\/p>\n

Frank Richards joined the club in May 1915, during World War One, and he would remain in charge until May 1923.<\/p>\n

Richards was looking after proceedings after the suspension of football due to the war, but in 1920\u201321 he led Birmingham to the championship of the Second Division.<\/p>\n

The following season he forgot to send in the forms in time to be exempt from qualifying, and the Football Association proved impervious to appeals for clemency; although that did not preclude their entering the competition in the qualifying rounds, the directors chose not to.<\/p>\n

5. Alf Jones \u2013 45.9%<\/p>\n

Alf Jones was the first-ever manager of the club, as they appointed him to lead the side after the Blues had previously been led by a committee.<\/p>\n

He oversaw the club winning the inaugural Football League Second Division championship, promotion to the First Division the following year, and two further promotions before his retirement in 1908.<\/p>\n

Jones would manage a total of 566 matches, winning 260 of them, giving him a win percentage of 45.9% at Birmingham City.<\/p>\n

At the time during his tenure, he would oversee the change of the club\u2019s name from Small Heath to Birmingham in 1905, but he had retired by the time it added city to the name in 1943.<\/p>\n

4. Trevor Francis \u2013 47.9%<\/p>\n

Trevor Francis would replace Barry Fry as the manager of Birmingham City in May 1996, and he would be in charge until October 2001.<\/p>\n

During this period he would be in charge of 290 matches, winning 139 of those games, giving him a win percentage of 47.9%.<\/p>\n

\"Birmingham12 Oct 1997: Portrait of Birmingham City Manager Trevor Francis during a Nationwide Division One match against Wolverhampton Wanderers at St Andrews Stadium in Birmingham, England. Birmingham City won the match 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Allsport UK \/Allsport<\/p>\n

Francis would come close to achieving success with the Blues as he guided them to the 2001 League Cup final.<\/p>\n

He earned a nearly-man title at the club, as he came so close to earning promotion with the club but would only manage to finish in the play-offs in his final three full campaigns, not being able to achieve Birmingham\u2019s ambition of playing in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

3. Lou Macari \u2013 50%<\/p>\n

Lou Macari was only in charge of the Blues across the backend of one season, as he managed a total of 24 matches, winning 12 of the games.<\/p>\n

He would guide the club to the 1991 Football League Trophy Final with a victory over Tranmere Rovers.<\/p>\n

\"BirminghamPhoto by Dale Cherry\/Mirrorpix\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Macari would leave the club at the end of the season to join Stoke City as manager.<\/p>\n

2. Harry Storer \u2013 50.8%<\/p>\n

Harry Storer was in charge of the Blues for three years, taking over in June 1945 until November 1948.<\/p>\n

He managed a total of 118 games, winning 60 of those, giving a win percentage of 50.8%.<\/p>\n

During his tenure he managed to lift the Football League South wartime league championship in 1946 and then the Second Division in 1948.<\/p>\n

1 Chris Davies \u2013 73.3%<\/p>\n

Chris Davies was appointed manager of the Blues ahead of the 2024\/25 season in League One, expected to gain promotion.<\/p>\n

\"BirminghamPhoto by Catherine Ivill \u2013 AMA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The club splashed the cash to ensure Davies had all the tools to achieve this, and he did, earning them a record points haul in the division<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He managed a total of 60 matches across the campaign, winning 44 of them, giving him a win percentage of 73.3%.<\/p>\n

The worst Birmingham City manager<\/p>\n

The crown no one wants unfortunately sits on the head of Gianfranco Zola, who only managed to win two of his 24 games in charge.<\/p>\n

Zola replaced Gary Rowett who had been doing an impressive job with Birmingham City that season, having them sitting in seventh before the decision to sack him in December 2016.<\/p>\n

\"GianfrancoPhoto by Robbie Jay Barratt \u2013 AMA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

He was appointed to help push them to promotion as they thought Rowett had taken them as far as he could with his style of play.<\/p>\n

However, the decision proved to be costly as they plummeted down the table with Zola resigning as manager following a 2\u20130 home defeat to Burton Albion which left the team just three points above the relegation zone with three matches remaining.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n