Steve Coppell

It may not have escaped your attention but last week Steve Coppell, who I prefer to remember as a Man U great and not as Crystal Palarse manager, took charge of his 1,000th game as league manager.
Coppell began his managerial career at Selhurst at the age of just 28. "it's ridiculous to be absolutely honest," he told the BBC. "There were various times during that first season where I would have very happily gone to prison rather than the training ground." And who could have blamed him, at least the prison had four walls.

Seriously the fact that at just 53-years old he has joined a club that only consists of Sir Alex, Harry Redknapp, current Palarse manager Neil Warnock, Sir Bobby Robson, Joe Royle, Brian Horton, Denis Smith, the great Lennie Lawrence, Dario Gradi, Alan Buckley was a surprise, Dave Bassett, Graham Taylor, Jim Smith, Cloughie, Sir Matt Busby and Alec Stock, is a huge acheivement and should be applauded in a game that has become here one minute and gone the next.


Coppell played 360 games as a player, mostly for United but he started at Tranmere Rovers before moving to Utd in 1975 for £60,000. He also has 42 English caps. Sadly a dodgy knee meant he had to sadly retire at just 28-years old. He does hold the record for the most consecutive appearances for an outfield Manchester United player - 207 from 1977 to 1981 - which still stands to this day.

In 1984 Coppell became the youngest league manager when Ron Noades appointed him. Coppell set about rebuiling the er, *cough, cough* team of the 80's and built a young team around a certain Ian Wright, plucked from non league.

Coppell got Palarse promoted to the top flight through the play-offs in 1989. They stayed in the top flight for four seasons, and also reached the FA Cup Final in 1990.

In total Coppell has had 4 spells at Selhurst but was sacked by the orange one, Simon Jordan replacing him with Alan Smith. Yes quite a decision. Smith has not worked in football since 2001.
Famously in October 1996 Coppell become manager of Manchester City. He lasted only 33 days in charge and cited the pressure of the job as his reason for leaving the club. Still a very dubious decision but one that Coppell, who said recently that "he does not enjoy managing." probably had no qualms in making.

He has also walked away from Brentford after just a season and then worked at Brighton. 'Agent' Coppell took Brighton down and oversaw their 5-0 humilation at Selhurst on his homecoming (sorry Paul & Ian). He left the Seagulls for Reading and has been there since 2003 and is the countries sixth longest serving manager behind Sir Alex, Wenger, Moyes, Hereford's Graham Turner and Accrington Stanley's John Coleman.

It is fair to say I don't particularly like much of anything about Crystal Palarse, but I do like Steve Coppell. Congratulations on your 1,000th game.