The Football Manager: A History

Football managers are at the center of today's commercially-driven football world, scrutinized, celebrated and under pressure as never before. This book is the first in-depth history of the role of the manager in British football, tracing a path from Victorian-era amateurism to the highly paid motivational specialists and media personalities of the twenty-first century. Using original source materials, the book traces the changing character and function of the football manager, covering: the origins of football management - club secretaries and early pioneers the impact of post-war social change - the advent of the football business television and the new commercialism contemporary football - specialization and the influence of foreign managers and management practices the future of football management The Football Manager examines the influence of Britain's traditionally pragmatic and hierarchical business management culture onBritish football, and in doing so provides a new and broader perspective on a unique management role and a unique way of life. For those interested in the history of football and for those interested in management more generally, this book is a valuable new resource.