OTD: WILKINSON SACKED
- BY MARK DUELL
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
On this day in 2003, Sunderland relieved Howard Wilkinson of his duties after a short but painful period of managerial calamity.
As a player, Wilkinson did not have the most decorated career. After failing to break into the Sheffield United side, he joined his boyhood side Sheffield Wednesday in a cross-city move in the summer of 1962. He would only make 22 league appearances for the Owls in four seasons before joining Brighton and Hove Albion in 1966. After five years on the South Coast, he moved back north to join Boston United where he would wind down his playing career.
It was at Boston where Wilkinson would cut his managerial teeth, being appointed as their player-manager in 1975. Mossley AFC enticed him into a similar role for the second half of the 1976/77 campaign before he was appointed manager of the England C side in 1979, by which time he was also coaching at Notts County. In 1982, he became the Magpies (not them lot) manager due to a reshuffle of duties and finished 15th in his sole season in charge at First Division level. He was then the surprise choice to succeed Jack Charlton at Sheffield Wednesday the following summer.
“Sgt. Wilko”, as he was to be known due to his penchant for army camp pre-season training, led Wednesday into the top flight in his first season in charge. In the four subsequent seasons that followed, Wednesday were transformed into perennial top half finishers with only the Heysel ban preventing them from a UEFA Cup place. His biggest successes came in his next job, when he swapped South for West Yorkshire and Wednesday for their local rivals Leeds United. Leeds won the Second Division in 1989/90 under Wilkinson and, two seasons later, the old First Division before the advent of the Premier League. But they could not build on this and he was sacked after almost eight years in charge in September 1996.
He was back in work four months later, in a role with the FA. During his five and half years as the FA’s Technical Director, Wilkinson provided the blueprint for what would become St. George’s Park and twice managed the senior side in games against France and Finland respectively.
After Peter Reid's sacking in October 2002, Wilkinson was owner Sir Bob Murray’s surprise pick to take over here on Wearside. It was ultimately one of the worst decision’s ever made by the club in our long and storied history.
Wilkinson’s first match in charge of Sunderland came nine days after his appointment with West Ham United in opposition at the Stadium of Light. Unfortunately for us, the Hammers would come away with a 1-0 win with Trevor Sinclair scoring the only goal of the game. It was to prove a very familiar theme throughout his tenure, littered with loss after loss. All in all, Wilkinson’s league record had just two league wins to show for it. Of those two, the most notable one was a 2-1 home win over Liverpool in mid-December with current first team coach Michael Proctor scoring the winner just five minutes from time.
In the cups, Wilkinson had a little more success. The League Cup would see the Lads win 3-2 at Highbury against Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in round three before bowing out in the next stage at Bramall Lane on Wilkinson’s return to his home city. The FA Cup run saw Lancashire sides Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers dispatched, after replays, before Watford ended any dreams of going any further with a 1-0 win in the fifth round at the SoL, thanks to a twice-taken penalty from Tommy Smith.
The zenith had to be the 3-1 home loss to Charlton Athletic where the Lads scored three own goals in the first 32 minutes. Ultimately, Wilkinson had to be dismissed with us looking marooned and, after five torturous months, he fell on his sword on 10th March 2003. He would have a short spell in China with Shanghai Shenhua after leaving us but he is long since retired, having celebrated his 82nd birthday last November.
SAFC Record: played 27, won four, drew eight, lost 15.
