Top Ten Manager/Chairman Feuds

[notsosilentbob]

1) Clough/Sam Longson
Brian Clough had feuds at Hartlepool chairman Ernie Ord, who he describes as the "most evil men I have ever met" and with Manny Cussins during his infamous 44 days at Leeds, but his one with Derby chairman Sam Longson is most memorable. After leading County to promotion then the league title in 1971/72 and the European Cup semi-final the following year, Clough got increasingly frustrated with Longson's interference and questioning of Peter Taylor's role at the club and walked out in 1973. The Rams went on to win the title two years later with Dave Mackay in charge.

2) Venables/Sugar
Terry Venables and Alan Sugar were regarded as the dream team when they appeared together in June 1991 to announce Sugar had beat off the challenge of Robert Maxwell to buy the club. This togetherness didn't last long though and within two years a clash of personalities led to Sugar sacking Venables, who by this time was chief executive, a decision the former Spurs boss challenged in the High Courts unsuccessfully.

3) Mourinho/Abramovich
Mourinho and Abramovich seemed the dream team for two seasons. Both hell bent on success, one loved the spotlight and the other was keen to stay out of it and back-to-back Premierships left everyone happy. As the Russian oligarch has become more interested in football he has looked to have more influence, apparently insisting on the arrival of Andrei Shevchenko, and with the Blues trailing behind United in the title race tensions have flared over the last month over transfers (both the funding and choice of them), and coaching staff. All of which seems likely to make this year Mourinho's last at Stamford Bridge.

4) Fry/Flashman
There can have been few more tempestuous relationships between manager and chairman than Barry Fry's with Stan Flashman at Barnet. During two spells spanning 13 years at Underhill, Fry is thought to have been sacked on eight occasions, each time being reinstated. The most memorable dismissal saw Fry turn up on the terraces to watch his old side play their next match, before returning to manage the side the following week.

5) Redknapp/Mandaric
This is the only feud in this list that had a happy reconciliation. After guiding Pompey to promotion and survival in the Premiership, Redknapp grew frustrated at the interference from Mandaric and the appointment of a director of football over him. Redknapp walked out with a handshake but the truce was over when he joined local rivals Southampton and said at his press conference: "Dont believe everything Mandaric tells you,". A year and a half later they were back together and in the mean time to the delight of Portsmouth fans, Redknapp had presided over the Saints' relegation.

6) Saunders/Ellis
Depending on your outlook, it was either a coincidence or not, that in the three years Doug Ellis was not on the board of Aston Villa they won the league title and European Cup. Ron Saunders had led Villa to their title triumph and the quarter-final of the European Cup but, with Ellis about to come back on the board and the offer of a new contract not forthcoming, Saunders walked out in February 1982 missing their victory in Rotterdam three months later. Saunders never returned to Villa Park, unless managing other sides, until Ellis' departure in 2006.

7) Jansen/Brown
Were it not for Wim Jansen's feud with Celtic general manager Jock Brown Martin O'Neill may have never made it to Parkhead. In his one season at the club, Jansen secured one of the most important Scottish titles in history (denying Rangers a record tenth consecutive triumph) and bought a certain Henrik Larsson to the club. His relationship with Brown soured to the extent that he did not want to extend his stay beyond a year.

8) Walker/Chase
Robert Chase was known for his battles with managers and Norwich fans will always wonder what Martin O'Neill may have done for the club had he not quit soon after taking over in 1995 (a month later he joined Leicester), but the one with Mike Walker provoked most uproar at Carrow Road. Walker had led City to third place in the inaugural Premiership and victory over Bayern Munich in the Uefa Cup, but continued frustration with a lack of funding and having to sell their best players led him to head to Everton in 1994, returning to Carrow Road in 2000 after Chase's departure.

9) Gullit/Bates
This was a feud that simmered behind the scenes before the shock announcement in February 1998 that Gullit was leaving and Gianluca Vialli was taking over. Ken Bates accused Gullit of being a playboy manager who was running the club part-time, but Chelsea fans were distraught at the departure of a manager who had led the club from mid-table to a top four outfit.

10) Burley/Romanov
The fiasco this season surrounding club captain Steven Pressley may overshadow this row, but it shouldn't be forgotten that Burley led Hearts to the top of the Scottish league in October 1995 when Vladimir Romanov's insistence on getting involved in team affairs led him to leave Tynecastle. To the dismay of Jambos fans, this pattern has continued since then, with managers coming entering on a revolving door and Pressley unlikely to be the last key man to leave the club.

[Laz]

A) Jimmy Johnson / Jerry Jones: It's no fun to have your owner on the field next to you during the game. (Dallas Cowboys).

B) Larry Brown / Isiah Thomas: Larry is accomplished - he's won rings! Isiah didn't like being up in the box, he wanted to be courtside. So Isiah messes with the roster and the chemistry, and waves goodbye to Larry. Team gets worse. (NY Knicks)