Burton Albion’s top 10 best ever managers in order of win percentage (Ranked) | OneFootball

Highlights

Burton Albion are one of only 15 English Football Clubs to have achieved successive promotions. However, having experienced rapid success in their time in the Football League, the club have been an ever present in League One since their relegation from the Championship in 2018.

As Dino Maamria takes charge of his first full season at the helm of Burton in 2023/24, it got us pondering here at Football League World about who Burton’s top 10 best managers are in order of their win percentage, from lowest to highest.

However, Burton have only had seven permanent managers since the club was promoted to the Football League. So, we have decided to compile our list of managers that have been at the helm since the club joined the Northern Premier League.

10 Brian Kenning – 38.5%

Coming in as Burton’s tenth-best manager in terms of win percentage is Brian Kenning.

Kenning was in charge of the Brewers for two seasons, 1992/93 and 1993/94, while the club was within the Southern League Premier Division. Kenning failed to achieve the club's objectives of promotion and so lost his job following their 11th-place finish in 1994.

He was in charge for a total of 91 games, winning 35 during his time at the club, giving himself a 38.5% win percentage.

9 Steve Powell – 40%

Steve Powell only had one season in football management following a successful playing career at Derby County. He coached Burton while they were in the Southern League Premier Division.

Powell took charge of 50 Burton matches, winning 20 and giving himself a win percentage of 40%.

8 Roy McFarland – 40.9%

Roy McFarland is well revered in Burton, despite his short tenure, because he was the man who got the club promoted to the Football League in 2009.

Burton was McFarland’s last managerial role in football, a job that only came about because Nigel Clough left Burton for Derby in January 2009, but was incredibly successful as he won the Conference National.

McFarland was only in charge of 22 Burton matches, winning nine, meaning that McFarland would have a 40.9% win record at the club.

7 Chris Wright – 41.3%

Chris Wright would be the first Burton manager to see out a full season while the club was in the Southern League Premier Division.

Wright would take charge of the club for the 1988/89 season, leading Burton to an eighth-place finish. This was a vast improvement on the previous season due to the stability that was brought to Burton by Wright.

Brewers’ fans would witness 20 wins under the stewardship of Wright as he took control of the club for 45 matches, giving him a win percentage of 41.3%.

6 Nigel Clough – 41.4%

The man most synonymous with the role of Burton manager Nigel Clough is the longest-serving manager to have been at the helm of the Brewers and has brought about the most memorable success for the club.

Clough originally took charge of the club while they were in the Conference National, and under his management, the vital pieces were established for the club to be promoted to the Football League under McFarland, as Clough left the club for Derby in January 2009.

Clough would return to the club in December 2015 and lead the club to the Championship for the first time in their history that season. This success was matched by Clough’s ability to keep the club in the division against all odds before the club was relegated back to League One in 2018.

Clough would leave the club following the 2019/20 season due to the postponement of League One. Clough would win 388 games during his two spells as manager, in a total of 937 matches. This gives him a win record of 41.4%.

5 John Barton – 43%

The manager that preceded Clough at Burton. John Barton was in charge from 1994 to 1998.

Barton delivered a cup double (Southern League Cup and Birmingham Senior Cup) in 1997 and came close to gaining promotion from the Southern League Premier Division but could never get over the line. Barton would finish third on two occasions in this division before the hierarchy thought another manager might achieve that promotion.

Barton would manage a total of 193 games during his spell at the club, winning 83, giving him a win percentage of 43%.

4 Gary Rowett – 44.4%

Gary Rowett would take charge of Burton in March 2012, while the club was in League Two.

Rowett would experience a similar fate to Barton, as he was unable to achieve promotion, only for his successor to bring that success to the club. Rowett would be unfortunate in his time at the club, as he lost a play-off semi-final in 2013 and a play-off final in 2014.

During his tenure, Rowett would manage 142 matches, winning 63, giving him a win percentage of 44.4%.

3 Ken Blair – 44.4%

Ken Blair would only manage the Brewers for one Southern League Premier Division campaign in the 1989/90 season.

Blair would lead the club to a fourth-place finish that season. This performance would not be deemed good enough to keep Blair at the club for the following season, and so Blair would leave Burton with a 44.4% win record from 45 games, winning 20 of those fixtures.

2 Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – 45.3%

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink would have two spells in charge of Burton, the first being more successful than the second.

In the Dutchman’s first spell, he would replace Rowett during the 2014/15 season, and it would be incredibly successful as he won League Two, gaining promotion to League One. Hasselbaink would continue this fine form as manager before deciding to leave for pastures new in December 2015 at Queens Park Rangers, leaving the club sitting at the top of League One.

His second spell in charge of Burton was not as successful as when he replaced Jake Buxton in January 2021, finishing this first season 16th in League One. He would resign early on in the next season after failing to win any league matches that campaign, replaced by current manager Dino Maamria.

Hasselbaink’s win percentage is still the second best at the club despite the tough second spell, as he won 63 matches from a total of 139, giving him a 45.3% win record.

1 Neil Warnock – 46.2%

Neil Warnock, arguably the most famous name in the whole of the English Football League, is the club’s current best manager when it comes to win percentage.

Warnock was appointed player-manager of the club in 1981 and was in charge until 1986, while the club was competing in the Northern Premier League. He would not bring any league success for the club, but he would win silverware in the shape of the Northern Premier League Challenge Cup.