How Chris Davies' win percentage compares with Birmingham City's last promotion-winning managers | OneFootball

Davies has made plenty of history at St Andrew's during his first season in management

Birmingham City supporters have enjoyed one of the most historic seasons throughout the club's 150-year history this term as Chris Davies' side secured promotion with a 2-1 victory over Peterborough United on Tuesday night.

The 40-year-old honed his tactical craft under Brendan Rodgers and Ange Postecoglou at some of British football's most-respected clubs, such as Liverpool, Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur, and has fully repaid the faith put in him by Tom Wagner, who moved to appoint the Watford-born man after an extensive off-season managerial search.

Much has been made of the resources at Davies' disposal at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, which led to a club and League One-high spending spree, with the high-profile deal to sign Jay Stansfield on a permanent basis from Fulham only adding to the pressure and spotlight on the Second City club throughout their first and now, only season in the third tier since 1995.

However, the Blues boss has moulded a side, which included 17 summer incomings, into an efficient winning machine, breaking plenty of records along the way.

Tuesday's narrow success at the Weston Homes Stadium represented the club's first promotion in 16 years. And, with that in mind, FLW compares Davies' winning percentage in B9 thus far with the two managers who have also achieved promotions with Birmingham since the turn of the millennium.

Chris Davies' win percentage as Birmingham City secure promotion

Davies was appointed as manager back in June 2024 after Tony Mowbray's unfortunate spell at the club came to an end amid health issues, with ownership group, Knighthead Capital Management, stating that the club would assemble a "Championship-ready squad" after suffering relegation 11 months ago.

Since then, Birmingham haven't looked back, with their lowest position of the season -12th - coming after Davies' first competitive game in charge - a 1-1 draw with Reading on the opening day of the campaign.

Blues have swept away almost those before them in the third tier, with an early statement victory coming in a 'Hollywood' clash against nearest challengers Wrexham on September 16th with the likes of David Beckham and Gary Neville watching on in the stands.

The runaway leaders, who are now 14 points clear at the top, established an initial lengthy lead at the top courtesy of a 19-game unbeaten run which lasted between their second and third defeats of the season at the hands of Shrewsbury Town and Bolton Wanderers, winning 14 of those encounters.

St Andrew's - which has held an average attendance of above 26,000 this season - has also become a fortress, with the club's two defeats in all competitions on home turf coming in the EFL Cup and FA Cup against European-chasing Premier League sides Fulham and Newcastle United, as Blues ran Eddie Howe's eventual Wembley winners close in front of the BBC cameras.

Davies has averaged 2.4 points per game in the opening 40 games of the season which, if maintained across the final seven league games, will see the West Midlands side hit 110 points and break Reading's long-standing EFL-record haul of 106.

Overall, Davies currently boasts a win percentage of 74% after enjoying a remarkable first campaign as the 'number one' in the dugout.

Birmingham City's past two promotion-winning managers and their win percentages

The West Midlands side haven't tasted promotion since the 2008/09 season, when Alex McLeish was able to guide the club to a first-time promotion back to the Premier League after emerging victorious in an 'all or nothing' clash against Reading at the Select Car Leasing Stadium thanks to goals from Keith Fahey and Kevin Phillips

The former Rangers boss isn't remembered with great fondness at St Andrew's these days after his swift move across the city, joining Aston Villa just weeks after Blues' EFL Cup-winning season of 2010/11 ended in a final-day relegation after suffering a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham.

In total, McLeish took charge of the club 168 times, winning 63 games, amassing 239 points and a points-per-game record of 1.42. This also gave the Barrhead-born man a win percentage of 37.5%.

The Scot was the man who replaced Steve Bruce at St Andrew's in November 2007, after the former Manchester United defender spent six years in the dugout, which included two promotions from the Championship in 2001/02 and 2006/07.

He took over from the legendary Trevor Francis in December 2001 after the ex-Blues great was unable to recover from three successive defeats at the play-off semi-final stage, leaving the club 12th in the table after 11 games played, two months before his replacement stepped through the door.

However, Bruce was able to shift momentum in the second half of the season with a run of just five defeats in 23 games, eventually securing a top-six finish on the final day before a memorable post-season campaign which saw them edge past Millwall in the semi-finals and defeat Norwich City on penalties at the Principality Stadium.

The current Blackpool boss would then oversee a consolidation period of three seasons which included a 10th-place finish in 2003/04 and a six-game unbeaten streak against Aston Villa.

A disastrous 2005/06 season saw Blues return to the Championship, before Bruce was able to achieve a first-time promotion of his own the following season, as the club finished in second, two points behind champions, Sunderland and as many in front of nearest challengers, Derby County.

Promotion would be sealed on the last home game of the season against Sheffield Wednesday, which is remembered mostly for Seb Larsson's incredible solo run and finish, before the experienced boss resigned months later to join Wigan Athletic.

Bruce oversaw 264 matches at Birmingham, winning 100 of those, earning 365 points, a points-per-game record of 1.38 and an overall win percentage of 37.87%.

It remains to be seen how Davies will fare in the second tier next season. But, with momentum on his side right now and plenty of further investment expected, all associated with the club believe the sky is the limit.