Howard Wilkinson was the man who guided Leeds United to the last ever First Division championship, before the creation of the Premier League. He remains the last Englishman to lift a top-flight title on these shores.
Born in Sheffield, Howard began his playing career with Sheffield United but left without making an appearance, moving to local rivals Wednesday. He spent the majority of his playing days at Brighton & Hove Albion and later Boston United, where he made his first foray into management.
Howard was appointed player-manager at the Pilgrims in 1975, winning two Northern Premier League titles before fulfilling a similar shared role at Mossley. He went into full-time coaching with Notts County, taken under the wing of legendary Notts manager Jimmy Sirrel, before becoming manager of the First Division outfit for one season.
He dropped down a division to return home with Sheffield Wednesday, getting the Owls back into the top flight in his first season back at Hillsborough. Wilkinson’s disciplined approach established the club as a First Division outfit, finishing as high as fifth in 1986, and guiding the team to an FA Cup Final that year.
However, with Wednesday further away from the top in the following two seasons – and the board reluctant to sanction a squad refresh – Wilkinson surprised many by departing for Leeds United. The once-great club were fourth-bottom of the Second Division at the time, and had just relieved club legend Billy Bremner of his managerial duties.
With the backing of chairman Leslie Silver, Wilkinson set about transforming the club’s fortunes. He drafted in a number of new recruits, including midfielder Gordon Strachan, centre-half Chris Fairclough and Wednesday striker Lee Chapman. Within seven months, the Whites went from relegation contenders to league champions, pipping Sheffield United on goal difference.
Wilkinson’s vision was to challenge for top honours within five or six years, but they are immediately competitive in the top flight, finishing fourth in their first season. Ahead of their return, Howard had added more quality to the squad, bringing back John Lukic between the sticks and bolstering the midfield with Gary McAllister, while academy players like David Batty and Gary Speed continued their trajectory from promising young talents to key fixtures.
After more business in the market, Leeds made a concerted title challenge the following year. Chapman found the net 16 times, with new signing Rod Wallace scoring 11 alongside him, as the Yorkshire outfit challenged Manchester United for the top silverware. Leeds would lose just four times that season and went unbeaten at Elland Road. Ironically, Leeds only lost at home three times in the cups – on two of those occasions, they were defeated by Manchester United!
Wilkinson’s side finished four points above the Red Devils, becoming the last team to lift the First Division championship before the transformation of English football and the creation of the Premier League.
Howard would remain at Elland Road for a further four years, but did not enjoy the same measure of success. His side never looked like becoming inaugural Premier League champions, finishing a lowly 17th. Though they bounced back with consecutive fifth-place finishes and a League Cup final appearance, a slow start to the 1995-96 campaign – including a 4-0 hammering at home against Manchester United – saw Wilkinson removed from his post.
He would later go on to work with The FA as Technical Director, which also included two stints as England’s caretaker manager and a spell as Under-21 manager. His final managerial role in England saw Wilkinson unable to prevent Sunderland from slipping towards relegation, before a brief stint in China with Shanghai Shenhua.
During the second half of his managerial career, Wilkinson was also a founding member and chairman of the League Managers’ Association.
Formerly a PE teacher, Wilkinson brought many of his teaching methods to the professional game, characterised by discipline, analysis and the right preparation. It certainly worked for Leeds United, taking them from the doldrums of the Second Division to the very top of the pyramid.
Principal clubs: Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United
Major honours: 1 First Division championship, 1 Charity Shield
Inducted: 2025
