Chris Turner
Encyclopedia
Christopher Robert "Chris" Turner (born 15 September 1958) is an English former footballer and manager
. He managed Leyton Orient
, Hartlepool United
on two occasions, Sheffield Wednesday
and Stockport County
. He was previously a player with seven clubs, including two spells at Wednesday, Sunderland
and Manchester United
. He was a goalkeeper.
, where he attended Myers Grove School
, he made 205 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday
as a goalkeeper between 1976 and 1979, and 1988 and 1991. In between these two spells at Hillsborough
, he played for Sunderland
and Manchester United
. He was a member of the Sunderland team that reached the final of the 1985 Football League Cup
(where they lost 1–0 to Norwich City
) but had more luck with Sheffield Wednesday when he played in their 1–0 victory over Manchester United in the 1991 League Cup final. He is a confirmed lifelong Wednesday fan.
as joint manager with John Sitton
shortly before the end of the 1993-94 season. The duo continued through a very difficult 1994-95 season, which ended with the club finishing bottom of the Second Division and being relegated, and Turner and Sitton left with three games remaining after new chairman Barry Hearn
informed them that they would be replaced for the following season. Turner subsequently recounted that although he was officially joint-manager, in reality his role was more akin to being the assistant manager to Sitton.
Following his departure from Orient, Turner was appointed the reserve team coach at Leicester City
by manager Mark McGhee
and later moved with McGhee to Wolves
, where he was appointed youth team coach.
His first solo managerial position came at Hartlepool United
in 1999. Turner took over when Hartlepool were bottom of the Football League
, saved them from relegation and turned them into promotion contenders. They gained promotion at the end of the 2002–03 season but Turner had moved back to his old club Sheffield Wednesday six months before the success was achieved under his successor Mike Newell.
Turner was appointed Wednesday manager in November 2002. He faced with the difficult task of saving Wednesday from sliding into the third tier of the league for the first time in a quarter of a century. The Owls improved during the final stages of the season, achieving some strong results, but a 1–1 draw with fellow strugglers Brighton (who lost their fight to stay up on the final day) condemned them to relegation. Turner was optimistic of getting the Owls back into the Premiership by 2008, but their Division Two campaign in 2003–04 was dismal. They finished 16th in the table (their worst position for nearly 30 years) and were the division's lowest scorers with 48 goals. However, the side had been hampered by a significant injury list and this had contributed to their poor league form. In the summer of 2004, Chris Turner was given £500,000 to spend in the transfer market and built a team which ultimately won promotion at the end of the following season. However, Turner was controversially sacked in September 2004 after a slow start to the League One campaign leaving Wednesday languishing in 14th place.
Chris Turner returned to management with another financially insecure club, Stockport County
, soon after being dismissed by debt-ridden Wednesday. County were bottom of League One at the time and survival proved too great a task for both the playing squad and Turner, and Stockport were relegated to League Two
long before the end of the season. Despite a takeover by a Supporters' Trust and some promising signings, County struggled to find form in the early part of the 2005–06 season. By the end of November, Stockport had drawn eleven of their nineteen league games and won just two. December saw County in crisis, with a run of four consecutive defeats in the league, culminating in a humiliating 6–0 defeat by local rivals Macclesfield Town
on Boxing Day. With Stockport now five points adrift at the bottom of the league, Chris Turner left the club by mutual consent on 27 December 2005. Following Turner's departure, former Stockport player Jim Gannon
took over as manager and oversaw a remarkable recovery which saw County retain their league status in a nail-biting finish to the season.
In February 2006, Turner returned to Hartlepool United in the newly created position of Director of Sport. In December 2008, Turner took over as caretaker manager
at Hartlepool following the departure of Danny Wilson, in addition to his Director of Sport role at the club.
On 19 August 2010, Turner left his role as caretaker manager and director of sport of Hartlepool United with immediate effect, sparking shock around the club. Russ Green sooned followed Turner out of the Victoria Park door. On Thursday 14 October 2010, Turner confirmed the rumours that he was indeed part of a bid to buy his boyhood team Sheffield Wednesday in a £15 million deal. The consortium that Turner was a part of ultimately did not make a successful bid for the club however, and the club was instead purchased by Milan Mandarić
in December 2010.
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. He managed Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
, Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
on two occasions, Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
and Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
. He was previously a player with seven clubs, including two spells at Wednesday, Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. He was a goalkeeper.
Playing career
Born in SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, where he attended Myers Grove School
Myers Grove School
Myers Grove School was a secondary school in the north of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The school was bidding to become a businesses and enterprise college...
, he made 205 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
as a goalkeeper between 1976 and 1979, and 1988 and 1991. In between these two spells at Hillsborough
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
, he played for Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. He was a member of the Sunderland team that reached the final of the 1985 Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
(where they lost 1–0 to Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
) but had more luck with Sheffield Wednesday when he played in their 1–0 victory over Manchester United in the 1991 League Cup final. He is a confirmed lifelong Wednesday fan.
Managerial career
He started his coaching career at Leyton OrientLeyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
as joint manager with John Sitton
John Sitton
John Sitton is an English former professional footballer and former manager of Leyton Orient.-Playing career:...
shortly before the end of the 1993-94 season. The duo continued through a very difficult 1994-95 season, which ended with the club finishing bottom of the Second Division and being relegated, and Turner and Sitton left with three games remaining after new chairman Barry Hearn
Barry Hearn
Barry Hearn is an English sporting events promoter, and the founder and chairman of promotions company Matchroom Sport. He is currently the chairman of Leyton Orient F.C., and the Professional Darts Corporation and was also until July 2010 chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker...
informed them that they would be replaced for the following season. Turner subsequently recounted that although he was officially joint-manager, in reality his role was more akin to being the assistant manager to Sitton.
Following his departure from Orient, Turner was appointed the reserve team coach at Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
by manager Mark McGhee
Mark McGhee
Mark Edward McGhee is a former Scottish professional football player. McGhee started his career at Greenock Morton in 1975 and spent spells at clubs including Newcastle United, Aberdeen, Hamburg, Celtic, IK Brage and Reading...
and later moved with McGhee to Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, where he was appointed youth team coach.
His first solo managerial position came at Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
in 1999. Turner took over when Hartlepool were bottom of the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, saved them from relegation and turned them into promotion contenders. They gained promotion at the end of the 2002–03 season but Turner had moved back to his old club Sheffield Wednesday six months before the success was achieved under his successor Mike Newell.
Turner was appointed Wednesday manager in November 2002. He faced with the difficult task of saving Wednesday from sliding into the third tier of the league for the first time in a quarter of a century. The Owls improved during the final stages of the season, achieving some strong results, but a 1–1 draw with fellow strugglers Brighton (who lost their fight to stay up on the final day) condemned them to relegation. Turner was optimistic of getting the Owls back into the Premiership by 2008, but their Division Two campaign in 2003–04 was dismal. They finished 16th in the table (their worst position for nearly 30 years) and were the division's lowest scorers with 48 goals. However, the side had been hampered by a significant injury list and this had contributed to their poor league form. In the summer of 2004, Chris Turner was given £500,000 to spend in the transfer market and built a team which ultimately won promotion at the end of the following season. However, Turner was controversially sacked in September 2004 after a slow start to the League One campaign leaving Wednesday languishing in 14th place.
Chris Turner returned to management with another financially insecure club, Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
, soon after being dismissed by debt-ridden Wednesday. County were bottom of League One at the time and survival proved too great a task for both the playing squad and Turner, and Stockport were relegated to League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
long before the end of the season. Despite a takeover by a Supporters' Trust and some promising signings, County struggled to find form in the early part of the 2005–06 season. By the end of November, Stockport had drawn eleven of their nineteen league games and won just two. December saw County in crisis, with a run of four consecutive defeats in the league, culminating in a humiliating 6–0 defeat by local rivals Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
on Boxing Day. With Stockport now five points adrift at the bottom of the league, Chris Turner left the club by mutual consent on 27 December 2005. Following Turner's departure, former Stockport player Jim Gannon
Jim Gannon
James Paul "Jim" Gannon is a former footballer and football manager, who is now Director of football and manager of Conference National team Stockport County...
took over as manager and oversaw a remarkable recovery which saw County retain their league status in a nail-biting finish to the season.
In February 2006, Turner returned to Hartlepool United in the newly created position of Director of Sport. In December 2008, Turner took over as caretaker manager
Caretaker manager
In association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his...
at Hartlepool following the departure of Danny Wilson, in addition to his Director of Sport role at the club.
On 19 August 2010, Turner left his role as caretaker manager and director of sport of Hartlepool United with immediate effect, sparking shock around the club. Russ Green sooned followed Turner out of the Victoria Park door. On Thursday 14 October 2010, Turner confirmed the rumours that he was indeed part of a bid to buy his boyhood team Sheffield Wednesday in a £15 million deal. The consortium that Turner was a part of ultimately did not make a successful bid for the club however, and the club was instead purchased by Milan Mandarić
Milan Mandaric
Milan Mandarić is a Serbian-American business tycoon who has owned a string of successful businesses and football clubs including Portsmouth, Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday. He currently is the chairman of Sheffield Wednesday...
in December 2010.