Gary McAllister

24th April 2002 – 11th December 2003

After four years as a Coventry City player from 1996-2000, Gary returned to Highfield Road as player-manager in the summer of 2002 following the surprise sacking of Roland Nilsson. His managerial career coincided with a serious financial crisis at the club & he was forced to substantially cut the salary bill. Halfway through his second season in charge he stepped down to take care of his sick wife who subsequently died of cancer.

Gary started his playing career at his hometown club Motherwell but was signed by Leicester manager Gordon Milne in 1985. In five years at Filbert Street he made over 200 appearances & was regarded as one of the top midfield players outside the top flight. In 1990 after turning down a big money move to Nottingham Forest – apparently he was unimpressed by Brian Clough – he joined Leeds United who had just won promotion to Division 1. 

His career at Elland Road started impressively with a fourth place finish but the following season the club won the League Championship with Gary Mac part of an impressive midfield which included Gordon Strachan, Gary Speed & David Batty. In six years Gary made almost 300 appearances for Leeds & captained the side in the 1996 League Cup final. He became a regular in the Scottish national side for whom he won 57 caps & captained his country at Euro ’96.

That summer he became the highest paid player in the Coventry City’s history and at £3 million a club record signing when he arrived at the club. His first season was not memorable as City struggled against relegation but the following season as Strachan finally got the team winning regularly, Gary was on the sideline injured but he blossomed in the next two seasons, added to his Scottish caps and was deservedly Player of the Season in 1999-2000. His 13 goals even topped the precocious Robbie Keane’s total and was the best scoring season of his long and illustrious career. His contract was over that summer and his tremendous form had attracted the interest of Liverpool. He had a golden season at Anfield helping the Reds win three major trophies.

Despite losing the services of Magnus Hedman, Gary Breen & David Thompson, Gary had a promising start to management and at Christmas 2002 the side lay sixth in the table after four straight wins. Then came a calamitous collapse that saw just one league victory in 21 games & an embarrassing FA Cup defeat at Rochdale.  As player-manager his talent shone brightly on the pitch but he was unable to reverse a drastic loss of form.

In the summer of 2003 15 players were released & ten were signed on free transfers or season-long loans. Some of the signings like Doyle, Adebola & Morrell went on to give good service to the club but others fell by the wayside. The new players rarely gelled & the team were marooned in the lower half of the table. 

McAllister however had domestic issues with his wife Denise sick and took a couple of weeks compassionate leave in October. In early December after a 1-1 home draw with Sunderland and with the club in 17^th place with only five wins, Gary McAllister announced he was taking time out from football to be with Denise, who was being treated for cancer. His assistant Eric Black took the reins and a month later was appointed full-time manager after McAllister resigned his post. One has to speculate whether McAllister would have lasted until then but for the board, and the chairman especially, having their minds on the new stadium and the club’s financial situation but whatever else was said about the men running the club they were compassionate.

Denise died in early 2006 and Gary did not return to football until he was appointed manager of Leeds United in early 2008 and led the team to the League 1 play-off final where they lost to Doncaster. His reign at Leeds however ended in December of the same year after a poor run. 

Since then he was a coach at Middlesbrough under Strachan for three months in 2010 before becoming assistant to his former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier at Aston Villa for one season but left Villa in 2011. He is currently a pundit for BT’s football coverage.

First Division Manager of the Month December 2002

Click here to see details of Gary McAllister’s playing career with the Sky Blues

From: 24th April 2002
First game: 10th August 2002 v Sheffield United H, First Division, won 2-1

Until: 11th December 2003
Last game: 8th December 2003 v Sunderland H, First Division, drew 1-1

76 games as manager

	Pl	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	Win %	Pos
2002-03	46	12	14	20	46	62	50	26.0	19th
2003-04	22	5	11	6	27	29	26	22.7	17th
Totals	68	17	25	26	73	91	76	25.0

League Cup: 5 games (3 wins, 2 losses)

FA Cup: 3 games (1 win, 1 draw, 1 loss)