Joe Royle - Managerial Career

Managerial Career

In 1982, Royle took over the managerial reins at Oldham Athletic. He spent twelve years in charge at Boundary Park, taking them into the First Division in 1991 (a year before it became the FA Premier League) as Second Division champions. Royle's teams won many friends with their care-free, cavalier style. Royle as an individual also received wide acclaims from spectators for his "rave dancing" along the touchline at the end of a game at Swindon. Oldham were beaten in the 1990 League Cup final by Nottingham Forest, and reached the last four of the FA Cup twice (in 1990 and 1994), losing both times to Manchester United in a replay.

When England national football team manager Bobby Robson announced in May 1990 that he would be quitting the job after the World Cup that summer, Royle's name was strongly linked with the role and the Football Association shortlisted him along with Graham Taylor and Howard Kendall. This was despite Royle having yet to manage in the First Division; whereas in contrast Kendall had won two league titles, an FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup with Everton, and Taylor had taken both Aston Villa and Watford to runners-up spot in the top flight and Watford to an FA Cup final. Incredibly, Royle was selected on the shortlist ahead of Terry Venables, the Tottenham Hotspur manager whose managerial CV included taking Barcelona to the Spanish league title and to a European Cup final, as well as guiding Queen's Park Rangers to an FA Cup final in 1982. Venables himself had expressed interest in the job — which would finally become his in January 1994. In the event, Graham Taylor was appointed as England's new manager.

Royle's Oldham team of the 1980s and early 1990s included some of the biggest names in the English game of that era. These included striker Graeme Sharp - one of the most accomplished goalscorers of the past decade — who was signed from Everton in 1991, midfielder Mike Milligan (who was sold to Everton for £1million in 1990 and signed back for £600,000 a year later), left back Earl Barrett (who was one of the most expensive defenders in England when he was sold to Aston Villa for £1.7million in early 1992) and right-back Denis Irwin, who was signed on a free transfer from Leeds United in 1986 and was sold to Manchester United for £625,000 in 1990, where he went on to win numerous domestic and European honours over the next 12 years.

The Latics finished 17th in 1991-92 season - their first top flight campaign for almost 70 years — and secured their place in the new Premier League. They survived on goal difference on the last day of the 1992-93 with a remarkable 4-3 home win over Southampton, their survival also boosted by an earlier 1-0 away win over Aston Villa - a victory which handed the title to Oldham's local rivals Manchester United. However, 1993-94 brought another battle against relegation and this time the Latics were unable to win it. They were rarely outside the bottom three all season. Another away win over Southampton at the end of March 1994 lifted the Latics out of the relegation zone and a 4-1 home win over QPR in the next game put them three points clear of the drop zone with two games in hand. However, a late Manchester United equaliser put their FA Cup dream on ice in the Wembley semi-final and they were trounced three days later in the Maine Road replay. The Latics failed to win any of their final eight games and a 1-1 draw at Norwich City on the final day of the season was not enough to stave off relegation.

In November 1994, he replaced Mike Walker as manager of Everton and took them to FA Cup glory in his first season as manager (1994–95). A year later they finished sixth in the Premiership, but their form in 1996–97 was less convincing and on transfer deadline day 1997 he was not permitted to sign the Norwegians (Tore André Flo and Claus Eftevaag) by chairman Peter Johnson, which led to his resignation. He was named the Everton Giant for 2004 for his successes as both a player and a manager for the Toffees.

After 11 months out of the game, he accepted the challenge to manage Manchester City in February 1998. When Royle arrived the club was deep in the relegation zone and even though he could not save the club from relegation to Division Two, the next season they were promoted through the play-offs and a year later were promoted to the Premiership. It was said in his book that he was physically attacked by Paulo Wanchope, who was at Manchester City when he was manager. Manchester City only spent one season back in the top division, leading to Royle being dismissed after relegation in May 2001.

Royle returned to the game in November 2002 to manage Ipswich Town, who had been relegated from the Premier League the previous season. In January 2003 the club entered administration, which lead to the exit of several leading players and a restriction of transfer and wage funds. Royle twice led Ipswich to the play-offs, in 2004 and 2005, but lost on both occasions to West Ham United. Several players were subsequently sold off to Premier League sides, and Ipswich finished 15th in the 2005–06 season, their lowest finish since 1966, and Royle left the club by 'mutual consent' in the close season.

In December 2006, Royle was appointed as a Patron of Trust Oldham, the official supporter's association of Oldham. In November 2007, Royle was under serious consideration for the Leicester City and Wigan Athletic managerial roles, but decided to pull out of the running for both.

During his break from management, Royle co-commentated alongside the likes of John Helm and Tony Jones on Five's UEFA Cup Football coverage.

On 15 March 2009, Royle was re-appointed to Oldham Athletic on a temporary basis, following the resignation of John Sheridan. In April, he was offered the job on a permanent basis, though later turned it down on 28 April, when he announced that he would be leaving the club after the final game. On 2 May, in his final game, Royle led Oldham to a 2–1 away victory in the club's final game of the season.