Les Shannon - Coaching and Management

Coaching and Management

In 1959, Shannon moved into coaching with Everton, and in 1962, he joined Billy Wright's backroom staff at Arsenal.

After four years at Highbury, Shannon took over as manager of Second Division Bury. Bury finished bottom in his first season in charge, but he guided them back the following season as runners-up to Oxford United, only to see them make the drop again in 1969.

After Bury's relegation, Shannon took over as manager of Blackpool, with whom he had instant success, finishing as runners-up to Huddersfield Town and winning promotion back to the top flight. This was achieved without the services of the club's star player, Tony Green, who sat out the entire 1969-70 season due to injury. In 1970-71, however, Blackpool finished bottom and were relegated to the league's second tier once again. Shannon had left his position only two months into the season and after only seventeen months in charge. He was replaced, in a caretaker role, by Jimmy Meadows.

Shannon accepted an offer to work in Greece, where he coached PAOK from 1971 to 1974, leading them to win the Greek Cup twice in 1972 and 1974. In 1973, PAOK were runners-up in the Greek championship race and quarter-finalists in the European Cup-Winners' Cup, bowing out to AC Milan. He was sacked the following year, however. He moved on to another Salonica club, Iraklis, with whom he won their first and only major trophy to date, the Greek Cup, in 1976.

There followed a spell with Olympiacos in Piraeus, six months of coaching Panachaiki in Patras, two stints with OFI in Crete, an interlude back in England as an adviser with Port Vale, and a two-year stay with Brann in Norway, before he returned permanently to Britain in 1984, where he settled in Bedfordshire. He became a scout for Luton, and this would be his final role in football.

Shannon is still considered by Greek fans and media to have been one of the most successful foreign managers to ever work in Greek football.