Newcastle United have a rich history of successful and very popular managers, but which one comes out on top when it comes to win percentages?
Right now, Eddie Howe rules the roost at St. James’ Park. The fans love him, the board are right behind him, and he’s even managed to end Newcastle’s long wait for a trophy.
Howe obviously arrived at an interesting time for the Magpies, chosen as the man to spearhead the PIF era of wealth and ambition on Tyneside.
Newcastle even inducted Howe into the Hall of Fame recently, but is he the top dog with regard to managers over the years? Here are the top ten, judged solely on win rate.
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Top 10 Newcastle United managers
10. Tom Mather – 43.58%
Tom Mather was in charge of Newcastle in the pre-war period between 1935 and 1939, overseeing 179 games for the Magpies. He won 78 of those, drawing 32 and losing 69 to produce a very respectable 43.58% win rate.
He was previously in charge of Stoke City, where he won the Third Division and Second Division title. After his time at Newcastle, Mather moved on to coach Leicester City and Kilmarnock.
9. Graeme Souness – 44.83%
Most readers will remember Graeme Souness‘ reign on Tyneside between 2004 and 2006, where he was in charge for 87 games. He won 39 of those, drawing 19 and losing 29 to produce a 44.83% win rate.
Despite positive results, Souness very much left the dressing room and ended up falling out with a number of the Newcastle United first-team squad. Injuries didn’t help matters, either, with the likes of Michael Owen suffering long spells on the sidelines. That was Souness’ final managerial role.
8. Arthur Cox – 44.97%
Over a four-year spell in charge between 1980 and 1984, Arthur Cox won 76 of his 169 matches to register a 44.97% win rate as Newcastle United manager.
Cox will go down as a Newcastle legend for developing players like Peter Beardsley, Chris Waddle, and signing Kevin Keegan for the Magpies.
7. Frank Watt – 45.49%
If we were focused on longevity and impact at a football club, few would come close to Frank Watt. Technically, he was never actually the manager at Newcastle; instead his role was described as the secretary, and things like team selection were dictated by a club committee.
But, with 1,264 games in charge and a whopping 575 wins, it’s hard not to celebrate what Frank Watt achieved at Newcastle, regardless of his job title. Referred to as The Guv’nor, Watt ultimately had a mission to make Newcastle the best team in the country. Given Newcastle won seven league titles, two FA Cups, and a Charity Shield under his stewardship, we’d say he succeeded.
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6. Glenn Roeder – 45.83%
Glenn Roeder moved from being the Newcastle United youth development manager to becoming first-team manager after Souness was sacked. Initially named caretaker, Roeder landed the job full-time after steering the Magpies away from a relegation battle and into seventh place in the Premier League table in 2006.
The following season, Newcastle won the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Roeder took charge of 72 games, winning 33 of them, before resigning after an emergency board meeting.
5. Sir Bobby Robson – 46.67%
Another late, great Newcastle United legend, Sir Bobby Robson won the hearts of the North East faithful during his five-year stint as manager. He won 119 of his 255 games in charge to clock up a 46.67% win rate, and even managed to lift the Magpies from bottom of the league all the way to a fourth place finish in 2001/02.
Robson didn’t manage to get past the Champions League qualifying rounds that year, but he did it again the following season. He also enjoyed relative success in the old UEFA Cup, making it to the semi-finals in 2003/04. The sacking of Bobby Robson is regarded as absolutely shocking by all standards, with many fans and players gutted to see him go.
4. George Martin – 49.03%
George Martin came ever so close to delivering trophies for Newcastle, finishing runner up in the Second Division in 1947/48 and losing in the final of the Charity Shield. Overall, the Scotsman won 76 of his 155 games at the helm.
The most notable thing Martin ever did at Newcastle, perhaps, is introducing Jackie Milburn to the team. The star striker would go on to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer until Alan Shearer came along.
3. Eddie Howe – 50.27%
Eddie Howe is right up there as one of the all-time greats at Newcastle already, with his Carabao Cup win and return to Champions League football giving him a lot of credit among Toon fans. Indeed, it’s thought Howe has delivered what’s expected of him, and will be allowed to continue for quite some time.
Despite a slow start to the 2025/26 campaign, Howe is hovering around the 50% win rate, which puts him a little bit behind the top two, but is still a brilliant achievement. Plus, he’s still got time to climb to the top.
2. Kevin Keegan – 52.89%
He was a legend as a player and he became a legend as a manager for Newcastle United. Kevin Keegan was not only a big personality, he was a brilliant coach, too, with a win rate of 52.89% across two stints as manager.
His first, lengthier spell spanned 251 matches and 138 wins between 1992 and 1997. He returned in 2008 briefly but won just six of his 21 matches to tarnish his record ever so slightly. King Kev always said being at Newcastle felt like being at home, and he treated it as such, too. When he took over, he paid out of his own pocket to upgrade the training facilities and was passionate about developing an abundance of young players.
He came oh so close to delivering a Premier League title, finishing second in 1995/96, and Keegan also helped Newcastle win the old First Division in 1992/93. He will also be remembered fondly as the man who brought Alan Shearer to St. James’ Park; a transfer which worked out pretty well.
1. Chris Hughton – 53.41%
Somewhat surprisingly, Chris Hughton tops the pile of Newcastle managers, at least based on win rates. Even when we count his fairly poor caretaker spells, Hughton still has an overall 53.41% success rate from 73 games in charge, winning 39 along the way.
Hughton would eventually become permanent head coach at Newcastle in 2009, and had a bright start to the season, too; he even won the Manager of the Month award in August and September. He had the best start of any Newcastle manager in the history of the club and was responsible for guiding the Magpies back to the Premier League after their relegation to the Championship.
When he was sacked in December 2010, players spoke out about the decision making no sense while club icon John Anderson admitted he was angry about the choice by managing director Derek Llambias and owner Mike Ashley. Fans even protested against his dismissal, but it was too late. Still, at least he holds the record as the best Newcastle United manager of all time.
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