Michael Skubala became the latest name to join the managerial list at Lincoln when he replaced Mark Kennedy, and the former Leeds United coach has made a good start to the role. Hopefully, Skubala can help the Imps push towards a top-six finish in League One this season.
Here’s a look at who leads the way at Lincoln with the best managerial record at the club based on their winning percentage.
Graham Taylor (45.97%)
Today we remember the great Graham Taylor on the fourth anniversary of his passing.
He had two spells as Aston Villa manager, leading us back to the First Division in 1988 before finishing 2nd in 1990. 💜 pic.twitter.com/0sSeXHWohS
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) January 12, 2021
Former England manager Graham Taylor is a legend at several clubs, most notably Aston Villa and Watford. He helped the former finish runners-up in the First Division in 1990. Villa, for the first time since Taylor left, is back in the title frame this season, and at Premier League winner odds 23/24 of 11/1, they may be able to go one better than their former boss achieved.
Before he went on to manage in the Premier League and for England, Taylor won the Four Division with Lincoln in the 1975/76 season in what was his first managerial role. He was successful in over 100 games with the Imps, finishing with a 45.97% winning percentage when he left for Watford in 1977.
Taylor entered Lincoln’s Hall of Fame in 2019. The former Imps captain set records in the old Fourth Division in the 1975/76 campaign, and it was very clear back then that he would reach the top of the sport in the dugout.
Harry Parkes (47.34%)
As manager of Lincoln between 1927 and 1936, Harry Parkes had a successful spell with the club, leaving him with a 47.34% win percentage, the second-highest in the club’s history. He joined from Chesterfield Town, and he led the Imps to promotion in 1932, winning the Division Three North title.
Parkes left Lincoln in 1936 to join Mansfield Town. He later also had a spell with Notts County before retiring from the sport.
Danny Cowley (53.98%)
Essex’s Cowley brothers guide Lincoln City to promotion to @SkyBetLeagueTwo https://t.co/kAyj1zTeea @itvfootball #imps #essex pic.twitter.com/O8dCzfold8
— ITV News Anglia (@itvanglia) April 22, 2017
When Danny Cowley joined Lincoln along with his brother Nick as his assistant, few would have predicted the pair to have the success they did at Sincil Bank. The Cowleys earned the Imps promotion from the National League in their first season at the club.
As well as promotion back into the Football League, the Cowley brothers led Lincoln to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. They became the first non-league club in history to reach the last eight of the competition, with wins coming over Brighton & Hove Albion, Burnley and Ipswich Town. Their run was eventually ended by Arsenal.
In what was another first for the club, Lincoln appeared at Wembley when they advanced through to the final of the 2018 EFL Trophy. The Imps won that game against Shrewsbury Town to lift the trophy.
Lincoln gained promotion to League One under Cowley’s watch when they won the 2018/19 League One title. Unfortunately for the club, he left along with his brother to sign for Huddersfield Town in September 2019, finishing with a 53.98% win percentage. He’s the only Lincoln manager in history to record a win percentage after leaving the club.
If Skubala can live up to his high reputation, he may be able to dislodge one of the above three men in the near future.
Image from: unsplash.com
