Who Are The League Two Managers? No.12: David Flitcroft (Mansfield Town)

Mansfield Town manager David Flitcroft is one of a number of former Lincoln players managing and coaching in League Two this season, although not many fans will remember his very short stay at Sincil Bank. Signed by Keith Alexander on a month’s loan from Third Division rivals Preston in September 1993, the teenage midfielder made his debut as a substitute in the memorable 4-3 League Cup defeat at home to Everton. After a couple of appearances in the league, he returned to Preston but was unable to secure a place in their side. In December 1993 he was allowed to join Chester City, his third Third Division club in three months.

Bolton-born Flitcroft established himself in the Chester side and helped them to automatic promotion in his first season; Preston finished fifth and missed out on promotion after losing to Wycombe in the play-off final, while Lincoln finished…eighteenth. Chester lasted just a single season in the Second Division, relegated in 1995 with just six wins to their name. They enjoyed a good run for the playoffs in 1995-96, missing out by a couple of points, but made the semi-finals the following season before losing to Swansea. He started 1997-98 with a goal in Chester’s 2-0 win over Lincoln on the opening day, but Lincoln were to win promotion that season as Chester sank back down the league table. After two finishes in the bottom half, Flitcroft rejected a new contract and chose to join Third Division rivals Rochdale in July 1999. He made 190 appearances for Chester in six seasons, scoring 19 goals.

Rochdale just missed out on the playoffs in his first two seasons, and finished fifth in his third season, missing automatic promotion by a single point. They went on to lose their semi-final to Rushden & Diamonds, and slipped to finish 18th in 2002-03, only four points clear of relegation from the League. The FA Cup may have been a distraction, as Rochdale reached the fifth round; after wins over Peterborough, Bristol Rovers, Preston and Coventry, the run was ended by a 3-1 defeat at Wolves. This period was notable for a personal goal drought, as Flitcroft went 101 games without scoring between April 2000 and October 2002. After four seasons at Rochdale in which he scored four goals in 188 appearances, he moved on to Third Division Macclesfield Town for six months before signing for yet another basement club – Bury – in February 2004.

Success continued to elude Flitcroft, as Bury finished seventeenth in his first full season at Gigg Lane and nineteenth in his second season. After just five appearances at the start of 2006-07, 32-year-old Flitcroft departed for a few months at Conference North side Hyde United before joining former club Rochdale as assistant manager to Keith Hill in January 2007. He was to make just two more first-team appearances before retiring as a player in 2009. With the exception of the 1994-95 season at Chester, Flitcroft played his entire career in the bottom tier. He made 517 appearances in all competitions, scoring 29 goals.

Hill and Flitcroft immediately proved to be an effective partnership. Rochdale finished the 2006-07 season five points short of a playoff spot, a vast improvement on the previous season’s finish in the bottom half. Dale made the playoffs at the end of his first full season as assistant manager in 2007-08, which unfortunately ended with a 3-2 defeat to Stockport in the final at Wembley. Rochdale made the playoffs again in 2008-09, this time losing to Gillingham in the semi-finals. The following season ended in automatic promotion with a comfortable third-place finish, and Rochdale surprised the football world by finishing just three points short of a League One play-off spot in 2010-11.

It was inevitable that bigger clubs would come calling for Hill and Flitcroft, and the pair made the move to Championship side Barnsley in June 2011. The magic was not to be continued at Oakwell, as Barnsley struggled to finish twenty-first in 2011-12. Things deteriorated further the following season, and Hill was sacked on 29 December 2012 with Barnsley four points adrift at the foot of the table. Flitcroft was asked to take over as caretaker until they could make a permanent appointment, but Barnsley could not attract the manager they wanted (rumoured to be Terry Butcher) and appointed Flitcroft until the end of the season on 13 January 2013. The new manager had an immediate impact as Barnsley won five and drew one of their next six games. A 2-2 draw at Huddersfield on the final day was enough to keep the club in the Championship after Peterborough lost 3-2 at Crystal Palace, and he was rewarded with a permanent contract at the end of the season. That proved to be the high point, as Barnsley started the 2013-14 season very poorly; Flitcroft was sacked on 30 November with Barnsley six points adrift at the foot of the table.

It took him just nine days to return to management, this time with former club Bury. The Shakers were nineteenth in League Two, only out of the Football League trapdoor on goal difference. Results improved steadily until Bury ended the season in mid-table, nine points clear of relegation. The 2014-15 season got off to a better start, and Bury sat just outside the playoffs in mid-February. Then a great run of thirteen wins from their last sixteen games took them to automatic promotion, their 3-0 win at relegated Tranmere on the final day securing third place; it was Bury’s eighth-successive away win, a new club record.

Their first season back in League One started well, with six straight wins leaving them fourth in early October. Bury sank back down the table after just four wins from their next eighteen matches, and the side ended the season in sixteenth. There was a good run to the fourth round of the FA Cup to compensate, ending with a 3-1 home defeat by Hull. The 2016-17 season got off to a great start, a 3-1 win at MK Dons at the end of September leaving them second in the table. The very next game was a 2-1 home defeat to league leaders Scunthorpe which sparked an amazing downturn in form; after a run of seven defeats in a row which saw the side plummet back to sixteenth, Flitcroft was sacked on 16 November. Bury went on to lose the next five games too, leaving them third from bottom with the same points total they had when they were second from the top.

On 5 June 2017, Flitcroft was appointed manager of Swindon Town, recently relegated from League One. Swindon confirmed he had been given a very competitive budget with the sole aim of winning promotion at the first attempt. Despite flirting with the promotion places occasionally, Swindon never really set the league alight and Flitcroft surprisingly departed for League Two promotion rivals Mansfield on 1 March 2018. Fully expected to turn previous manager Steve Evans’ promotion challenge into at least a play-off place, Mansfield suddenly lost form, winning just two games out of twelve under their new manager. Needing to beat Crawley Town at home on the final day while Lincoln lost to Yeovil, neither event happened: two 1-1 draws saw Lincoln secure their play-off place with Mansfield finishing eighth.

After another big-spending summer at Field Mill, David Flitcroft can be under no illusions regarding the expectation this season. He certainly has extensive knowledge of the bottom tier, having spent the vast majority of his career in it, and has three promotions from it to his name: one as a player, one as an assistant manager, and one as a manager. Backed by a big budget, Flitcroft’s Mansfield may take some stopping this season.

Key:

P = Promoted; R = Relegated; SF = Lost in play-off semi-final; F = Lost in play-off final; PO = Won play-off final; D = Demoted.

Figures are league games only; cup matches and playoffs are not included.

League position shown is either the position at the end of the season or the position at the time of departure.

Writer: Scotimp