Greatest Managers: 10-6

THE Greatest Pilgrims, voted for by the Green Army, lists the top 25 Argyle legends in all positions and we finish the series with our managers.

Greatest Pilgrim Managers
Ranked No.10
Peter Reid

The Argyle tenure of Peter Reid was more about his integrity and leadership of a club in crisis than successful results on the pitch.

Reid was a superb combative midfielder in his playing days, performing for the likes of Bolton, Everton and Manchester City, as well as representing England in the 1986 World Cup.

He moved into management with Manchester City and then enjoyed his best remembered spell as Sunderland boss for seven years. He had been in charge at Thailand when convinced to take the Argyle job in the summer of 2010.

Just a few weeks into the role, it became clear the club had no money to pay wages and Reid was forced to sell a raft of players in the January transfer window. In horrible circumstances, Reid showed his class by paying club heating bills and auctioning an FA Cup finalist medal to raise money for the unpaid staff.

The team continued to battle hard under Reid but the ten-point deduction after going into administration led to unavoidable relegation. Reid was harshly dismissed after a slow start to the following campaign but will always be well regarded by everyone at Home Park.

Greatest Pilgrim Managers
Ranked No.9
John Hore

A great Argyle player, John Hore achieved the rare feat of also impressing as a manager at Home Park and led the Pilgrims to one of their great triumphs.

He was an excellent defender and played in the great side under Tony Waiters in the 1970s, finishing his career down the road at Exeter City. Hore dipped his feet into management at Bideford before taking the Argyle job in the autumn of 1983.

In the league, Hore struggled to make a big impact and Argyle finished nineteenth in the third tier but this was a sideshow to the incredible FA Cup campaign. Masterminded by Hore, the Pilgrims journeyed all the way to the semi-finals and a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Watford.

Unfortunately, Hore was still unable to find the right formula in the league and left his post four months into the new season.

Greatest Pilgrim Managers
Ranked No.8
Jimmy Rae

The great Jimmy Rae was already a hero to the Green Army when he took the role as manager in 1947, having made 249 appearances as a Pilgrim in the pre-War years.

Rae was initially assistant to manager Jack Tresadern and elevated to the hotseat in 1947, a position he held for the next seven years.

It took a while for Rae to make an impact and he was unable to steer the team away from relegation in 1950, but the boss was given time to rebuild a tired squad and he did so by bringing in some major players, including Jack Chisholm and Neil Dougall.

He won promotion back to Division Two in 1952 and the upward trend continued with a brilliant fourth-placed finish in the next season. Despite this success, Argyle again slipped down to relegation battles and Rae was dismissed in the 1954-55 season. He sadly died in 1958.

Greatest Pilgrim Managers
Ranked No.7
Ian Holloway

The whirlwind 17 months as Argyle boss for Ian Holloway saw this hugely infectious and flamboyant character build one of the great Pilgrim teams.

Holloway enjoyed a fine career as a midfielder, most notably with Bristol Rovers and QPR, who he represented in the Premier League. Known as Ollie, he cut his managerial teeth with five years at the two clubs he starred for as a player.

Ollie arrived at Home Park in the summer of 2006 and fell in love with the club. On the pitch, he put together a superb team with quality players all over the pitch, reaching the FA Cup quarter-final and a respectable finish in the Championship in his first campaign.

The next season looked even better and Argyle were seriously contending for a play-off place when Ollie was tempted to take the Leicester City job, a decision he later described as a big mistake.

Greatest Pilgrim Managers
Ranked No.6
Tony Waiters

The managerial legend of the 1970s, Tony Waiters was an outstanding goalkeeper for Blackpool and won five England caps for his brilliance between the sticks.

He moved into coaching with the England youth-team and quickly earned a reputation as an inspirational young manager, prompting the Argyle Board to bring him to Home Park in 1972.

Waiters immediately set about constructing a superb Argyle team and his well-oiled Green machine reached the semi-finals of the League Cup in 1974 and then promotion to the Second Division in the following campaign.

It was a wonderful era for the Pilgrims and a great team to watch under Waiters. He was harshly dismissed in April 1977 and later worked as coach of the Canadian national team. A great manager and great Pilgrim.

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Greatest Manager Results So Far
6. Tony Waiters
7. Ian Holloway
8. Jimmy Rae
9. John Hore
10. Peter Reid    
11. Bobby Saxton
12. Ellis Stuttard
13. Peter Shilton  
14. Kevin Hodges
15. Malcolm Allison
16. Tony Pulis
17. Ken Brown
18. Jack Tresadern
19. Carl Fletcher
20. Jack Rowley
21. Billy Bingham
22. David Kemp
23. John Sheridan
24. Bobby Moncur
25. William Fullarton