Graham Turner facts for kids

Graham John Turner (born October 5, 1947) is an English former footballer and manager. His son, Mark, also became a professional footballer. Graham Turner is known for managing a huge number of games, making him one of the most experienced football managers ever. Only a few managers like Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger have managed more matches than him.

Graham had a long playing career of 19 years as a central defender in the lower football divisions. After he stopped playing, he became a manager. He first managed Shrewsbury Town, where he won the Third Division championship. He then led them for five seasons in the Second Division. Later, he took charge of Aston Villa.

After a short time at Aston Villa, he moved to Wolves. He helped Wolves climb from the Fourth Division to the Second Division. During this time, his team also won the Football League Trophy. He later managed Hereford United. He even bought the club and became its chairman, helping it get promoted back into the Football League. He eventually returned to manage Shrewsbury Town for a second time, leading them to another promotion.

Playing Football: Graham's Early Career

Graham Turner was born in Ellesmere Port, England. He even played for the England youth international team! He started his football journey at Wrexham. In January 1968, he moved to a rival club, Chester. He played there for five years, appearing in 218 Football League matches.

After Chester, he joined his third and final club, Shrewsbury Town, for £30,000. He started as a midfielder for his first two clubs. But at Shrewsbury, he switched to playing as a centre back. He played over 350 league games for Shrewsbury Town. During the 1970s, he often played against Hereford United, a club he would later own and manage!

Graham Turner: A Managerial Journey

Leading Shrewsbury Town to Success

Graham became the player-manager for Shrewsbury Town during the 1978–79 season. This was a fantastic year for the club, as they won the Third Division championship! Shrewsbury then spent ten seasons in the Second Division under his leadership. Graham also led his team to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup twice, which is a big achievement. He stopped playing football in 1983. After six successful seasons, he left Shrewsbury in 1984 to manage Aston Villa.

A Short Spell at Aston Villa

Unfortunately, Graham's time at Villa Park was not as successful. He was in charge for just over two years. He was sacked on September 14, 1986, when Aston Villa was struggling and heading for relegation from the First Division.

Turning Around Wolverhampton Wanderers

On October 7, 1986, Graham was appointed manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers, also known as Wolves. At that time, Wolves were in the Fourth Division and facing serious financial problems. In his first season, Wolves reached the play-offs but didn't get promoted.

However, the next two seasons were amazing! With the help of star goalscorer Steve Bull and his striking partner Andy Mutch, Wolves achieved two promotions in a row. They climbed from the Fourth Division to the Second Division. Graham also led Wolves to victory at Wembley Stadium in the 1987–88 Associate Members' Cup. He left Wolves in March 1994.

The Hereford United Years

Graham became the manager of Hereford United at the start of the 1995–96 season. The club was then in Division Three. His first season was good; they reached the FA Cup third round and the play-offs. However, Hereford United was in financial trouble even before he arrived. This meant he couldn't keep some of their best players for the next season.

On May 3, 1997, Hereford was relegated to the Conference, which is a non-league division. Graham offered to resign, but his resignation was not accepted. He then led the team to a sixth-place finish in the Conference. When the chairman resigned, Graham bought most of the club's shares with Joan Fennessy. This saved the club from closing down!

For several seasons, Hereford United struggled in the Conference due to money problems. Graham had to sell key players to keep the club going. In 2002–03, things started to change. Graham built a new team, mostly with players who joined for free. This team became one of the best in the Conference, finishing second in 2003–04. However, they lost in the play-off semi-finals.

They finished second again the next season and lost in the play-offs once more. But in the 2005–06 season, it was third time lucky! Hereford defeated Halifax Town in the play-off final to get promoted back to the Football League. Graham said he felt "relief" after many tough seasons.

Hereford stayed in the Football League, finishing 16th in their first season back. In 2007–08, Graham used the loan system very well, bringing in players without paying transfer fees. The team stayed in the top 5 all season and achieved another promotion! They moved up to the league's third tier for the first time in 30 years. Graham was even voted League Two Manager of the Year.

However, Hereford struggled in League One and were relegated in April 2009. Graham then stepped down as manager after 13 years and 723 matches in charge. He remained chairman and director of football. In March 2010, he took over as caretaker manager again after his successor was sacked. In April 2010, Graham announced he would sell his shares in the club, feeling it needed new energy.

Returning to Shrewsbury Town

On June 11, 2010, Graham Turner was announced as the new manager of Shrewsbury Town. This was a return to the club 26 years after he first left! He signed a three-year deal.

In his first season back (2010–11), Shrewsbury finished fourth, just missing automatic promotion. They lost in the play-off semi-finals. The next season, they did even better! Graham guided Shrewsbury Town to a runners-up spot, earning automatic promotion to League One. The club set a record for points. For the second time in his career, Graham led Shrewsbury Town to an unbeaten home season, 33 years after his first time!

After helping them finish 16th in the 2012–13 season (their first time in the third tier in 15 years), Graham couldn't build on this success. On January 21, 2014, he resigned as manager of Shrewsbury Town. The club was later relegated that season.

Managerial Statistics

Honours and Achievements

Graham Turner achieved many great things during his career as a manager:

With Shrewsbury Town

• Football League Third Division: 1978–79 (Champions)
• Football League Two second-place promotion: 2011–12 (Promoted)
• Welsh Cup: 1978–79, 1983–84 (Winners)

With Wolverhampton Wanderers

• Football League Third Division: 1988–89 (Champions)
• Football League Fourth Division: 1987–88 (Champions)
• Associate Members' Cup: 1987–88 (Winners)

With Hereford United

• Football League Two third-place promotion: 2007–08 (Promoted)
• Conference National play-off winners: 2006 (Promoted)

Individual Awards

• Football Conference Manager of the Month: December 2002
• Football League Two Manager of the Month: February 2011, April 2012

Personal Recognition

In October 2010, Graham received a special award: the Freedom of the City of Hereford. This is a high honour given by the city.