Premier League 2016-17 could be first EVER with no Scottish manager and first time in English top flight since before World War II
After Alex Neil was relegated with Norwich, top division in English football will be without boss from north of border
THE 2016-17 season in the English top-flight will be the first since World War II without a Scottish manager.
North of the border has provided our game with some of its greatest bosses throughout the years.
Ranging from Sir Matt Busby to Bill Shankly and Sir Alex Ferguson — who have a staggering 21 top flight titles between them.
However, Alex Neil, the last bastion of Scottish football, returned to the Championship with Norwich at the end of last season.
And now there is no one representing the Scots in the Premier League.
Ferguson and Manchester United’s dominance has seen them win 13 of the 24 titles since its inception in 1992 — while Kenny Dalglish’s victory with Blackburn in 1995 means the Scottish total stands at 14 to England’s zero.
In fact, since 1986 there have been 19 English top-flight winning teams managed a Scotsman.
Dalglish also won three Liverpool while George Graham beat his Anfield rival to the punch twice.
Howard Kendall with Everton in 1987 and Howard Wilkinson with Leeds in 1992 are the only Englishmen to have won league titles in the last 30 years.
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Going back even further and it was Bill Shankly who established Liverpool as a force in English football — returning the top-flight in 1962 before winning the league three times, the FA Cup twice and a Uefa Cup.
And his great rival at United was fellow countryman, Sir Matt Busby.
The Red Devils won England’s first European Cup in 1968 under the Scot.
Busby won five league titles with the North West giants — which was bettered only by one man at the time.
Former Aston Villa boss, George Ramsay who was born in — you guessed it — Scotland.
Ramsay won the top-flight title on six occasions between 1894 and 1910. His record was beaten by partisan Ferguson — 90 years later.
The Villa legend’s record of six FA Cup victories from 1887 to 1920 was only matched by Arsene Wenger in 2015.
Since Ferguson retired from football in 2013, the best Scotland had to offer the Premier League has been David Moyes, Malky Mackay, Steve Clarke, Alan Irvine, Paul Lambert and Norwich’s Neil.
However, there is still time before the season officially starts.
Should Sam Allardyce become England’s next manager, the Sunderland job could offer Scottish bosses an opportunity.
And Moyes is already being linked.
Title-winning Scottish managers
Sir Alex Ferguson: 13 — Manchester United (1992-93, 1993-4, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2012-13)
George Ramsay: 6 — Aston Villa (1893-94, 1895-96, 1896-97, 1899-1900, 1909-10)
Sir Matt Busby: 5 — Manchester United (1951-52, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1964-65, 1966-67)
Kenny Dalglish: 4 — Liverpool, Blackburn (1985-86, 1987-88, 1989-90, 1994-95)
Bill Shankly: 3 — Liverpool (1963-64, 1965-66, 1972-73)
George Graham: 2 — Arsenal (1988-89, 1990-91)
Dave Mackay: 1 — Derby (1974-75)
Johnny Cochrane: 1 — Sunderland (1935-36)
Matt McQueen: 1 — Liverpool (1922-23)
Alex Mackie: 1 Sunderland (1901-02)