Caretaker manager (football)

A caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of team affairs of a football club. This usually happens when the regular manager is sacked or leaves for a different club. However, a caretaker may also be appointed if the regular manager is ill or unable to attend to his usual duties.

Caretaker managers are normally appointed at short notice from within the club, usually an experienced player or a senior coach.

A famous example is former West Ham United director Trevor Brooking, who was appointed as caretaker following Glen Roeder's illness at the end of the 2002/03 season, then again following Roeder's dismissal early in the 2003/04 season.