Tranmere Rovers' top 10 best ever managers in order of win percentage (Ranked) | OneFootball

Tranmere Rovers finished mid-table in the 2022/23 season, with the fans hoping to build upon the encouraging form they showed at times during the season and the club looking to push towards a promotion place. However, fans would settle for another mid-table season.

The North-West team has ambitions to get back to League One after only being relegated to League Two on a points-per-game system in the 2020 season.

The decision to start the season with former caretaker manager Ian Dawes got us thinking here at Football League World about who Tranmere’s top 10 best managers are in order of their win percentage, from lowest to highest.

Here are 10 managers who have had the best win percentage in their time in charge of the club and who have also managed more than 20 games.

10 Dave Watson – 40%

Coming in as Tranmere’s tenth-best manager in terms of win percentage is Dave Watson.

The Liverpool-born manager would have his only permanent managerial role with Tranmere, having been caretaker manager of Everton at the end of the 1997 season.

Watson would be appointed manager of Tranmere for the 2001/02 season in an attempt to return the club to the old First Division after having been relegated the season prior.

Watson would be unable to achieve this aim with the Birkenhead club, as they finished mid-table, and would ultimately lose his job at the end of the season.

Watson would manage a total of 55 games, winning 22 of them, giving him a win percentage of 40%.

9 Ernie Blackburn – 40.9%

Ernie Blackburn was the first manager to be appointed following the Second World War.

Blackburn would be in charge from September 1946 until December 1955. During his time in charge, the Lancashire-born manager would keep the club in the old Third Division North throughout his entire tenure.

Blackburn would manage a total of 421 matches, winning 172, giving him a win percentage of 40.9%.

8 Brian Little – 41.5%

Brian Little would take over as manager in October 2003 following a poor start to the season under Ray Mathias.

Little would be in charge until May 2006. During his tenure, the Newcastle-born manager would guide the club to the League One semi-final in 2005 but would lose to Hartlepool United.

This performance gave many the belief that Tranmere would push for promotion in the 2005/06 season; however, they would be involved in a relegation battle, and this would end up costing Little his job.

Little won 61 of the 147 fixtures he took charge of, giving him a win percentage of 41.5%.

7 Bert Cooke – 42.5%

Bert Cooke would be appointed manager in August 1912, and he would be in charge until April 1935.

Cooke would ensure the survival of the club following the First World War, as football was put on hiatus during the conflict.

Cooke holds the honour of being the manager to lead the club for the longest period, as he was in charge for 23 years.

Cooke would bring some success to the club, as he won the Lancashire Combination in 1914 and the Welsh Cup in 1935.

Cooke would leave the club that season under acrimonious circumstances amid FA inquiries into illegal payments made to players to bring them to the club.

Cooke would manage a total of 607 fixtures, winning 258, giving him a win percentage of 42.5%.

6 Micky Mellon – 44.1%

Micky Mellon would enjoy two spells as the manager of Tranmere.

Mellon would experience incredible success in his first spell as he guided the club to promotion from the National League in 2018 and then followed this up with a consecutive promotion to League One in 2019.

Mellon would end this first spell in July 2020 as the club were relegated from League One due to the low points-per-game ending to the campaign.

He would be reappointed manager in June 2021, following a spell with Dundee United, his first job in his native Scotland.

Mellon would ultimately lose his job in March 2023 with the club sitting in the lower half of the table, having looked likely to challenge for a play-off place in the early stages of the season.

Mellon would manage a total of 295 fixtures in his two spells, winning 130, giving him a win percentage of 44.1%.

5 Dave Russell – 44.1%

Dave Russell would be appointed manager of Tranmere in December 1961.

Russell would begin his coaching career in Denmark following a stint working in the RAF.

The Scotsman would guide the club back to the old Third Division in 1967. Russell would leave the managerial role in 1969 to become the club’s general manager.

Russell would win 167 of the 379 fixtures he was in charge of, giving him a win percentage of 44.1%.

4 John Carr – 45%

John Carr was appointed manager following Cooke's tenure.

The former England international would be manager of Tranmere for only 18 months, and in this time, he would manage 60 games, winning 27, giving him a win percentage of 45%.

The Teesside-born manager would guide the club to third place in the old Third Division North in his one full season in charge of the club, but a poor start to the 1936/37 campaign would see Carr removed from the managerial position.

3 Walter Galbraith – 46.5%

Walter Galbraith would be appointed manager of the club in January 1961, with the club fighting relegation. The Glaswegian would be unable to save the club in this first season from the dreaded drop to the old Fourth Division.

Galbraith would start the following season in charge of the club until November 1961, when he would be removed from his position.

Galbraith’s stint as manager of the club has been deemed unsuccessful by many within the club; however, he did manage to win 20 of the 43 matches that he was in charge of, giving him a win percentage of 46.5%.

2 Gary Brabin – 46.7%

Gary Brabin was brought in as manager of Tranmere following their relegation to the National League in 2015.

The Liverpool-born manager was only in charge of one season, and in this one National League campaign, he would guide them to a sixth-place finish.

Brabin would ultimately lose his job due to his failure to qualify for the play-offs.

Brabin would manage a total of 60 fixtures, winning 28 of them, giving him a win percentage of 46.7%.

1 Keith Hill – 50%

Keith Hill is the best manager Tranmere has ever had in terms of win percentage.

Hill was appointed manager of the club in November 2020 and would only manage it until May 2021.

Hill would lead the club to the League Two play-offs but would lose his job before the play-off matches started, with the Merseyside club failing to overcome Morecambe.