Wilf Wild

Wilfred Wild (1893 – 12 December 1950) was a British football manager, best known for his long tenure in charge of Manchester City between 1932 and 1946. He joined the club in 1920 as an administrative assistant to Ernest Mangnall, who handled both playing and office duties as secretary-manager. When Mangnall left in 1924, the role was split: David Ashworth took over team selection and coaching, while Wild became secretary, focusing on administration. Wild kept that post until 1932, when manager Peter Hodge departed for Leicester City, and Wild added managerial duties to his secretarial work.

In his first season as manager, City reached the 1933 FA Cup final but lost 3–0 to an Everton side inspired by Dixie Dean. The next year, Wild guided the team to another final, this time beating Portsmouth 2–1 to win the trophy. That 1933–34 campaign also saw him give a debut to Frank Swift, who became the club’s first-choice goalkeeper for the next 16 years. Alongside the cup success, City finished fifth in the league, and followed with two more top-half finishes.

The 1936–37 season started poorly, with only two wins in the first ten matches, but by Christmas the team had improved. Wild’s side then went on an unbeaten run of 22 matches from 26 December to the end of the season. A 2–0 win over Arsenal on 10 April confirmed City as title contenders, and a 4–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday a fortnight later secured the club’s first league championship. The following season, however, was a dramatic reversal: despite scoring more goals than any other team in the division, City were relegated—the only time reigning English champions have suffered that fate. Wild stayed on, and the club finished fifth in the Second Division before league football was halted by the Second World War.

When competitive football resumed in 1946, Wild wanted to step down as manager. On 2 December, Sam Cowan took over, and Wild returned to his old secretary role. After Cowan left at the end of the 1946–47 season, Wild served as caretaker manager for the start of the 1947–48 campaign while a permanent replacement was sought. His 15 years in charge made him the longest-serving manager in Manchester City’s history. He remained club secretary until his death in 1950.