Ater playing for Arsenal Don Howe moved on to WBA where he stayed until 1975 before a year at Galatasaray SK after which he returned to Arsenal as manager. His record between December 1983 and March 1986 was played 117 games with 46.15% won.
Don was born on 12 October 1935,and played with West Bromwich winning 23 caps with England. He was voted one of the top players ever with WBA in a poll by the fans. He was later signed as a player for Arsenal by Billy Wright in 1964 but broke his leg in March 1966 and retired from the game.
Don left Arsenal after the Double of 1971, and it is often said that the quick collapse of the team after the Double season was indeed down to this change as Don returned to his old club WBA as manager.
However Don did not have success at WBA and the club was relegated in 1973. He moved on to Leeds and to Galatasary, before coming back to Arsenal in 1977 as coach with Terry Neil as manager. In 1981 he added to this role his duties as a coach for England.
Terry Neil left Arsenal on 16 December 1983 following a run of five defeats in the last six games, with the club lying 12th in the first division, and Don Howe became caretaker-manager. He became permanent manager after the game against Leicester on 28 April 1984 following a run of five wins and two draws in the last seven games.Arsenal were 6th – the highest position they had held that season after the second match.
As he took over new players were emerging; Jennings, Sansom, Talbot, O’Leary, Woodcock, Nicholas, Rix and Davis were established players, while Howe added Mariner, Lukic, Steve Williams, Rocastle, Keown, Quinn, Martin Hayes and a certain Tony Adams.
After four consecutive wins in a run of 8 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat in 11 games Don Howe resigned on 22 March 1986, amidst rumours that he was going to be replaced. Steven Burtenshaw took over with the club 5th in the league. The momentum was immediately lost and with five defeats in the next seven games Arsenal slipped away from their challenging position.
Don Howe moved on to be assistant to Bobby Gould at Wimbledon at the moment when they won their one trophy, beating Liverpool in the FA Cup Final The two men reversed roles at QPR for a while during Don’s management there. He then moved on to Coventry and took them into the Premier League – again for part of the time after that with Bobby Gould. Don resigned in the summer of 1992 and became a TV and newspaper pundit before working as assistant manager for England 1994/96 taking England to the semi-final of the Euros.
Then from 1997 to 2003 he was youth team coach at Arsenal.
Don passed away on 23 December 2015.
