Dennis Wise
Encyclopedia
Dennis Frank Wise is an English
former football
manager
and player, and former Executive Director (Football) at Newcastle United
.
Wise played as a central midfielder and was noted for his aggressive and highly-competitive style of play. In a career spanning over 20 years, he played for Wimbledon
, Leicester City
, Millwall
, Southampton
, Coventry City
and, most notably, Chelsea
. During his time at Stamford Bridge
, Wise won two FA Cup
s, a League Cup
and a Cup Winners' Cup
, becoming the club's most successful captain, although has since been overtaken by John Terry
.
He also played at international level for much of his career, representing England
over a period of ten years. Wise won 21 caps
and scored once, on his debut against Turkey
on 1 May 1991. He was in the national squad for Euro 2000
and played in all three group games, against Portugal
(lost 2–3), Germany
(won 1–0) and Romania
(lost 2–3).
In the latter years of his playing career, Wise gradually became involved in the managerial aspects of the game, starting at Millwall
, where he took on the role of player-manager. He was briefly caretaker manager
at Southampton
, following the departure of Harry Redknapp
, before he took over the reins at Swindon Town
on a permanent basis. In October 2006, he was appointed manager of the then-Championship
side Leeds United
, who found themselves in the relegation zone. Although they were ultimately relegated, Wise reshaped his side in the close season and Leeds made an excellent start to their first season in the third tier of English football
.
In a surprise career move, despite their strong position and likelihood of promotion, Wise left Leeds in January 2008 to join the newly reshaped management team at Newcastle United
in an executive role, tasked with travelling around Europe and further afield identifying young players and developing the academy. Wise left Newcastle on 1 April 2009. Following the situation that led to his departure, Wise admitted "It has all had a damaging effect on my career".
, but was left without a club after he fell out with manager Lawrie McMenemy
. He moved to Wimbledon
on 28 March 1985 at the age of 18 and remained at Plough Lane
for over 5 years as Wimbledon consolidated their position in Division One
, having risen from Division Four
in only four years. He was a member of the Wimbledon "Crazy Gang
" that defeated hot favourites Liverpool
1–0 at Wembley in the 1988 FA Cup Final and supplied the cross from a free kick from which Lawrie Sanchez
headed home the winning goal.
During autumn of 1985, Wise was loaned to Swedish non-league club Grebbestads IF
, where he scored 5 goals in 10 games.
on 3 July 1990 for a then-club record fee of £1.6 million. His time there would span 11 years, from 1990 to 2001
. In his time at Chelsea the combative midfielder became the player with the fourth most appearances in the club's history, featuring 445 times and scoring 76 goals, including a memorable Champions League
equaliser in the San Siro against A.C. Milan
in 1999. He was also Chelsea's top scorer in the 1991–92
season with 14 goals from midfield. Wise captained the Chelsea teams that won the FA Cup
in 1997 and 2000, the League Cup
in 1998
and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
in 1998. He was also twice voted club player of the year, in 1998
and 2000
. With new manager Claudio Ranieri
seeking to lower the average age of the Chelsea squad, he was sold to Leicester City
on 25 June 2001 for £1.6 million.
Wise always remained a controversial figure, leading Sir Alex Ferguson
to say that he could "start a fight in an empty house". His time at Chelsea was tarnished by disciplinary problems and unsavoury off-the-field incidents. In 1995 he was convicted of assaulting a London
taxi-driver and given a three-month prison sentence, which was later overturned on appeal. Nonetheless, the incident still saw him stripped of the Chelsea captaincy by manager Glenn Hoddle
. In April 1999, he was accused of "biting" Marcelino Elena
of RCD Mallorca
in a Cup Winners' Cup tie, and in the 1998–99
season he missed a total of 15 games through suspension.
and suspended by the club on 20 July 2002 after breaking the nose and jaw of team-mate Callum Davidson
, who was trying to act as a peacemaker in a dispute between Wise and another player.
As a result of the assault, Wise was sacked by the club for serious misconduct on 2 August. Surprised by the dismissal, he contacted the Professional Footballers' Association
and appealed against the decision. The Football League Disciplinary Commission
later ruled that Wise had been harshly treated by Leicester and ordered that he be reinstated and given the maximum punishment of two weeks' wages (about £70,000). The tribunal's order led the club to launch an appeal against the decision, which they won on 18 September.
Wise sued Leicester for wrongful dismissal and more than £2.36 million in lost earnings in October 2002, later receiving death threat
s (the club were £30 million in debt and in danger of administration). Now playing for Millwall
, in a match against Leicester in November 2002 in which the visiting fans were banned from The New Den
, Wise avenged his sacking by scoring an equaliser in a 2–2 draw.
on 24 September 2002 and became player-manager in 2003. Millwall were the first team from outside the top flight to reach the FA Cup final since 1992
when Wise led them to the their first ever FA Cup Final
in 2004. The First Division
side lost to reigning Premiership champions
Manchester United
3–0. Despite losing, Millwall qualified for a place in the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history, as United had already qualified for the Champions League. They were knocked out in the first round by Hungarian
champions Ferencvaros
. He resigned at the end of the 2004–05
season, citing a disagreement with the new chairman as his motive.
on a free transfer on 27 June 2005 and made 12 appearances for the club. With the resignation of Harry Redknapp
, he was briefly joint-caretaker manager
of the club with Dave Bassett
. However, he left St Mary's
on 26 December, when George Burley
was appointed as the new manager. He scored once in the league for Southampton, in a 2–2 draw with Ipswich Town
.
on 19 January 2006. He joined up once again with Micky Adams
, who had been his manager whilst he was at Leicester. He made an emphatic start, beginning his spell with Coventry by scoring a goal in each of his first three games with the club. On 9 May, out-of-contract Wise was released from the Ricoh Arena
, along with fellow veteran Richard Shaw
.
manager on a three-year contract, with ex-Chelsea team mate Gustavo Poyet
as his assistant. He made an excellent start to the season by winning 6 out of 7 games and topping the League Two
table with 18 points after a 2–0 away win against Chester City
on 1 September. As a result of this tremendous start, Wise was awarded the Manager of the Month award.
Wise's first defeat as Swindon boss came against Wrexham in their league clash at the Racecourse Ground
. His second defeat and first home defeat in charge of the Robins came against Peterborough United
on 16 September 2006. This loss left Swindon second in the table behind Wycombe Wanderers
.
managerial post, following the sacking of Kevin Blackwell
. On 21 October, Swindon gave Wise, and his assistant Poyet, permission to speak to Leeds, following their request. However, talks broke down between the clubs when they were unable to agree a suitable financial package and on 23 October, Swindon withdrew permission for Leeds to talk with, or seek to appoint, Wise and Poyet, stating that "Dennis and Gus remain valued members of Swindon Town FC as both players and part of the management team". In a bid to keep hold of the pair, the club offered them both significantly improved terms. Later that day, Swindon confirmed that they had reached a suitable financial settlement package with Leeds for the services of Dennis Wise and Gus Poyet and that they looked set to join. Following the successful negotiation of acceptable compensation
in line with the expectations of Swindon Town, on 24 October, the boards of both clubs officially confirmed that Dennis Wise, Gus Poyet and Andrew Beasley had joined Leeds United as manager, assistant manager and goalkeeping coach respectively.
On the evening of his arrival, Wise watched from the stands at Elland Road
as he saw his new side crash to a 3–1 defeat in the Carling Cup
against fellow Championship
side Southend United
. He received a standing ovation
from fans and in a press conference unveiling him to the media, he said that he believed that it did not matter that he formerly played for Chelsea. In the interview he stated that his aim was to bring Leeds back into the Premiership. His first action as manager was to replace captain Paul Butler and his vice-captain Gary Kelly with the feisty, hard-tackling midfielder Kevin Nicholls
, along with Shaun Derry
as his deputy.
Wise's first game in charge came 4 days later, ironically against Southend at Elland Road again, though this time it was a league fixture and Leeds won the game 2–0. However, they continued to struggle for the remainder of the season under Wise and relegation was confirmed on 4 May 2007 with only one game remaining, when the Football League gave the club a 10-point penalty for going into administration
. Leeds finished bottom of the league and they were relegated into League One
for the first time in their history. Nonetheless, chairman Ken Bates
retained Wise for the 2007–08
season.
On 4 August, Leeds were granted their golden share
, but they were given another penalty, this time 15 points, after administrators KPMG
refused to resurrect the CVA for the 'old' Leeds United company. Despite this, they made an excellent start, winning their first 7 league games and Wise was named as manager of the month
for both August and September. However, on 29 October 2007, Poyet left Leeds to become Juande Ramos's assistant at Tottenham
. Three days later, Wise's ex-manager at Wimbledon, Dave Bassett, became his number two. The partnership did not start well and Leeds finally lost their unbeaten record, losing 3–1 to Carlisle United
at Brunton Park
on 3 November.
Leeds briefly topped the table on Boxing Day
, after drawing 1–1 in an early kick-off against Hartlepool United
at the Victoria Ground
and they went into 2008 3rd in the league.
Wise left the club on 28 January 2008 in a surprise move to take up a role at Newcastle United
, his last game in charge being a 1–1 draw against Luton Town
at Kenilworth Road
on 26 January.
announced that Wise would be joining the club as Executive Director (Football), an advisor to the board on footballing matters, reporting directly to the club chairman Chris Mort
. Although speculated to be in the role of Director of Football
or General Manager
, the job is thought to be more restricted, involving transfers, scouting and youth development, alongside simultaneous appointment of Tony Jimenez
as Vice President (Player Recruitment) and Jeff Vetere
as Technical Co-ordinator, following the earlier shock return of first team manager Kevin Keegan
. Keegan had previously expressed disquiet with the concept of a Director of Football
, both in commenting about the previous Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce
, and latterly the proposition of Newcastle owner Mike Ashley
appointing one during his tenure at the club.
In the surprise career move, Wise had been attributed as having lost interest in direct football management since the loss of his assistant Gustavo Poyet
to Tottenham Hotspur
, and considered the executive position at Newcastle an opportunity "he had to take". Wise's role, as stated by Ashley, was to be a '"football-related" executive director'. In a February 2008 interview, Christopher Mort revealed that Newcastle had "heard on the grapevine" that Wise was considering a "move upstairs". Wise was selected as his relative youth and being a "bundle of energy" suited the new role that would involve "travelling around Europe and further afield". Wise, with Vetere, was tasked with helping identify young players for approval by first team manager Kevin Keegan. Wise's role would also entail him helping develop the academy.
The departure of Keegan from the club, on 4 September, saw Wise and club owner Ashley come under mounting pressure from the club's supporters to quit. Keegan, a manager with an exalted status among supporters of the club, stated that, "It's my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want," adding that he had "no choice other than to leave". Keegan was furious to discover that James Milner
, a player he had previously stated was not for sale, had been allowed to sign a contract with Aston Villa, and he was not given adequate time or funds to bring in new players; Keegan had let his dislike of the management structure be known in the months leading up to his resignation. Speculation of Keegan's resignation built in the days leading up, and a large number of fans began protesting at Ashley's employment of Wise, and his alleged interference. The club issued a statement in response to Keegan's claim, and the widespread belief that Wise was responsible for transfer activity, by saying that Keegan was aware of the structure when he re-joined the club. Thousands of fans protested against Ashley and Wise, dubbed the "cockney
mafia", in the 2–1 home defeat to Hull City
on 13 September, although neither Ashley nor Wise attended the match. Days later Ashley released an emotional statement in which he announced that he was putting the club up for sale; Wise came in for praise from Ashley, who said that he had successfully scouted and closed out deals for a number of recent signings.
Wise further angered Newcastle United fans when he was shown often attending Chelsea home games (and the FA Cup Final). Later, it was revealed he spent the vital last day of the 2009 season in Dubai celebrating his wife's birthday, showing a surprising disinterest in the outcome of a club in which he had very recently been inolved. In fact both of Wise's signings (Xisco
and Ignacio Gonzalez
) failed to feature in the club's final game. While these signings have received fairly negative views from Newcastle fans, the late Sir Bobby Robson and newspaper pundits have slated them as second rate signings.
On 1 April 2009, following the appointment of Alan Shearer
as manager on an interim basis, Newcastle released a statement that Wise had left his role as Executive Director of Football with immediate effect. The club also confirmed that there were no plans to replace Wise.
In an interview with the Guardian on 28 July 2009, it was revealed Wise is still receiving £20,000 per week from Newcastle United and was cited as one of the many reasons buyers were reluctant to purchase the club.
After the death of Sir Bobby Robson
, The Sun's Bob Harris wrote how Robson told him: "My biggest disappointment was Dennis Wise, a director of football who was hardly seen at the ground, and who brought in players who were neither suitable, nor right, for Newcastle United. I forgive most people, but I am not sure I can forgive Wise for what he did to my club."
Wise attended a football arbitration hearing in September and October 2009 established to resolve the dispute between Keegan and the Newcastle board. Wise's actions in signing Nacho Gonzalez, claiming he wanted to 'do a favour' for two South American agents, and asking Keegan to sign players from YouTube.com, as well as confessions from the board that they had lied to the fans, press, staff and players regarding Keegan's allegations, claiming it was just 'PR,' led to the panel ruling in favour of Keegan.
Wise's image thereafter has been damaged, and himself admitted "It has all had a damaging effect on my career".
Chelsea
England national football team
|1984–85
||rowspan="6"|Wimbledon
||rowspan="2"|Second Division
||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|1985–86
||4||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||4||0
|-
|1986–87
||rowspan="4"|First Division
||28||4||1||1||0||2||0||0||31||4
|-
|1987–88
||30||10||6||2||2||0||0||0||38||12
|-
|1988–89
||37||5||3||1||5||0||0||0||45||6
|-
|1989–90
||35||8||1||0||5||0||0||0||41||8
|-
|1990–91
||rowspan="11"|Chelsea
||rowspan="2"|First Division
||33||10||1||0||7||2||0||0||41||12
|-
|1991–92
||38||10||4||2||2||1||0||0||44||13
|-
|1992–93
||rowspan="9"|Premier League||27||3||0||0||5||1||0||0||32||4
|-
|1993–94
||35||4||4||0||2||2||0||0||41||6
|-
|1994–95
||19||6||2||0||3||0||5||1||29||7
|-
|1995–96
||35||7||7||1||2||0||0||0||44||8
|-
|1996–97
||31||3||7||3||2||0||0||0||40||6
|-
|1997–98
||26||3||0||0||4||1||9||0||39||3
|-
|1998–99
||22||0||5||1||2||0||8||1||37||2
|-
|1999-00||30||4||5||2||0||0||15||4||50||10
|-
|2000–01
||36||3||3||0||1||0||1||0||41||3
|-
|2001–02
||Leicester City
||Premier League||17||1||1||0||1||0||0||0||19||1
|-
|2002–03
||rowspan="3"|Millwall
||rowspan="2"|First Division
||29||3||0||0||0||0||0||0||29||3
|-
|2003–04
||31||1||4||0||0||0||0||0||35||1
|-
|2004–05
||Championship
||25||3||0||0||0||0||2||2||27||5
|-
|2005–06
||Southampton
||Championship
||11||1||0||0||1||0||0||0||12||1
|-
|2005–06
||Coventry City
||Championship
||13||6||0||0||0||0||0||0||13||6
593||95||59||11||46||6||40||8||738||120
593||95||59||11||46||6||40||8||738||120
Managers' Success Rate is based on wins per 100 games. The statistics include all League, Cup & European first team fixtures.
Correct as of 20 September 2008
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
and player, and former Executive Director (Football) at Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
.
Wise played as a central midfielder and was noted for his aggressive and highly-competitive style of play. In a career spanning over 20 years, he played for Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
and, most notably, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. During his time at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, Wise won two FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
s, a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
and a Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
, becoming the club's most successful captain, although has since been overtaken by John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
.
He also played at international level for much of his career, representing England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
over a period of ten years. Wise won 21 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
and scored once, on his debut against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
on 1 May 1991. He was in the national squad for Euro 2000
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
and played in all three group games, against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
(lost 2–3), Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
(won 1–0) and Romania
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
(lost 2–3).
In the latter years of his playing career, Wise gradually became involved in the managerial aspects of the game, starting at Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, where he took on the role of player-manager. He was briefly caretaker manager
Caretaker manager
In association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed 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...
at Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, following the departure of Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
, before he took over the reins at Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
on a permanent basis. In October 2006, he was appointed manager of the then-Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, who found themselves in the relegation zone. Although they were ultimately relegated, Wise reshaped his side in the close season and Leeds made an excellent start to their first season in the third tier of English football
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
.
In a surprise career move, despite their strong position and likelihood of promotion, Wise left Leeds in January 2008 to join the newly reshaped management team at Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in an executive role, tasked with travelling around Europe and further afield identifying young players and developing the academy. Wise left Newcastle on 1 April 2009. Following the situation that led to his departure, Wise admitted "It has all had a damaging effect on my career".
Wimbledon
Wise started his career as an apprentice with SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, but was left without a club after he fell out with manager Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy
Lawrie McMenemy MBE is a retired English football coach, best known for his spell as manager of Southampton Football Club...
. He moved to Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
on 28 March 1985 at the age of 18 and remained at Plough Lane
Plough Lane
Plough Lane was a football stadium in Wimbledon, south west London. It was the home ground of Wimbledon Football Club from September 1912 to May 1991, when the club moved their first team home matches to Selhurst Park as part of a groundshare agreement with Crystal Palace. Both clubs' reserve teams...
for over 5 years as Wimbledon consolidated their position in Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, having risen from Division Four
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
in only four years. He was a member of the Wimbledon "Crazy Gang
Crazy Gang
The Crazy Gang is a nickname used by the English media to describe Wimbledon F.C. during the 1980s and the 1990s.The name, originally that of a well known group of British comedy entertainers popular in the late 1930s, was used because of the often eccentric and boisterously macho behaviour of...
" that defeated hot favourites Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
1–0 at Wembley in the 1988 FA Cup Final and supplied the cross from a free kick from which Lawrie Sanchez
Lawrie Sanchez
Lawrence Philip "Lawrie" Sanchez is a former Northern Irish football manager, and a former player. He is currently the manager of League Two side Barnet...
headed home the winning goal.
During autumn of 1985, Wise was loaned to Swedish non-league club Grebbestads IF
Grebbestads IF
Grebbestads IF is a Swedish football club located in Grebbestad. -Background:Grebbestads IF currently plays in Division 4 Bohuslän/Dalsland which is the sixth tier of Swedish football. They play their home matches at the Siljevi in Grebbestad....
, where he scored 5 goals in 10 games.
Chelsea
He signed for ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
on 3 July 1990 for a then-club record fee of £1.6 million. His time there would span 11 years, from 1990 to 2001
2001 in football (soccer)
The following are the association football events of the year 2001 throughout the world.-Events:*UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich won 5–4 on penalties in the final against Valencia after a 1–1 draw at the end of the match...
. In his time at Chelsea the combative midfielder became the player with the fourth most appearances in the club's history, featuring 445 times and scoring 76 goals, including a memorable Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
equaliser in the San Siro against A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
in 1999. He was also Chelsea's top scorer in the 1991–92
1991-92 in English football
- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
season with 14 goals from midfield. Wise captained the Chelsea teams that won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1997 and 2000, the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in 1998
1998 Football League Cup Final
The 1998 Coca-Cola Cup Final was a football match played between Chelsea and Middlesbrough on 29 March 1998 at Wembley Stadium. Chelsea, under new manager Gianluca Vialli, won with two extra time goals and would go on to win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup later that season...
and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
in 1998. He was also twice voted club player of the year, in 1998
1998 in football (soccer)
The following are the football events of the year 1998 throughout the world.-Events:*1998 World Cup – France wins 3–0 over Brazil in Saint-Denis, France, winning their first cup. More than a million delirious fans jammed the Champs-Élysées, dancing through the night.*UEFA Champions League: Real...
and 2000
2000 in football (soccer)
The following are the football events of the year 2000 throughout the world.-Events:*January 1 – Ronald Koeman starts as manager at Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem.*March 31 – Gerard van der Lem resigns as manager of AZ...
. With new manager Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
seeking to lower the average age of the Chelsea squad, he was sold to Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on 25 June 2001 for £1.6 million.
Wise always remained a controversial figure, leading Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
to say that he could "start a fight in an empty house". His time at Chelsea was tarnished by disciplinary problems and unsavoury off-the-field incidents. In 1995 he was convicted of assaulting a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
taxi-driver and given a three-month prison sentence, which was later overturned on appeal. Nonetheless, the incident still saw him stripped of the Chelsea captaincy by manager Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
. In April 1999, he was accused of "biting" Marcelino Elena
Marcelino Elena
Marcelino Elena Sierra, simply Marcelino , is a retired Spanish professional footballer who played as a central defender.-Club career:...
of RCD Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
in a Cup Winners' Cup tie, and in the 1998–99
1998-99 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...
season he missed a total of 15 games through suspension.
Leicester City
Wise's time at Leicester was less successful and equally marred by controversy. He made just 17 league appearances, scoring once against Liverpool, and was sent home from a pre-season tour of FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and suspended by the club on 20 July 2002 after breaking the nose and jaw of team-mate Callum Davidson
Callum Davidson
Callum Ian Davidson is a Scottish footballer who currently plays as a left back for St. Johnstone of the Scottish Premier League. He signed for the Perthshire SPL club on 26 May 2011.-Club career:...
, who was trying to act as a peacemaker in a dispute between Wise and another player.
As a result of the assault, Wise was sacked by the club for serious misconduct on 2 August. Surprised by the dismissal, he contacted the Professional Footballers' Association
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
and appealed against the decision. The Football League Disciplinary Commission
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
later ruled that Wise had been harshly treated by Leicester and ordered that he be reinstated and given the maximum punishment of two weeks' wages (about £70,000). The tribunal's order led the club to launch an appeal against the decision, which they won on 18 September.
Wise sued Leicester for wrongful dismissal and more than £2.36 million in lost earnings in October 2002, later receiving death threat
Death threat
A death threat is a threat of death, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion...
s (the club were £30 million in debt and in danger of administration). Now playing for Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, in a match against Leicester in November 2002 in which the visiting fans were banned from The New Den
The New Den
The Den , is a football stadium and the home of Millwall FC. It is situated in South Bermondsey, South East London, almost directly adjacent to the railway line between London Bridge and New Cross Gate, plus the SELCHP incinerator. It is under a quarter of a mile away from original Den...
, Wise avenged his sacking by scoring an equaliser in a 2–2 draw.
Millwall
Wise then signed for MillwallMillwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
on 24 September 2002 and became player-manager in 2003. Millwall were the first team from outside the top flight to reach the FA Cup final since 1992
1992 in football (soccer)
The following are some of the football events of the year 1992 throughout the world.- Events :*May 5 – A provisional tribune crashes in the Stade Armand Cesari in Bastia, Corsica during the semifinal of the Coupe de France between Bastia SC and Olympique de Marseille...
when Wise led them to the their first ever FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
in 2004. The First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
side lost to reigning Premiership champions
English football champions
The English football champions are the winners of the highest league in English football, which is currently the Premier League. Teams in bold are those who won the double of League Championship and FA Cup, or the European Double of League Championship and European Cup in that season.Following the...
Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
3–0. Despite losing, Millwall qualified for a place in the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history, as United had already qualified for the Champions League. They were knocked out in the first round by Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
champions Ferencvaros
Ferencvárosi Torna Club
Ferencvárosi TC or FTC , simply known as Ferencváros, nicknamed Fradi , is a sport club in Hungary, founded in 1899 by Ferenc Springer and a group of local residents of Budapest's ninth district, Ferencváros. Ferencváros is best known for winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1964-65 in 1965 by...
. He resigned at the end of the 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season, citing a disagreement with the new chairman as his motive.
Southampton
Wise returned to SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
on a free transfer on 27 June 2005 and made 12 appearances for the club. With the resignation of Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
, he was briefly joint-caretaker manager
Caretaker manager
In association football, a caretaker manager is someone who takes temporary charge of the management of a football club, usually when the regular manager is dismissed 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...
of the club with Dave Bassett
Dave Bassett
David Bassett , also frequently known by his nickname of Harry, is an English football manager and a former player....
. However, he left St Mary's
St Mary's Stadium
St Mary's Stadium is the home of Southampton F.C., in the city of Southampton. It is a UEFA 4-star rated stadium and with a capacity of 32,689 is the largest football stadium in the south of England, outside of London.-History:...
on 26 December, when George Burley
George Burley
George Elder Burley is a Scottish football manager and former player and manager, formerly the manager of Crystal Palace Football Club. Burley had a professional career spanning 21 years as a player making 628 appearances and earning 11 Scotland caps...
was appointed as the new manager. He scored once in the league for Southampton, in a 2–2 draw with Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
.
Coventry City
It was not long before Wise was playing again, as he signed a short-term "pay-as-you-play" deal with Coventry CityCoventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
on 19 January 2006. He joined up once again with Micky Adams
Micky Adams
Michael Richard "Micky" Adams is an English former professional footballer turned football manager who is in charge of League Two side Port Vale. As a player he was a full back, and made a total of 438 league appearances in a nineteen year professional career in the Football League, including five...
, who had been his manager whilst he was at Leicester. He made an emphatic start, beginning his spell with Coventry by scoring a goal in each of his first three games with the club. On 9 May, out-of-contract Wise was released from the Ricoh Arena
Ricoh Arena
The Ricoh Arena , home to Coventry City F.C., is a stadium complex situated in the Rowleys Green district of the city of Coventry, England containing a 32,609 seater football stadium, a 6,000 square-metre exhibition hall, a hotel, a leisure club, and a casino...
, along with fellow veteran Richard Shaw
Richard Shaw (footballer)
Richard Shaw is an English former professional football player, and currently a coach for Millwall....
.
Swindon Town
On 22 May 2006, Wise was appointed Swindon TownSwindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
manager on a three-year contract, with ex-Chelsea team mate Gustavo Poyet
Gustavo Poyet
Gustavo Augusto Gus Poyet Domínguez is a former Uruguay international footballer and current manager of English side Brighton & Hove Albion.During his playing career, Poyet featured for teams including Real Zaragoza, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur....
as his assistant. He made an excellent start to the season by winning 6 out of 7 games and topping the League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
table with 18 points after a 2–0 away win against Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
on 1 September. As a result of this tremendous start, Wise was awarded the Manager of the Month award.
Wise's first defeat as Swindon boss came against Wrexham in their league clash at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
. His second defeat and first home defeat in charge of the Robins came against Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
on 16 September 2006. This loss left Swindon second in the table behind Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
.
Leeds United
On 20 September 2006, Wise was linked with the vacant Leeds UnitedLeeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
managerial post, following the sacking of Kevin Blackwell
Kevin Blackwell
Kevin Patrick Blackwell is an English former professional football goalkeeper who since retiring as a player has worked as a coach and a manager. He has an identical twin, Noel.-Early career:...
. On 21 October, Swindon gave Wise, and his assistant Poyet, permission to speak to Leeds, following their request. However, talks broke down between the clubs when they were unable to agree a suitable financial package and on 23 October, Swindon withdrew permission for Leeds to talk with, or seek to appoint, Wise and Poyet, stating that "Dennis and Gus remain valued members of Swindon Town FC as both players and part of the management team". In a bid to keep hold of the pair, the club offered them both significantly improved terms. Later that day, Swindon confirmed that they had reached a suitable financial settlement package with Leeds for the services of Dennis Wise and Gus Poyet and that they looked set to join. Following the successful negotiation of acceptable compensation
Executive compensation
Executive pay is financial compensation received by an officer of a firm, often as a mixture of salary, bonuses, shares of and/or call options on the company stock, etc. Over the past three decades, executive pay has risen dramatically beyond the rising levels of an average worker's wage...
in line with the expectations of Swindon Town, on 24 October, the boards of both clubs officially confirmed that Dennis Wise, Gus Poyet and Andrew Beasley had joined Leeds United as manager, assistant manager and goalkeeping coach respectively.
On the evening of his arrival, Wise watched from the stands at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
as he saw his new side crash to a 3–1 defeat in the Carling Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
against fellow Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
. He received a standing ovation
Standing ovation
A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim...
from fans and in a press conference unveiling him to the media, he said that he believed that it did not matter that he formerly played for Chelsea. In the interview he stated that his aim was to bring Leeds back into the Premiership. His first action as manager was to replace captain Paul Butler and his vice-captain Gary Kelly with the feisty, hard-tackling midfielder Kevin Nicholls
Kevin Nicholls
Kevin John Richard Nicholls is an English former footballer who played in midfield. He is currently a coach at Conference National side Rushden & Diamonds....
, along with Shaun Derry
Shaun Derry
Shaun Peter Derry is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers. Derry is known for his hard-tackling and aggressive midfield style...
as his deputy.
Wise's first game in charge came 4 days later, ironically against Southend at Elland Road again, though this time it was a league fixture and Leeds won the game 2–0. However, they continued to struggle for the remainder of the season under Wise and relegation was confirmed on 4 May 2007 with only one game remaining, when the Football League gave the club a 10-point penalty for going into administration
Administration (insolvency)
As a legal concept, administration is a procedure under the insolvency laws of a number of common law jurisdictions. It functions as a rescue mechanism for insolvent entities and allows them to carry on running their business. The process – an alternative to liquidation – is often known as going...
. Leeds finished bottom of the league and they were relegated into League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
for the first time in their history. Nonetheless, chairman Ken Bates
Ken Bates
Kenneth William Bates is a British businessman and football executive. The current chairman and now owner of Leeds United AFC, Bates was previously chairman and majority shareholder of Chelsea FC from 1982 until 2003....
retained Wise for the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season.
On 4 August, Leeds were granted their golden share
Golden Share
A Golden Share is a nominal share which is able to outvote all other shares in certain specified circumstances, often held by a government organization, in a government company undergoing the process of privatization and transformation into a stock-company....
, but they were given another penalty, this time 15 points, after administrators KPMG
KPMG
KPMG is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young and PwC. Its global headquarters is located in Amstelveen, Netherlands....
refused to resurrect the CVA for the 'old' Leeds United company. Despite this, they made an excellent start, winning their first 7 league games and Wise was named as manager of the month
Football League One Manager of the Month
The Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the manager adjudged best for each month of the season in the Football League One, the third tier of English football. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor and announced alongside The...
for both August and September. However, on 29 October 2007, Poyet left Leeds to become Juande Ramos's assistant at Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. Three days later, Wise's ex-manager at Wimbledon, Dave Bassett, became his number two. The partnership did not start well and Leeds finally lost their unbeaten record, losing 3–1 to Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
at Brunton Park
Brunton Park
Brunton Park is a football stadium and the home of Carlisle United F.C. It is situated in the city of Carlisle, Cumbria and has a certified capacity for the 2011/2012 season of 18,202. The ground opened in 1909...
on 3 November.
Leeds briefly topped the table on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
, after drawing 1–1 in an early kick-off against Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
at the Victoria Ground
Victoria Ground
Victoria Ground may refer to:*Victoria Ground, the former name of Hartlepool United’s ground Victoria Park.*Victoria Ground, Stoke City’s ground from 1878 to 1997.*Victoria Ground, current home of Bromsgrove Rovers...
and they went into 2008 3rd in the league.
Wise left the club on 28 January 2008 in a surprise move to take up a role at Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, his last game in charge being a 1–1 draw against Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
at Kenilworth Road
Kenilworth Road
Kenilworth Road Stadium is a football stadium in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. It has been home to Luton Town Football Club since 1905, when financial complications forced the club to leave its previous location at Dunstable Road...
on 26 January.
Newcastle United
On 29 January 2008 Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
announced that Wise would be joining the club as Executive Director (Football), an advisor to the board on footballing matters, reporting directly to the club chairman Chris Mort
Chris Mort
Christopher "Chris" Mort is an English lawyer and former chairman of Newcastle United Football Club.-Biography:Mort is a lawyer for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he is co-head of the leisure sector group and oversees relationships with companies in the gaming, holidays, hotels, pubs and...
. Although speculated to be in the role of Director of Football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
or General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
, the job is thought to be more restricted, involving transfers, scouting and youth development, alongside simultaneous appointment of Tony Jimenez
Tony Jimenez
Tony Jimenez is a London-based property developer and former Vice President for Newcastle United. He is a millionaire because of a series of property developments, which have included hotels and golf courses in Spain, England, and Dubai.Jimenez is friend of former Tottenham boss Juande Ramos and...
as Vice President (Player Recruitment) and Jeff Vetere
Jeff Vetere
Jeff Vetere is a former football apprentice, youth coach, Scout and Technical Co-ordinator, he is currently Technical director at Charlton Athletic F.C.. Vetere is credited with an encyclopaedic knowledge of footballers and is fluent in Spanish, French and Italian.- Early career :Vetere's playing...
as Technical Co-ordinator, following the earlier shock return of first team manager Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
. Keegan had previously expressed disquiet with the concept of a Director of Football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
, both in commenting about the previous Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce
Samuel "Sam" Allardyce , nicknamed "Big Sam", is an English football manager and former professional player. In June 2011 he was appointed as manager of West Ham United....
, and latterly the proposition of Newcastle owner Mike Ashley
Mike Ashley (businessman)
Michael James Wallace "Mike" Ashley is an English millionaire retail entrepreneur in the sporting goods market...
appointing one during his tenure at the club.
In the surprise career move, Wise had been attributed as having lost interest in direct football management since the loss of his assistant Gustavo Poyet
Gustavo Poyet
Gustavo Augusto Gus Poyet Domínguez is a former Uruguay international footballer and current manager of English side Brighton & Hove Albion.During his playing career, Poyet featured for teams including Real Zaragoza, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur....
to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, and considered the executive position at Newcastle an opportunity "he had to take". Wise's role, as stated by Ashley, was to be a '"football-related" executive director'. In a February 2008 interview, Christopher Mort revealed that Newcastle had "heard on the grapevine" that Wise was considering a "move upstairs". Wise was selected as his relative youth and being a "bundle of energy" suited the new role that would involve "travelling around Europe and further afield". Wise, with Vetere, was tasked with helping identify young players for approval by first team manager Kevin Keegan. Wise's role would also entail him helping develop the academy.
The departure of Keegan from the club, on 4 September, saw Wise and club owner Ashley come under mounting pressure from the club's supporters to quit. Keegan, a manager with an exalted status among supporters of the club, stated that, "It's my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want," adding that he had "no choice other than to leave". Keegan was furious to discover that James Milner
James Milner
Milner was described as a "first class" student at his school; he left with 11 GCSEs and an award for his performance in physical education. Milner also showed talent in cricket, sprinting and long-distance running...
, a player he had previously stated was not for sale, had been allowed to sign a contract with Aston Villa, and he was not given adequate time or funds to bring in new players; Keegan had let his dislike of the management structure be known in the months leading up to his resignation. Speculation of Keegan's resignation built in the days leading up, and a large number of fans began protesting at Ashley's employment of Wise, and his alleged interference. The club issued a statement in response to Keegan's claim, and the widespread belief that Wise was responsible for transfer activity, by saying that Keegan was aware of the structure when he re-joined the club. Thousands of fans protested against Ashley and Wise, dubbed the "cockney
Cockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
mafia", in the 2–1 home defeat to Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
on 13 September, although neither Ashley nor Wise attended the match. Days later Ashley released an emotional statement in which he announced that he was putting the club up for sale; Wise came in for praise from Ashley, who said that he had successfully scouted and closed out deals for a number of recent signings.
Wise further angered Newcastle United fans when he was shown often attending Chelsea home games (and the FA Cup Final). Later, it was revealed he spent the vital last day of the 2009 season in Dubai celebrating his wife's birthday, showing a surprising disinterest in the outcome of a club in which he had very recently been inolved. In fact both of Wise's signings (Xisco
Francisco Jiménez Tejada
Francisco Jiménez Tejada , commonly known as Xisco, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Deportivo de La Coruña on loan from Newcastle United, as a striker.-Deportivo La Coruña:...
and Ignacio Gonzalez
Ignacio González
Ignacio González is the name of:*Ignacio Carlos González, Argentine footballer*Ignacio María González, Uruguayan footballer*Ignacio González playing for Colo-Colo...
) failed to feature in the club's final game. While these signings have received fairly negative views from Newcastle fans, the late Sir Bobby Robson and newspaper pundits have slated them as second rate signings.
On 1 April 2009, following the appointment of Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
as manager on an interim basis, Newcastle released a statement that Wise had left his role as Executive Director of Football with immediate effect. The club also confirmed that there were no plans to replace Wise.
In an interview with the Guardian on 28 July 2009, it was revealed Wise is still receiving £20,000 per week from Newcastle United and was cited as one of the many reasons buyers were reluctant to purchase the club.
After the death of Sir Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
, The Sun's Bob Harris wrote how Robson told him: "My biggest disappointment was Dennis Wise, a director of football who was hardly seen at the ground, and who brought in players who were neither suitable, nor right, for Newcastle United. I forgive most people, but I am not sure I can forgive Wise for what he did to my club."
Wise attended a football arbitration hearing in September and October 2009 established to resolve the dispute between Keegan and the Newcastle board. Wise's actions in signing Nacho Gonzalez, claiming he wanted to 'do a favour' for two South American agents, and asking Keegan to sign players from YouTube.com, as well as confessions from the board that they had lied to the fans, press, staff and players regarding Keegan's allegations, claiming it was just 'PR,' led to the panel ruling in favour of Keegan.
Wise's image thereafter has been damaged, and himself admitted "It has all had a damaging effect on my career".
As a player
WimbledonWimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winners: 1988 - FA Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
runners-up: 19881988 FA Charity ShieldThe 1988 FA Charity Shield was the 66th Charity Shield, a football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions...
Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
champions: 1998 - UEFA Super Cup winners: 19981998 UEFA Super CupThe 1998 UEFA Super Cup was a match that was played on 28 August 1998 at Stade Louis II, Monaco, contested between Cup Winners' Cup holders Chelsea and Champions League winners Real Madrid. Chelsea won the match 1–0. Guus Hiddink manager of Real Madrid went on to manage Chelsea to win the...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winners: 1997, 2000 - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
runners-up: 1994 - Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winners: 19981998 Football League Cup FinalThe 1998 Coca-Cola Cup Final was a football match played between Chelsea and Middlesbrough on 29 March 1998 at Wembley Stadium. Chelsea, under new manager Gianluca Vialli, won with two extra time goals and would go on to win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup later that season... - FA Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
winners: 20002000 FA Charity ShieldThe 2000 FA Charity Shield was the 78th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played between Manchester United, who won the 1999–2000 Premier League, and Chelsea, who won the 1999–2000 FA... - FA Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
runners-up: 19971997 FA Charity ShieldThe 1997 FA Charity Shield was the 75th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 3 August 1997 at Wembley Stadium and contested by Manchester United, who had won the 1996–97 FA...
England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
- 1991 England Challenge Cup1991 England Challenge CupThe 1991 England Challenge Cup was a friendly tournament played over the course of a week in May 1991 in England. Wembley Stadium in London and Old Trafford in Manchester were the two venues used. The three way tournament contained the national teams of England, Argentina, and the USSR. England was...
As a player-manager
MillwallMillwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
runners-up: 2004
Career statistics
|-|1984–85
The Football League 1984-85
-Overview:The 1984–1985 season was the 85th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Howard Kendall’s Everton side beat neighbours Liverpool to the league championship, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United followed closely behind...
||rowspan="6"|Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
||rowspan="2"|Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1||0
|-
|1985–86
The Football League 1985-86
-Overview:The 1985–1986 season was the 86th completed season of the The Football League.-Final league tables and results :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at the website, with home and away statistics separated.Re-election: During the first five seasons...
||4||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||4||0
|-
|1986–87
The Football League 1986-87
-Overview:The 1986–1987 season was the 87th completed season of the The Football League.-Innovations for this season:Playoffs to determine promotion places were introduced in 1987 so that more clubs remained eligible for promotion closer to the end of the season, and at the same time to aid in the...
||rowspan="4"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||28||4||1||1||0||2||0||0||31||4
|-
|1987–88
The Football League 1987-88
The 1987–1988 season was the 88th completed season of the The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season...
||30||10||6||2||2||0||0||0||38||12
|-
|1988–89
The Football League 1988-89
The 1988–1989 season was the 89th completed season of the Football League.No European qualification took place due to the Heysel Stadium disaster suspension in place....
||37||5||3||1||5||0||0||0||45||6
|-
|1989–90
The Football League 1989-90
The 1989–1990 season was the 90th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :Liverpool overhauled a greatly improved Aston Villa side to win their 18th league championship trophy and their fifth major trophy in as many seasons under Kenny Dalglish’s management. To date, this remains...
||35||8||1||0||5||0||0||0||41||8
|-
|1990–91
The Football League 1990-91
The 1990–1991 season was the 91st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal took their second league title in three seasons despite a season during which it often looked as though the good points would be outnumbered by the bad points...
||rowspan="11"|Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
||rowspan="2"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||33||10||1||0||7||2||0||0||41||12
|-
|1991–92
The Football League 1991-92
The 1991–1992 season was the 92nd completed season of The Football League.- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of players like Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David...
||38||10||4||2||2||1||0||0||44||13
|-
|1992–93
FA Premier League 1992-93
The 1992–93 FA Premier League was the first season of the Premier League, the top division of English football. The league was made up of the 22 clubs that broke away from The Football League at the end of the 1991–92 season. The new league was backed up by a five-year, £305 million deal with...
||rowspan="9"|Premier League||27||3||0||0||5||1||0||0||32||4
|-
|1993–94
FA Premier League 1993-94
-New league sponsors:From the start of the 1993-94 season, the FA Premier League was sponsored by Carling Breweries.-Promoted teams:Newcastle United and West Ham were promoted to the Premier League from the First Division as champions and runners-up respectively. The last promotion place was won by...
||35||4||4||0||2||2||0||0||41||6
|-
|1994–95
FA Premier League 1994-95
-Promoted teams:Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest were promoted from the Football League First Division as winners and runners-up respectively. Leicester City won the 1993-94 playoff.-Controversial incidents:...
||19||6||2||0||3||0||5||1||29||7
|-
|1995–96
FA Premier League 1995-96
-Promoted teams:Due to the decision to reduce the number of clubs in the Premier League from 22 to 20, only two clubs were promoted this season: Middlesbrough as Football League First Division champions, and Bolton Wanderers who won the 1994-95 playoff.-Transfers:...
||35||7||7||1||2||0||0||0||44||8
|-
|1996–97
FA Premier League 1996-97
The 1996–97 FA Premier League season was the fifth season of the competition, since its formation in 1992. The majority of the season was contested by the reigning champions, Manchester United, along with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool...
||31||3||7||3||2||0||0||0||40||6
|-
|1997–98
FA Premier League 1997-98
The FA Premier League 1997-98 season saw Arsenal lift their first league title since 1991, and also become only the second team to win the 'double' of the FA Cup and league title twice...
||26||3||0||0||4||1||9||0||39||3
|-
|1998–99
FA Premier League 1998-99
The 1998–99 FA Premier League season was the seventh season of the Premier League, the top division of English football, since its establishment in 1992. The season will always be remembered as the one in which Manchester United won a unique treble of the league title, the FA Cup and the European Cup...
||22||0||5||1||2||0||8||1||37||2
|-
|1999-00||30||4||5||2||0||0||15||4||50||10
|-
|2000–01
FA Premier League 2000-01
The FA Premier League 2000-01 season was the third season running which ended with Manchester United as champions and Arsenal as runners-up. Sir Alex Ferguson became the first manager to win three successive English league titles, although three teams had achieved that feat in the past - but with...
||36||3||3||0||1||0||1||0||41||3
|-
|2001–02
FA Premier League 2001-02
The 2001–02 FA Premier League season was the tenth season of the competition. It began with a new sponsor, Barclaycard, and was titled the FA Barclaycard Premiership, replacing the previous sponsor, Carling...
||Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
||Premier League||17||1||1||0||1||0||0||0||19||1
|-
|2002–03
The Football League 2002-03
The 2002–2003 season was the 103rd completed season of The Football League.-Football League First Division:Portsmouth won the First Division by some distance, passing manager Harry Redknapp’s old club, West Ham on the way down. Leicester City earned a somewhat controversial promotion, as...
||rowspan="3"|Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
||rowspan="2"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||29||3||0||0||0||0||0||0||29||3
|-
|2003–04
The Football League 2003-04
The 2003–2004 season was the 104th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:This season was the last association football season in the football league where the divisions were known as "First", "Second", and "Third"...
||31||1||4||0||0||0||0||0||35||1
|-
|2004–05
The Football League 2004-05
The 2004–2005 season was the 105th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:This season the league was contested through three divisions. 2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||25||3||0||0||0||0||2||2||27||5
|-
|2005–06
The Football League 2005-06
The 2005–2006 season was the 106th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:In this season of Football League, Reading was the only club in England to get more than 100 points and they also have won the League Championship...
||Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||11||1||0||0||1||0||0||0||12||1
|-
|2005–06
The Football League 2005-06
The 2005–2006 season was the 106th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:In this season of Football League, Reading was the only club in England to get more than 100 points and they also have won the League Championship...
||Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||13||6||0||0||0||0||0||0||13||6
593||95||59||11||46||6||40||8||738||120
593||95||59||11||46||6||40||8||738||120
Managerial statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Success Rate % |
||||
| Millwall Millwall F.C. Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the... |
 |
15 October 2003 | 9 May 2005 | 89 | 36 | 24 | 29 | 40.45 |
| Swindon Town Swindon Town F.C. Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011... |
|
22 May 2006 | 24 October 2006 | 17 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 52.94 |
| Leeds United Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system... |
|
24 October 2006 | 28 January 2008 | 99 | 47 | 19 | 33 | 47.47 |
Managers' Success Rate is based on wins per 100 games. The statistics include all League, Cup & European first team fixtures.
Correct as of 20 September 2008