Football: Ron Atkinson - 43 years in football

1939: Born Liverpool, 18 March.

1956-62: Joins Aston Villa as an apprentice. Fails to make a first-team appearance.

1962-68: Moves to Oxford United. Makes 382 appearances, scoring 12 goals. Shares in their promotion to the Third Division and the championship.

1971-74: Player-manager of Kettering. Resigns.

1974-78: Appointed manager of Cambridge United. Gains promotion in successive years from the Fourth to the Second Division. Resigns.

1978-81: Manager of West Bromwich Albion. In 1978 knocked out of FA Cup semi-finals by eventual winners, Ipswich. In 1979 reaches fourth round of Uefa Cup and finishes third in the First Division. Resigns.

1981-86: Appointed manager of Manchester United. FA Cup winners in 1983 and 1985 and never finish below fourth place in the First Division. Is eventually sacked for failing to win the championship.

1987: Returns to manage West Bromwich Albion. Resigns after 11 months.

1988: Manager of Atletico Madrid. Sacked after 96 days and replaced by erstwhile assistant, Colin Addison.

1989-91: Manager of Sheffield Wednesday, but fails to prevent relegation in 1990. Consolation comes in the following season with a 1-0 victory in the Littlewoods Cup against former club Manchester United, and promotion back to the First Division. Resigns in July.

1993-95: Manager of Aston Villa. Manchester United beat Villa into second place in the Premier League in 1993, but are themselves denied the treble by Villa's 3-1 victory in the 1994 Coca-Cola Cup. Uefa Cup triumph over holders Internazionale, but Villa suffer eight defeats in nine League matches. Leaves by mutual consent.

1995-97: Succeeds Phil Neal as manager of Coventry City. Successfully leads annual rescue act. Moves upstairs to allow Gordon Strachan to become manager and then resigns.

1997-98: Manager of Sheffield Wednesday. Avoids relegation for six months. Owls finish 16th in table and contract is not renewed.

1999: Confirms he has been approached by Nottingham Forest to succeed Dave Bassett as manager.