Dario Gradi: A timeline of his career from Chelsea assistant manager to Crewe Alexandra director of football

Gradi spent 26 years managing Crewe Alexandra after making his name at Chelsea

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1971 – Dario Gradi is appointed as an assistant coach at Chelsea, ending an amateur playing career with Tooting & Mitcham United and Sutton United.

1976 – Returns to Sutton United, briefly serving as the club’s manager.

1978 – Appointed as manager of Wimbledon. Wins promotion from the Fourth Division the following year.

1981 – Appointed as manager of Crystal Palace, fails to save the club from relegation and resigns after poor start to the following season.

1983 – Appointed as manager of Crewe Alexandra.

1989 – Wins promotion from Fourth Division, ending Crewe’s 25-year stay in the league’s bottom tier.

1990 – Signs a ten-year contract with Crewe, a previously unheard-of length of commitment for a manager.

1991 – Relegated to the Fourth Division.

1994 – Regains promotion to Third Division, now known as Division Two.

1997 – Wins promotion to Division One, taking Crewe to English football’s second tier for the first time in the club’s history.

1998 – Awarded an MBE for services to football.

2002 – Relegated to Division Two.

2003 – Promoted to Division One.

2004 – Inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

2006 – Relegated from Division One, now known as the Championship.

2007 – Relinquished first-team responsibilities at Crewe, ending his 24-year-long reign as manager by becoming club’s technical director.

2008 – Resumes control of Crewe’s first-team on a caretaker basis, before being succeeded by Gudjon Thordarson.

2009 – Reinstated as Crewe’s manager.

2011 – Steps down as manager of Crewe, assumes director of football role at the club.

2016 – Releases statement insisting he was unaware of alleged sexual abuse that occurred at the club.