MANAGER Terry Dolan was the 19th longest serving manager in English professional football before his departure from Bootham Crescent today.

He was the third longest serving manager in Division Three behind Scunthorpe United's Brian Laws and Bury's Andy Preece.

Top 20

1 Dario Gradi, Crewe Alexandra, June 1983

2 Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United, November 1986

3 Alan Curbishley, Charlton Athletic, July 1991

4 Barry Fry, Peterborough United, August 1996

5 Arsene Wenger, Arsenal, September 1996

6 Brian Laws, Scunthorpe United, February 1997

7 Brian Talbot, Rushden & Diamonds, March 1997

8 Ronnie Moore, Rotherham United, May 1997

9 Stan Ternent, Burnley, June 1998

10 Gerard Houllier, Liverpool, November 1998

11 Brian Horton, Port Vale, January 1999

12 Lawrie Sanchez, Wycombe Wanderers, February 1999

13 Sir Bobby Robson, Newcastle United, September 1999

14 Alan Pardew, Reading, October 1999

15 Sam Allardyce, Bolton Wanderers, October 1999

16 Neil Warnock, December 1999

17 Andy Preece, Bury, December 1999

18 Steve McMahon, Blackpool, January 2000

19 Terry Dolan, York City, February 2000

20 Gary Megson, West Brom, March 2000

Terry Dolan Fact File:

Born: Bradford, June 11, 1950

1967: Joins Bradford Park Avenue as a 17-year-old striker

April 1969: Turns professional with Bradford

October 1970: Signs for Huddersfield Town for a £7,000 fee. Over the next four seasons the Terriers drop from the old First Division to the Fourth.

August 1976: Signs for Bradford City for a £10,000 fee. Bantams win promotion from Division Four in 1977.

August 1981: Signs for Rochdale having made 448 appearances scoring 58 goals in his two spells at Valley Parade.

August 1982: Returns to hometown Bradford to play for non-league club Thackley.

January 1985: Returns to Bradford City as youth team coach having started his coaching career as Harrogate Town player-coach.

August 1986: Becomes first-team coach at Valley Parade.

January 1987: Appointed Bradford City manager and inspires a successful battle against relegation from the old Second Division as City win seven of their last ten games.

May 1988: Leads City into the Second Division play-offs but they fail to reach Wembley as they are beaten by Middlesbrough over two legs.

January 1989: Parts company with Bradford City after a series of poor results.

March 1989: Appointed manager of Fourth Division Rochdale

March 1990: Takes unfashionable Dale to the fifth round of the FA Cup where they are beaten by eventual runners-up Crystal Palace.

February 1991: Is lured away from Spotland to manage Second Division Hull City but cannot prevent the Tigers from being relegated.

May 1996: The Tigers slip back down into the Football League's basement.

July 1997: Departs cash-stricken Boothferry Park and is hired as reserve team manager by Peter Jackson at first division Huddersfield Town

June 1999: Retains post as Steve Bruce replaces Jackson.

February 11, 2000: Appointed manager of York City.

January 2002: Guides City into the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 16 years.

September 2002: After a promising start to the season, Dolan crowned Division Three manager of the month for August.

May 2003: A failure to pick up a win in the final six games of the season sees City miss out on the play-offs. However, City still finish in 10th, their best League finish in years.

Dolan picks up a Special Achievement Award for guiding City to the verge of the play-offs despite the club teetering on the brink of extinction.

First game in charge

(Dolan took a watching brief just 24 hours after being appointed for the 2-1 home defeat to Rotherham)

Nationwide League Division Three, February 26, 2000, at Plymouth Argyle's Home Park

Plymouth 2 City 0

City: Bobby Mimms (Russ Howarth 72mins), Matt Hocking, Mark Bower, Scott Jordan, Mark Sertori, Barry Jones, Kevin Hulme, Marc Thompson (James Turley 84mins), John Williams, Marc Williams, Andrew Dawson (Craig Skinner 61mins) Subs, not used: John Keegan, Graham Rennison

League position: 21

First victory in charge

Nationwide League Division Three, March 18, 2000, at Shrewsbury Town's Gay Meadow

Shrewsbury 0 City 1 (Conlon)

City: Alan Fettis, Barry Jones, Mark Bower, Peter Swan, Peter Hawkins, Marc Thompson, Kevin Hulme, Steve Agnew, John Williams (Christian Fox 72mins), Barry Conlon (Colin Alcide 80mins), Mark Sertori. Subs, not used: Russ Howarth, Chris Fairclough, Paul Talbot

Last game as City manager

Nationwide League Division Three, May 3, 2003, at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium

Oxford 2 City 0

City team: Michael Ingham (David Stockdale 46m), Richard Cooper, Jon Parkin, Chris Brass, Tom Cowan, Lee Bullock, Christian Fox, Leigh Wood, Stephen Brackstone, Keith Graydon (Lee Nogan 42m), Anthony Shandran (Stuart Wise 73m)Subs, not used: Darren Edmondson, Graham Potter

League record as manager 1999-2000 season (not including Rotherham):

Played 15, Won 5, Drew 7, Lost 3, Goals For 10, Goals Against 9, Points 22. Final position: 20th

League record as manager 2000-01 season: Played 46, Won 13, Drew 13, Lost 20, Goals For 42, Goals Against 63, Points 52 Final position: 17th

Cup record as manager 2000-01: Played 7, Won 2, Drew 2, Lost 3, Goals For 10, Goals Against 16

League record as manager 2001-02 season: Played 46, Won 16, Drew 9, Lost 21, Goals For 54, Goals Against 67, Points 57

Final position: 14th

Cup record as manager 2001-02 season (not including penalty shoot-outs)

Played 8, Won 2 Drew 3, Lost 3, Goals For 7, Goals Against 8

League record as manager 2002-2003 season: Played 46, Won 17, Drew 15, Lost 14, Goals For 52, Goals Against 53, Points 66. Final position: 10th

Cup record as manager 2002-2003 season: Played 4, Won 1, Drew 0, Lost 3, Goals For 6, Goals Against 8

Complete York City managerial record:

Played 172 Won 56 Drew 49 Lost 67 Goals For 181 Goals Against 224

Record would mean a points haul of 217 points at an average of 1.26 points per game.

Over a course of a 46 game season that would realise a total of 58 points.

In an average season, that would assure City a mid-table position, probably 13th place.

Updated: 10:32 Saturday, May 31, 2003