City boss Nigel Worthington goes into the new season as comfortably the longest-serving manager with his current club in the Coca-Cola Championship. Only ex-Canary Steve Bruce at Birmingham comes even close to matching Worthington's 5½ years in charge at Carrow Road.

City boss Nigel Worthington goes into the new season as comfortably the longest-serving manager with his current club in the Coca-Cola Championship.

Only ex-Canary Steve Bruce at Birmingham comes even close to matching Worthington's 5½ years in charge at Carrow Road.

Worthington took over from Bryan Hamilton as the Canaries' caretaker boss on December 4, 2000, and was appointed full-time after a 1-1 draw against Blackburn at Carrow Road on New Year's Day, 2001.

Worthington, who led City into the Premiership in 2004 but last season survived protests from fans calling for a change at the top, said he had not been aware of his new status, but added: “I'm proud to be top of the list and long may it continue.”

Bruce has been in charge at Birmingham since December, 2001, but of the other 22 managers in the division, only Luton's Mike Newell has served as long as three years in his present job, an indication of the hazardous nature of the job.

The departure from the Championship at the end of last season - in opposite directions - of Crewe Alexandra and Sheffield United took long-serving bosses Dario Gradi and Neil Warnock, respectively, out of the picture.

Others, such as Glenn Hoddle at Wolves, Peter Taylor at Crystal Palace, George Burley at Southampton and Dave Jones at Cardiff, have been managers longer than Worthington, but not at their current clubs.

In a summer of managerial upheaval, seven clubs appointed new bosses in June, while Sunderland have reserve team coach Kevin Richardson in charge of pre-season training and Colchester are looking for a new manager after promotion-winning Phil Parkinson's controversial move to Hull.

Coca-Cola Championship managers - Dec 4, 2000: Nigel Worthington (Norwich). Dec 12, 2001: Steve Bruce (Birmingham). June 23, 2003: Mike Newell (Luton). Nov 20, 2003: Steve Tilson (Southend). June 1, 2004: Kevin Blackwell (Leeds). June 3, 2004: Steve Cotterill (Burnley). Sept 23, 2004: Paul Sturrock (Sheffield Wed). Nov 9, 2004: Bryan Robson (West Bromwich). Dec 7, 2004: Glenn Hoddle (Wolves). Jan 23, 2005: Micky Adams (Coventry). March 4, 2005: Andy Ritchie (Barnsley). May 25, 2005: Dave Jones (Cardiff). Dec 23, 2005: George Burley (Southampton). Jan 25, 2006: Rob Kelly (Leicester). Feb 6, 2006: Gary Waddock (QPR). June 2, 2006: Billy Davies (Derby). June 5, 2006: Jim Magilton (Ipswich). June 14, 2006: Peter Taylor (Crystal Palace). June 15, 2006: Tony Pulis (Stoke). June 19, 2006: Paul Simpson (Preston). June 28, 2006: Ian Holloway (Plymouth). June 29, 2006: Phil Parkinson (Hull). Colchester and Sunderland yet to appoint new managers.

*Caretaker manager