The team was initially selected by a committee made up of the club's board members. Davy McDougall was the first manager in the club's history, being appointed in 1910 for the team's inaugural season in the Southern Football League. He was replaced after one season by Fred Stewart who oversaw the club's entry into The Football League and promotion to the First Division. Stewart also led the side to victories in the 1927 FA Cup Final and 1927 FA Charity Shield before stepping down in 1933. Billy McCandless was the first Cardiff manager to win a league title when he led his side to first place in the 1946–47 Third Division South.