Bruce Rioch

Bruce Rioch (born September 6, 1947) is the current coach of football club Odense BK in the Danish Superliga. A former player himself, he represented the Scotland national football team in 24 matches, becoming the first Scottish (by virtue of his father's birthplace) captain to be born in England. His son Gregor was also a professional footballer. He was born in Aldershot.

Playing career

Having moved to Luton at the age of 14, Rioch joined his local side, Luton Town, turning professional in September 1964. He made his first team debut later that month, and his league debut in November 1964 in a 1-0 defeat at home to Southend United. He spent a couple years establishing himself and was a regular member of the Luton team, scoring 24 goals, that won the Fourth Division title in 1968. He moved to Aston Villa in July 1969 for a fee of £100,000, then a record fee paid by a Second Division side. He won a League Cup runners' up medal in 1970, Villa losing 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur.

He moved to Derby County in February 1974, winning a League Championship medal. He joined Everton in December 1976, but returned to Derby County in September 1977. After a dispute with the Derby manager, Tommy Docherty, Rioch had brief loan spells with Birmingham City in December 1978 and with Sheffield United in March 1979. He then left the Baseball Ground to play for NASL side Seattle Sounders, returning to England in October 1980 when he joined Torquay United as player-coach, working at first under Mike Green and then under Frank O'Farrell.

Managerial career

Torquay United

In July 1982, Rioch became player-manager of Torquay United, but left after a training ground incident with Colin Anderson in January 1984. In February 1985, After 13 months out of the game he was appointed manager of FC Seattle, but resigned in September 1985 to return to England.

Middlesbrough

He was appointed as manager of Middlesbrough in February 1986 and his first success in management came in 1987 when he guided Middlesbrough to runners-up spot in the Third Division and promotion to the Second Division at the end of a season which had started with them locked out of Ayresome Park by the official receiver and on the verge of bankruptcy. A year later they won a second successive promotion, this time as winners of the Second Division promotion/First Division relegation playoffs. However, Middlesbrough found it difficult to adjust to the pace of top flight football and spent all season fighting a relegation battle which was lost on the last day of the season. He was sacked the following March as the Teessiders hovered just above the Second Division drop zone.

Millwall

Rioch made a quick return to management the following month with Millwall and guided them to a playoff place in the 1990-91 Second Division campaign, but left in March 1992.

Bolton Wanderers

Rioch's next stop was at Bolton Wanderers, becoming manager in May 1992. In his first season, they finished runners-up in Division Two and won promotion to Division One. Two seasons later they were League Cup losing finalists to Liverpool and beat Reading 4-3 in extra time in the Division One playoff final after being 2-0 down at half time.

The playoff final victory was Rioch's last game as Bolton manager. A few weeks later he accepted the Arsenal manager's job and replaced at Bolton by Roy McFarland.

Arsenal

In 1995-96, his only season at Arsenal, Rioch guided Arsenal to a UEFA Cup place, finishing fifth in the Premiership. It was achieved on the last day of the season at the expense of Everton, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal also reached the League Cup semi-finals but lost on away goals to Aston Villa, and were knocked out of the FA Cup in the Third Round by First Division Sheffield United.

Just before the beginning of the 1996-97 season, Rioch was sacked after a dispute with the club's board of directors over transfer funds. His enduring legacy at the club was the signing of Dennis Bergkamp, whom Rioch had signed from Internazionale in the summer of 1995; Bergkamp would go on to become one of the club's greatest players.

Queens Park Rangers

After leaving Arsenal, he worked as assistant manager under Stewart Houston (his former assistant at Arsenal) at Queens Park Rangers but left along with Houston after just over a year at Loftus Road.

Norwich City

In May 1998, Rioch was appointed manager of Norwich City in Division One. He resigned after less than two seasons at the helm after failing to get the Canaries anywhere near the promotion and playoff places that the club had long been hoping for. He cited a perceived lack of ambition at the club as the main reason for his decision to resign (he correctly predicted that the club's star player Craig Bellamy would inevitably be sold), however he also acknowledged that the club's uncertain financial position meant that the transfer funds available to him were limited.

Wigan Athletic

Rioch made a swift return to management with Wigan Athletic for the 2000-01 season, but he left the club in February as they occupied the Division Two playoff zone. The club said that Rioch had resigned, but he insisted he was sacked.

Odense

Rioch was intent on returning to management, and was linked with the Derby County manager's job after John Gregory was sacked at the end of the 2002-03 season. But it was four years before he made his return to management. Since June 2005 he has been chief coach of Danish Superliga side Odense BK. He led Odense to a 3rd place in the Danish Superliga in his first season in charge.