Bruce Rioch

Playing career

In February 1974 he finally moved to the first-class First Division Derby County and added there straight into a team, which won the English championship in season 1974/75. In December 1976 he joined Everton in the short term, but returned in September of the following year to Derby back. When he fell out with the local manager Tommy Docherty, the club loaned him both in December 1978 at Birmingham City as well as in March 1979 at Sheffield United from briefly. After the season Rioch left the Baseball Ground final and played from 1980 in the U.S. professional league NASL for the Seattle Sounders. There he received a nomination in 1980 in the All- Star team.

In October 1980 he returned to England and was henceforth in a personal union of players and Kotrainer employed at Torquay United ( first under coach Mike Green and later with Frank O'Farrell ).

Coaching career

Torquay United

In July 1982, Rioch took over as coach in Torquay, but this still practiced as a player-coach. After an incident in training with Colin Anderson his engagement ended in January of 1985. He paused for a period of 13 months and went one more time to Seattle to there from February 1985 FC To care for Seattle. Back in September of the same year he returned, however, return to England.

Middlesbrough FC

His first successes came only after he had joined the Middlesbrough FC in February 1986. This club he led in 1987 to the runner-up in the Third Division and thus rose to the second highest league. Here, the club had been at the beginning of the season before a bankruptcy and could temporarily not in use at the direction of the liquidator the domestic Ayresome Park. Only a year later, the second ascent followed in series and thus came with the victory in the play-offs direct walkover in the highest English league. There the club but then could no longer claim and rose after a thrilling fight to the last performance day. Rioch had the relegation battle but can not longer fight until the end, when he was the club had sacked in March ( for this the club was still above the relegation places were scarce).

Millwall and Bolton Wanderers FC

Around a year later, in April 1990 Rioch returned back into the professional football and was now working at FC Millwall. The descent of the club from the English Premier League, he could not stop though, but led the team in the 1990/91 season in the play-off games in the semifinals of the club losing to Brighton & Hove Albion. After a disappointing course of the 1991/92 season Rioch left the club in March 1992.

His next stop was in May 1992, the Bolton Wanderers, with whom he already in his first full Coaching 1992/ 93, the runner-up in the now Second Division said third- highest division and thus promotion to the First Division - as the second English League after the introduction the Premier League was now called - succeeded. Only two years later, Bolton celebrated with Rioch even greater success than the first club reached the final of the League Cup in 1994/95. There, they lost while Liverpool, but received by the promotion to the Premier League but still more than a conciliatory end of the season. The Wanderers had yet set back in the decisive 4-3 play-off final win against Reading FC after extra time at half time 0-2. This great victory was Riochs last game in which he oversaw the team. It was from then coach of FC Arsenal; followed him even at Bolton Wanderers Roy McFarland. Because of its great successes Rioch is today regarded as one of the best coaches in the history of Bolton Wanderers.

Arsenal FC

In his only season in the English top club Rioch led Arsenal to fifth place in the table and thus qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Here, the club won the distance duel on the final day against Everton, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur. In addition, Rioch was the semi-finals of the League Cup, which was however lost to Aston Villa due to the away goals rule. In the FA Cup was already in the third round against second division club Sheffield United last stop.

Shortly before the beginning of the season 1996/97 dismissed the Arsenal club management Rioch, after they had fought a long time about the transfer policy. However, in the summer of 1995, committed by Inter Milan Dennis Bergkamp should further prove to be a stroke of luck Riochs, which should take it to one of probably the best player in the club 's history. Above all, however, it was also sporting differences with the former star striker Ian Wright, who had put these Personnel still in the background. Wright should according to the tactical instruction Riochs on the left wing position, instead of in the middle as usual, play. This was then escalated even to the extent that Wright asked for his release for a change of club, as Wright had in the meantime does not belong to the root formation.

QPR, Norwich City and Wigan Athletic

After his time at Arsenal Rioch worked as an assistant at QPR under manager Stewart Houston, who himself had been its Kotrainer at Arsenal. Only a year later they both left together, the Loftus Road again.

In May 1998, he undertook the ambitious second division team Norwich City, who sought promotion to the Premier League under Rioch. In the two seasons of his activities there but Rioch could never lead the team in the vicinity of the front seats and then stepped down from his position. The club policy was again in the focus of his criticism, because the club management in his opinion developed by a too low ambition (which he found, for example, confirmed that he predicted the sale of the Star Game Craig Bellamy, who was eventually taken) and that his precarious financial position of the association were not large parts of the transfer revenue for the support of his athletic goals are available and should be.

In the 2000 /01 season Rioch returned once more back into coaching business and moreover managed third division Wigan Athletic. This activity continues until February 2001, when the club was in a square, the person entitled to participate in the promotion play-off. About the end prevails to this day disunity. While the club's management spoke of a resignation Riochs, it insisted that he was fired.

Odense BK

Although Rioch intended also in the following years to pursue the coaching profession, and was acted reasonably at the end of the 2002/03 season as successor to the sacked at Derby County John Gregory, it would take four years to make a comeback Riochs on the bench. He left England in charge from June 2005 the Danish first division side Odense BK and reached in the first year with his new team the third place in the " Super League ". On 12 March 2007 he decided for family reasons to resign.