Brian Rice Appointment Begins a New Alloa Era
Alloa had been on a downward spiral with Ferguson at the wheel as a season filled with hopes of titles and success had become a relegation dog fight. A win for interim boss, Paddy Connolly, has given The Wasps some breathing space above the bottom but the impetus is on the team to put themselves in a much more reflective place in the division.
Similarly to when Peter Grant departed the Indodrill last summer, many fans touted captain, Andy Graham to take charge and it looked like he may with the skipper helping Paddy with training throughout the week. A very well respected player in the dressing room, well liked by the supporters and clearly destined to be his own man one day, the majority of fans thought it was a foregone conclusion. However, with still such an integral part in the starting eleven, his time to become manager will just have to wait. No doubt his experience and status in the squad will continue to grow under new manager, for now though, it will remain in a playing capacity. His time will come, of that I have no doubt.
Alloa fans have been given cause for optimism though with the appointment of former Hamilton manager, Brian Rice. Despite a rich CV in the game, it has had mixed reactions from the Alloa faithful. This piece will look to dissect the career of Alloa's latest manager.
Born in Whitburn, Rice is fondly remembered by the Hibernian fans for his time at the club. It was down South where he would really kick on though after Brian Clough signed him for a fee of £1750,000. Without a real amount of pace, 'Chipper', as he was nicknamed won two League Cups and scored a memorable goal against Arsenal in the FA Cup. However, what the Alloa fans will really be interested in is his credentials off the pitch.
Rice has coached at several clubs, learning off many, before taking his first gig at Accies in 2019. It was success that he had there with two survival seasons in the Premiership, before falling to the Championship at the third attempt. As Alloa battled against the odds in the Championship, so did Rice's Accies team. This mentality, this experience and this ability to take little resources and match up against the big budgets, this is something that will serve him well as Alloa look to get out of this relegation scrap. It took Hamilton by surprise when he decided to walk away, which again, is a good sign that they reluctantly let him go.
Covid problems were cited as part of his reasonings for leaving the club as he felt unfairly treated by the powers that be. He has never been one to hide his opinion as many of us will remember his famous referee rant whilst at Accies. A passionate plea defending his club against Crawford Allan, the head of referees. A notice of complaint was issued after the siege live on the radio but what he was applauded for was his unquestionable defence of his players. This is a manager that backs them to the hill, believes in them and champions them. Accusations were made of his predecessor's man management skills and lack of belief in them after a rough spell. What Chipper will ensure is that full belief.
When his tenure at Hamilton was over, his interviews following would fill Alloa fans with hope. He claimed that he never wanted to be a manager. That statement seems strange to say following the word 'hope'. However, Rice spoke with great enthusiasm about his desire to get back out on the pitch and coach. He speaks in detail about how he takes simple training and elevates it into coaching real development, saying there is nothing he loves more. This Alloa team don't need a major turnover, despite previous transfers. The squad is full of quality and with a change of atmosphere and style, hopefully they will be able to reach their full potential. What Mike Mulraney has appointed is a man who loves football, loves getting amongst the players and getting the most out of them in their few nights a week at the club.
Coaching the players for now, but the players for the future is big. Yogi Hughes, who Rice had been working with this season at Dunfermline, speaks in length about his commitment to young players. He quotes the likes of Scott Arfield and Ryan Christie and the major impact that Rice has had on these players. For 42 years he has got out of bed and worked on the training pitch with many names like these. With Cammy O'Donnell, Lucas Williamson, and other youngsters being bombed out so far this season, I am sure this appointment has been a lift. They need only to look at the success stories under Rice for motivation to use this appointment to kick on.
The appointment of Brian Rice is a positive one for Alloa I believe. We are in the bottom half of League 1, a sense of reality has to be made with our appointments. The Jurgen Klopp's of Scottish football aren't flocking to the Recs. What I have read about Chipper in the few days that the news broke gives me hope. When interviewed by the press after narrowly missing out on the Falkirk job, all Brian Rice wanted was a chance. Someone to have faith in him. This is the longest he has been out the game in his 42 years and you can visibly see how much he misses it. Extensive media work has seen him around the grounds but we all know it isn't the same. Alloa have been a club he has visited a few times this season. His media work and appearance on hit podcasts, like Open Goal, not only show the likeable character Chipper is but his passion and love for football. Development is something he holds extremely important and even talks about developing young, aspiring managers with his coaching techniques.
This appointment gives us experience of survival with a long-term vision entailed. Rice doesn't just focus on now. He looks forward, not just on the park with O'Donnell, Church, Williamson, etc. but also in the dugout. This could be a perfect masterstroke plan for both Rice and eventually, Graham.
With every appointment comes a degree of risk and I am not oblivious to comments made by some Accies fans about some tactical errors. However, I'm with Chipper when he asks for a chance. For what the Alloa fans have had to endure this season under previous management, I am sure they can all give him at least that. It couldn't start harder with the league leaders, Cove Rangers, at home for his first game. Let's get behind the team though! I hope the Indodrill will be an enjoyable place to be for both players and supporters now, starting Saturday, and I definitely wish Chipper all the best as he bids to do that.
Onward and upwards, the good times are just around the corner ...
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