Brian Rice (footballer) explained

Brian Rice
Birth Date:11 October 1963
Birth Place:Whitburn, Scotland
Position:Midfielder
Currentclub:Livingston (first team coach)
Years1:1980–1985
Clubs1:Hibernian
Caps1:84
Goals1:11
Years2:1985–1991
Clubs2:Nottingham Forest
Caps2:92
Goals2:9
Years3:1986
Clubs3:Grimsby Town (loan)
Caps3:4
Goals3:0
Years4:1989
Clubs4:West Bromwich Albion (loan)
Caps4:3
Goals4:0
Years5:1991
Clubs5:Stoke City (loan)
Caps5:18
Goals5:0
Years6:1991–1995
Clubs6:Falkirk
Caps6:101
Goals6:8
Years7:1995–1997
Caps7:10
Goals7:0
Years8:1997–1999
Clubs8:Clyde
Caps8:49
Goals8:2
Years9:2000
Clubs9:Greenock Morton
Caps9:1
Goals9:0
Totalcaps:362
Totalgoals:30
Nationalyears1:1984
Nationalteam1:Scotland U21[1]
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0
Manageryears1:2019–2021
Managerclubs1:Hamilton Academical
Manageryears2:2022–2023
Managerclubs2:Alloa Athletic

Brian Rice (born 11 October 1963) is a Scottish football coach and former player, who is currently first team coach to David Martindale at Scottish Premiership club Livingston.

Rice played for Hibernian, Nottingham Forest, Grimsby Town, West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City, Falkirk, Dunfermline Athletic, Clyde and Greenock Morton.

Since his retirement from playing, Rice has worked as a coach for Greenock Morton, Airdrieonians, Falkirk, Hibernian, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, St Mirren and Livingston. He has also managed Hamilton Academical and Alloa Athletic.

Playing career

Born in Whitburn near Edinburgh, Rice began his career with Hibernian. He made 98 appearances for Hibs in five seasons at Easter Road, scoring 12 goals. During his time at Hibs, Rice won the 1982 European Under-18 Championship with Scotland.[2]

He was signed by Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough for £175,000 in August 1985. During his time there, Forest won the Football League Cup twice, in 1989 and 1990. He scored a memorable winning goal in the sixth round of the FA Cup against Arsenal in 1988, and became a 'cult hero' with the fans due to his lack of pace.[3]

Whilst a Forest player, Rice had loan spells at Grimsby (making four appearances), West Bromwich Albion (making three appearances) and Stoke City (making 18 appearances in 1990–91). He made 115 appearances for Forest scoring 12 goals.

In August 1991 he returned to Scotland and signed for Falkirk, playing for them until the early part of the 1995–96 season. He then moved to Dunfermline followed by Clyde for two seasons each, and left Clyde at the end of the 1998–99 season.

Coaching career

In 2000, Rice was appointed assistant manager to Ian McCall at Greenock Morton, making one appearance as a player. Rice was then assistant manager to McCall at Airdrieonians, but the club went out of business in 2002. McCall and Rice then both moved to similar positions at Falkirk. McCall eventually moved on to Dundee United, while Rice continued at Falkirk, assisting John Hughes. He helped the club win the First Division in 2005 and reach the 2009 Scottish Cup Final.

Rice followed Hughes in returning to Hibernian when Hughes was appointed manager there in June 2009.[4] [5] Rice also left the club when John Hughes departed as manager by mutual consent in October 2010.[6] As of June 2015, Rice was coaching Al Khor in the Qatar Stars League. He left Al Khor in July 2015 to work for John Hughes at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.[7] Rice continued as assistant manager at Inverness after Richie Foran succeeded Hughes as manager,[8] and then when John Robertson replaced Foran.

Rice left Inverness in June 2018 to take the assistant manager position at St Mirren, working for Alan Stubbs.[9]

Rice took a lead coaching role for the first time in January 2019, when he was appointed head coach of Hamilton Academical.[10] During January 2020, Rice admitted that he had a gambling addiction.[11] He was banned from working on the touchline for ten matches (five of which were suspended) by the Scottish Football Association because he had regularly bet on football.[11] This led to a wider debate in Scottish football about a perceived gambling culture, and sponsorship of clubs and competitions by gambling companies.[11] He resigned from Hamilton in August 2021.[12]

He was appointed Alloa Athletic manager in February 2022.[13] Rice left this position in November 2023 to become first team coach at Livingston.[14]

Career statistics

Player

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Hibernian1980–81Scottish First Division1000000010
1981–82Scottish Premier Division1000100020
1982–83Scottish Premier Division222100000232
1983–84Scottish Premier Division255107100336
1984–85Scottish Premier Division354102000384
Total841130111009812
Nottingham Forest1985–86First Division193003200225
1986–87First Division3100100040
1987–88First Division302413010383
1988–89First Division201005010261
1989–90First Division182003020232
1990–91First Division1000000010
Total929411524011512
Grimsby Town (loan)1986–87Second Division4000000040
West Bromwich Albion (loan)1986–87Second Division3000000030
Stoke City (loan)1990–91Third Division180000000180
Falkirk1991–92Scottish Premier Division
1992–93Scottish Premier Division
1993–94Scottish First Division
1994–95Scottish Premier Division
1995–96Scottish Premier Division
Total10180000001018
Dunfermline Athletic1995–96Scottish Premier Division6000000060
1996–97Scottish Premier Division4010200070
Total100102000130
Clyde1997–98Scottish Second Division312101010342
1998–99Scottish Second Division180400000220
Total492501010562
Greenock Morton1999–2000Scottish First Division1000000010
Career total362301312935040934

Managerial record

Managerial record by team and tenure
TeamNatFromToRecord
Hamilton Academical31 January 201911 August 2021[15]
Alloa Athletic21 February 20229 November 2023
Career Total

Honours

Falkirk

1993–94[16]

Scotland Youth

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Scotland U21 Player Brian Rice Details . fitbastats.com . 6 June 2021.
  2. Web site: When Scotland enraged Van Basten & won the Under-18 European Championship in 1982 . BBC Sport . 16 June 2022.
  3. Web site: Brian Rice. Sporting heroes. 28 February 2013.
  4. News: New Hibs manager looks forward to continuing alliance with Rice . . 10 June 2009.
  5. Web site: Rice seeks new Fletcher for Hibs . BBC Sport . 3 July 2009.
  6. Web site: Manager John Hughes parts company with Hibernian . BBC Sport . 4 October 2010 . 4 October 2010.
  7. Web site: Inverness CT: Brian Rice joins as assistant manager . BBC Sport . 15 July 2015 . 23 June 2018.
  8. Web site: Inverness CT: Brian Rice stays on as assistant manager . Martin . Dowden . BBC Sport . 17 June 2016 . 23 June 2018.
  9. News: Caley Jags assistant Rice given permission to speak with St Mirren . Andy . Skinner . Press and Journal . 19 June 2018 . 23 June 2018.
  10. Web site: Brian Rice: Hamilton appoint former St Mirren assistant as new head coach . BBC Sport . 31 January 2019 . 31 January 2019.
  11. Web site: Brian Rice: Hamilton head coach left 'helpless and powerless' by gambling addiction after 10-game ban . Brian . McLauchlin . BBC Sport . 30 January 2020 . 31 January 2020.
  12. Web site: CLUB STATEMENT: BRIAN RICE. 11 August 2021. 11 August 2021. 11 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210811150043/https://hamiltonacciesfc.co.uk/club-statement-brian-rice/. dead.
  13. Web site: Brian Rice appointed new manager at Alloa Athletic . Kevin. Scott . STV Sport . 21 February 2022 . 21 February 2022.
  14. Web site: Brian Rice leaves Alloa for Livingston . SPFL . 9 November 2023 . 9 November 2023.
  15. Web site: 2018–19 Hamilton Academical Fixtures & Results. Soccerbase. 2 February 2019.
  16. News: David . McKinney . Football: Falkirk find their fire . The Independent. London . 13 December 1993 . 22 April 2021 .