On This Day – 12th August
Bruce Rioch was sacked by the Arsenal board on this day back in 1996, just five days before the start of the new season.
The Scottish manager was allegedly dismissed over a dispute over transfer funds and Arsenal had already got a replacement lined up.
Rioch joined Arsenal in the summer of 1995, stepping in to replace George Graham who had been sacked in the February. He was responsible for bringing in one of the greatest players in Arsenal’s history, signing Dennis Bergkamp from Inter Milan for £7.5 million.
Another big-name signing that Rioch brought in was England captain David Platt, who signed for Arsenal from Sampdoria.
In his time at Arsenal, Rioch tried to put across some of his ideologies from his time at former club Bolton Wanderers. Ian Wright said that Rioch continually asked him to play like his former striker John McGinlay, which infuriated Wright no end!
The two fell out in Rioch’s only season at the club and Ian Wright shocked the football world by handing in a transfer request. It was at this point that the fans knew that Rioch had lost the Arsenal dressing room.
Arsene Wenger came in and joined Arsenal as the manager in September 1996 once his current club Grampus Eight’s season was over. It has been revealed recently that Arsenal had wanted to bring Wenger in before Rioch but he had already given his word to the Japanese side. If he had joined in the summer of 1995, Arsenal may never have signed Dennis Bergkamp!
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