Ex-Arsenal supervisor was slammed as a ‘dictator’ and ‘even his personal son hated him’
An ex-Arsenal midfielder has slammed his former boss as a ‘dictator’ with a ‘smarmy attitude’ and revealed that even his own son reportedly couldn’t stand him
David Hillier played for Arsenal in the 1990s(Image: Professional Sport/Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)
An Arsenal legend has delivered a scathing verdict when asked about one of his former managers – who’s “own son hated him”.
David Hillier, who progressed through the youth system at the Gunners and made nearly 150 appearances for the club between 1988 and 1996, revealed he suspected Bruce Rioch was “a bit of a d***” – but the truth proved far worse.
Rioch replaced George Graham as Arsenal boss in 1995, stepping into the role following a stint managing Bolton. Graham had guided the side to two league championships, an FA Cup triumph, two League Cups and a European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Bruce Rioch was slammed by his former player
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A renowned disciplinarian, he also enjoyed popularity amongst his squad and earned their respect. However, the atmosphere shifted dramatically once Rioch took charge, according to Hillier.
Speaking on Undr The Cosh, he said: “The first we knew about Bruce was when John Hartson came to the club from Luton because John was at Luton with Gregor, Bruce’s son – and he said even his own son hated him.
“Honestly, his dad was like a f****** dictator. He used to send his son on coaching courses in the summer when he was like 14, 15. ‘You will be a coach, son!’ You know, when he wanted to go out with his mates and stuff.”
When Rioch joined Arsenal, Hillier was confronting an impending court case after being charged with theft for pinching a Danish businessman’s bag at Gatwick Airport.
He and two companions had noticed the luggage at a bus stop and, believing it had been abandoned, chose to take it. The owner was actually retrieving his vehicle at the time.
About a year prior, Rioch had been keen to bring Hillier to Bolton as a replacement for Jason McAteer, offering “proper decent money,” in the player’s own words. However, the transfer didn’t materialise.
Bruce Rioch was Arsenal boss for one season – after he was sacked following a disagreement over transfer funds(Image:
GETTY
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Hillier recalled: “He turns up at the club, the misdemeanour had happened and all of that, and he called me in – this is how it started. He was such a great f****** manager, the first summer he comes in, we’re doing our pre-season, he’s beasting us, we’re all putting the effort in.
“And I am fit – I’m f****** turning up for pre-season ripped – and he calls me in after one training session and he says that the club are thinking of buying a couple of midfield players and I want to start thinking about my future.
“But not in a kind of way that you’re nurturing someone or helping them move on – it was like, ‘ha,’ and he turned round and he went, “I’ll tell you f****** what, I was gonna buy you last year at Bolton, I’d have made you a f****** millionaire. I’m f******glad I didn’t.
“And I thought, you c***! You f****** c***! I just wanted to pop him then. How can you say that? I’d had the greatest managers of all time, right. Graham, Pat Rice as a youngster, coming up with George Armstrong – all of the Arsenal breeding and stuff like that.
“And some f****** p**** comes in who ain’t from the Arsenal way, don’t know nothing. We were like a family, we looked after each other, and if he’s got something to say he needs to look after me a bit like I’d been used to, but Rioch had this smarmy attitude.
“He knew he was gonna get Platty (David), the (Dennis) Bergkamp deal had already been done, and he started it off on a right s***** note.”
Bruce Rioch signed Dennis Bergkamp for Arsenal(Image: Daily Mirror)
Hillier recounted one unforgettable confrontation between Rioch and John Hartson. He explained that Hartson, who had criticised the manager in a newspaper feature, had just picked up his knife to begin his post-match meal when Rioch approached him.
“John’s sat down and he’s just picked up his knife and Rioch’s come in and he’s gone, ‘You f****** p****,’ or something like that. John’s looked up – John’s a f****** unit, right – and John don’t take no s***, mate – John’s proper. And he’s got the knife in his hand and he’s gone, ‘What?’
“You f****** writing stories about me, you this, you that, I’m gonna finish your f****** career, and I’m gonna do this, and then he goes, ‘What, you gonna do me with the knife?’
“And John went, ‘I don’t need a f****** knife’ and he stands up ready to go at it. Then all you see is Martin Keown at the side of him, Tony Adams at the side of him and then I just stood up, but everybody had his back.”
