Birmingham City: Richard Beale determined to grab big chance at Blues
Aug 14 2010 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
IT’S not often that a young, novice coach gets an opportunity at a Premier League club.
Richard Beale has and he’s determined to make the most of it.
The 31-year-old from Solihull has been put in charge of Blues’ reserves by Alex McLeish.
The appointment is only temporary but it is with a view to a permanent position.
Malky Thomson’s decision to quit Blues and head for the desert riches at Al Ahli, following Roy Aitken, opened the door of opportunity for Beale.
For the past four years he has been full time at Wast Hills as the club’s education and welfare officer.
He has coached various age groups in the Academy and last year assisted Steve Spooner with the under-18s.
“This is something I want to do, and it’s a tremendous opportunity I have been given,” he said.
“I can’t thank Alex McLeish enough for showing faith in me and I hope I can repay it.
“All being well I can carry on from where Malky left off and so far the response from the lads has been excellent.”
Beale is well known in Non-league circles. A full-back or wide midfielder, he has played for Solihull Borough, Redditch, AFC Telford and Stafford Rangers.
An apprentice at Port Vale who didn’t quite make the grade, he headed over to America and had a spell at New York Freedoms, in the USA Pro-Select League, one of the feeder organisations for the MLS.
He had been player-coach at Leamington but that has now taken a back seat due to the change in Blues role.
