Tell a friend about this website Contact us (Suggestions, complaints, corrections, etc.) Bookmark this page because you'll need it later (OR you can also press CTRL-D)

Note: This article archives are meant to be reference material for MalaysiaCentral.com's internal staffs only.

HEARTS' new head coach Graham Rix yesterday pleaded with supporters who have opposed his appointment to rally behind his leadership of the Scottish Premier League club.

Rix, a skilful Arsenal and England midfielder in his playing days, was unveiled at Tynecastle yesterday as the successor to George Burley, whose sacking last month led to the departures of the club's chairman and chief executive.

Hearts fans have voiced disappointment that club owner Vladimir Romanov has not brought a bigger name to the club and there has been disquiet over Rix's personal history, which includes serving six months of a 12-month sentence in 1999 for unlawful sex with a 15-year-old girl.

Rix, who has been taken on a contract until the end of this season, enjoyed a good reputation as a first team coach and assistant manager at Chelsea. He was not successful in subsequent shortlived spells as manager at Portsmouth and Oxford.

Rix admitted he was disappointed at the negative reaction to his appointment but insisting he was relishing the challenge of continuing Hearts' best start to an SPL season in over a decade.

"It is a progressive club who are absolutely flying at the moment," the 48-year-old said. "I have worked with the players this morning and was very impressed with what I have seen.

"For me to come in at this level at a top club is a great possibility and I am very excited about it."

On the hostile reaction from some fans, Rix admitted: "It is a bit tough to take, but I can understand where they are coming from.

"But they haven't seen me, don't really know and this is the first time I have spoken to the press since I got the job.

"The support is absolutely fantastic and I just hope they get behind me, the team and the club. Let's all pull in the same direction."

He added: "I will say this only once but, seven years ago, I made a mistake. Once I realised I had made a mistake, I held my hands up and I was punished.

"I accepted that punishment and it was a tough time for me and my family. But does that mean I have to be punished for the rest of my life? I don't really think so.

"I have tried my best to rebuild my life and career and this is a fantastic opportunity to do that."

Roman Romanov, who has been installed as executive chairman by his tycoon father, said Rix fully deserved the chance to be judged on results.

"In Russia, we have (a) saying that a man beaten by life is worth two men who are unbeaten.

"If a person, who has made a mistake, can go through that, he is capable of becoming a better man. We would like to ask the fans to give Graham Rix a chance and judge him on results."

Rix will serve under a director of football Romanov plans to appoint in the next few weeks and will not have a veto over player purchases, an issue that was central to Burley's departure.

He will however have exclusive responsibility for picking the team.

"If you are going to be booed or cheered, you want it to be in your own hands," he said. "Straightaway, they said you pick the team, do the tactics, make the substitutions."

Tell a friend about this website Contact us (Suggestions, complaints, corrections, etc.) Bookmark this page because you'll need it later (OR you can also press CTRL-D)