Jock Wallace was appointed the 10th manager of Motherwell Football Club in June 1982 not so long after Davie Hay resigned from the club. Jock had been a goalkeeper in his playing days and was player/manager when Berwick Rangers beat Rangers 1-0 in the Scottish Cup.
He would take up a coaching role at Rangers under the tutelage of Willie Wallace. After winning the European Cup Winners Cup in 1972, Jock himself stepped up to the managerial hot seat at Ibrox. His team broke Celtic’s nine year title dominance and, in 1975-1976 and 1977-1978 he led Rangers to the treble. He moved to Leicester City in 1978 and it was from there that he joined the club in the Pre-Season of 1982 as the board showed some great ambition to push the club onto greater heights.
Pre-season training involved running up dunes at Gullane Sands. He was also known to implement tough training regimes as he had been in the army earlier in life, this of course somewhat was a shock for many of the ‘Well starlets. Wallace broke up Davie Hay’s title winning side, selling star players and not bringing in adequate enough replacements in return. As very often happens in football, the fixture list would draw Motherwell to play Rangers at Fir Park on opening day of the league. It was strange as the Gers fans gave him a rapturous reception, Wallace would acknowledge the travelling support more than the small band of ‘Well fans, not doing himself any favours winning over his new employers. He failed to win over the fans and returned to Ibrox when Rangers came calling in November 1983. He would have stints in Spain managing Sevilla and Colchester United in England.
Name: | John Martin Bokas Wallace |
Date of Birth: | 6th September 1935 |
Place of Birth: | Wallyford |
Playing Position: | Goalkeeper |
Nationality: | Scottish |
Management Career:
Berwick Rangers | 1966 | 1969 | |
Rangers | 1972 | 1978 | |
Leicester City | 1978 | 1982 | |
Motherwell | 1982 | 1983 | |
Rangers | 1983 | 1986 | |
Sevilla | 1986 | 1987 | |
Colchester United | 1989 |