Christopher Stephen Beech (born 16 September 1974) is an English former professional footballer, manager, and coach who is currently the Director of Football and caretaker manager at AFC Fylde.
Playing career
Beech began his career at the club of his hometown Blackpool at 16 years of age, leaving Fleetwood High School in 1990. "I was 18 when I made my first-team debut against Port Vale at home," he recalled to the Chorley Guardian in 2006. "I then signed a two-year contract under Billy (Ayre)." Sam Allardyce succeeded Ayre as manager in 1994, making Beech an integral part of his promotion-chasing playing squad either as a central midfield player or utilising him in the sweeper role. The team narrowly missed out on automatic promotion by three points and lost to Bradford in the playoffs, subsequently, both Allardyce and Beech left at the end of the 1995/96 season. Beech moved to Hartlepool United (1996/97) where he gained a growing reputation as a goal-scoring midfield player by making late runs into the box. This attracted the attention of the Championship side Huddersfield Town, who went to tribunal in the 1998/99 season to secure his services. Beech became an established member of Steve Bruce's Premiership-chasing side in 1999/2000.
Following an Achilles operation in 2000/2001, Beech struggled to regain full fitness and eventually left Huddersfield to join Rochdale in the 2001/2002 season under Paul Simpson. Struggling to fully recover from the Achilles injury, Beech eventually retired from playing in 2004 and made the full-time transition into coaching.
Coaching career
Bury
Beech completed his UEFA A License in 2005 whilst fast establishing his reputation for player development with Bury FC supporting then Head of Youth Chris Casper. Casper moved up to become Bury FC's first team manager and Beech inherited responsibility for Bury's Centre of Excellence, Youth, and Reserve sides with a mandate to establish pathways to the first team for their younger players. Beech's impact on youth football was immediate, transforming Bury's youth team into Youth Alliance League and cup winners and developing now professional players such as David Worrall and Dale Stephens.
Rochdale
Beech was offered the opportunity to become the head of youth coaching at Rochdale Football Club following Keith Hill's appointment from youth team manager to first team manager in 2007–08. Beech also assumed responsibility for the reserve side and the centre of excellence.
This became the start of a 12-year relationship that would see Beech replicate and succeed the success he had at Bury's youth system at Rochdale, with a reputation for establishing quick talented footballers. A stream of footballers came through the club's youth system and either established themselves in the first team or were transferred for substantial fees. Current professional players such as Will Buckley, Scott Hogan, Jamie Allen, Callum Camps, and Andy Cannon formed part of this program.
Beech spent time with SC Braga in Portugal in 2009 to complete his Academy Managers course which help shape his philosophy on football player development, and he went on to complete his UEFA Pro License in 2010 with the visit of fellow candidate Gianfranco Zola to Rochdale to complete the FA assessment criteria.
In December 2011, Beech was appointed caretaker manager at Rochdale for a month, following Steve Eyre's dismissal. Rochdale lost three and drew three of the six games in which he took charge of before John Coleman was installed as the permanent manager on 24 January 2012. Beech returned to his role as youth team manager following the appointment.
Keith Hill returned to Rochdale as manager in January 2013 replacing John Coleman, and confirmed Beech was to be his new assistant manager. This was to be the start of arguably the most successful period in the football clubs history, spanning six seasons through to March 2019, winning promotion to EFL League One at the first time of asking in 2014 and achieving consecutive top-ten finishes on minimal finance and several successful FA Cup runs, with a highlight reaching the 5th round and taking Premiership Tottenham Hotspur in February 2018 to a replay at Wembley, then managed by Mauricio Pochettino.
Beech left Rochdale along with Hill in March 2019 after a poor run of form
Carlisle United
Chris Beech was appointed Carlisle United Manager on 26 November 2019, with the team 5 points off the bottom of League 2 and 21st in the league table.