In the first part of our interview series finding out more about West Ham United Head Coach Graham Potter’s backroom staff, we talk to his long-time right-hand man, First-Team Coach Billy Reid.
Rarely has a journey to the Premier League been as diverse as it has for the Scotsman. Few coaches can lay claim to a skillset as rounded as Reid’s, whose unique path through life has led him to the pinnacle of the game.
The 61-year-old’s story includes spells at Clyde and Hamilton Academical north of the border, from Östersunds FK in Sweden to Swansea City in Wales, to Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea and now east London. It speaks volumes of a talented and charismatic coach who remains one of Potter’s key lieutenants; a shrewd man-manager in whom the Head Coach and players alike place their trust.
It is Reid’s ability to connect with the players that has particularly seen him shine, and those who work alongside him have warmed to his positivity, not least his tangible, almost breathless enthusiasm for football.
To those who have known him since he was working wonders at Hamilton in a near eight-year spell as manager from 2005 to 2013, it seems completely normal, and it’s no surprise that the Glasgow native is already such a popular figure at Rush Green.
It says much about Reid’s lack of ego that - despite having enjoyed success in his own right as the main man behind the white line - he is happy going about his job as an assistant to someone he believes is one of the best managers in football.
Indeed, this is a man who once turned down offers to go full-time as a footballer, to keep his job at a lithographic printing firm.
After a number of high fives and ‘Awrite?’ questions, as he stopped at every table around the canteen in Donaueschingen to check in with players, coaches and media staff, Reid took some time out of his busy schedule on the Irons’ pre-season training camp in Germany to open up on his journey from player to coach, his passion for football and working under the stewardship of his good friend Potter…
Billy, tell us about the start of your footballing journey in Scotland…
“It’s a long time ago! I was like everybody else and wanted to play football. My uncle played for one of the big clubs in Glasgow, so that was a big, big thing for me at the time.
“I went and played junior football for six months [at Ashfield FC and Petershill FC] and then went to senior football, where I played almost 400 games across spells with Queen of the South, Clyde, Hamilton Academical and Stirling Albion.
“I started off [as a manager] at Clyde, then went to Hamilton Academical. I was a manager there for over seven years, where we earned promotion to the Scottish Premier League in 2008 and spent three years there.”
After departing Hamilton in April 2013, you were quickly taken in as part of Graham Potter’s coaching staff at Swedish side Östersunds, and have remained a key figure in his journey ever since. When did you first meet Graham, and did you guys click straight away?
“There’s a bit of a story behind it!
“We first met at Graeme Jones’ - currently assistant manager at Newcastle United - 40th birthday party.
“Graeme played for me at Clyde and Hamilton Academical in the Scottish Second Division in 2005 and 2006, then became my assistant at Hamilton.
“Graham [Potter] asked me to come to Sweden and have a look around, and I did that.
“I went out to watch Östersunds play against Örebro, and they played them off the pitch. I went to training the next day, and there was an instant connection. We both had the same philosophy.”
Looking back at your time in Sweden at Östersunds, you achieved remarkable things, such as taking the team to the top tier, advancing through to the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League in 2018, and winning the Swedish Cup in 2017.
“It was a special time. When we went there, we were in the second tier, which wasn’t a high level at all.
“But we got the group together, earned promotion in 2015 and won the Swedish Cup two years later, which put us into the UEFA Europa League.
“We were pretty successful, beating Galatasaray, Fola Esch and PAOK in the qualifying rounds, then came second in the group behind Athletic Bilbao and went through to play Arsenal in the round of 32.
“We won 2-1 at Emirates Stadium in the round of 32 second leg, but went down 4-2 on aggregate.
“We had fantastic times with our families at Östersunds. I was there for five years, which is quite a bit of my life, but they were really special times, and ultimately, it’s where Graham [Potter] learnt his trade.”
The dream became even bigger when you went to Swansea, which later led to a move to Brighton & Hove Albion?
“We had great times at Swansea, which is a really good club.
“We were there for a year and reached the FA Cup quarter-finals, then Brighton & Hove Albion came in, so it was a natural step to go to the Premier League with Brighton.
“We were there for about three years. The first couple of years were tough in terms of staying in the league and trying to build a brand of football that we adhered to.
“But in the third year it started to kick in, and we were really getting to where we wanted to be, seeing some really good players, and achieved a record ninth-place finish in 2021/22.”
You’ve worked together with Graham for a long time through different leagues. You must have a well-established method of working, but has it changed over time?
“I don’t think it’s changed at all. Graham’s the type of manager that lets everybody get on with their jobs.
“He’s quite happy to do that, and we should know each other quite well now, as it’s been around 12 years we’ve worked together!
“Bruno [Saltor] has come along and has been with us for almost five years, and now Narcís [Pèlach] is part of the group here as well.
“It’s been fantastic to work with Graham. I feel really comfortable working within the coaching staff, and we’re all focused on achieving the same targets.”
We’ve got no fewer than 12 players from the Academy of Football on our Germany pre-season camp. It really is a fresh slate for everyone, isn’t it?
“Absolutely. Young players will be given a chance, and it’s up to them to take their chance.
“We’ve got players coming back from their loan spells who did very, very well last year. So, these boys will be given a chance as well.
“We’ve got some fantastic young players at West Ham, and until you put them into the first-team environment or in a first-team game, you never know how they’re going to react.
“We’ve seen what Ollie [Scarles] and Lewis [Orford] did last season, and hopefully some of them can shine this year too.
“But as I say, Graham’s a manager who won’t be afraid to put young players in.”
And what about your role now? What does that entail?
“We plan the training together and make decisions on what’s best for the squad and share our ideas about football.
“We’re then on the pitches putting our work into practice. After training, we’re all on our laptops looking at clips and preparing the next sessions.
“I absolutely love my role. I enjoy being close with the players. I can get on with everybody, and it’s a fantastic place to come and work.
“Since I joined West Ham, everybody has been so friendly from the beginning, and I’ve made some great friends already within six months, but I can flourish even more.”
How’s your experience of West Ham United been so far?
“It’s a big Club. A really big Club. I know David Moyes and Billy McKinlay, so I knew exactly what I was coming into.
“I love pre-season. For me, it is a big thing and an important period for getting to know your players.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy joining at the midway point of the season, but I think over the last few months what we’ve learnt will be good for us in the future, and there’s certainly a lot of positivity ahead of the new campaign.”
