Arsenal’s Pat Rice Undergoing treatment for Cancer.
Arsenal today confirmed the sad news that club legend and Arsene Wenger’s former number 2, Pat Rice has entered the hospital for treatment for Cancer. As someone who has worked in the healthcare industry for ages and specificially in the cancer field, it’s a tough battle for anyone but if anyone has the characterisitics to beat this disease its Pat.
Pat is a one club man and he has served that club with distinction in many capacities for approximately 48 years. Whilst its premature and certainly macabre to look back on Pat’s career at Arsenal, we still want to praise a man who to us epitomizes everything this great club stands for.
Rice joined Arsenal in 1964 as an apprentice and signed a professional contract in 1966. The first time Arsenal fans would see Pat play for the first team was in 1967 in a league cup tie against Burnley.
Over the next 3 seasons Pat was sparingly used, having made only 16 appearances over that time. One of the reasons Pat didn’t feature much was that he was a right back but when he came into the team the first choice was Peter Storey. However, in 1970 Storey was moved into the midfield and this gave the Irishman the opportunity he was looking for and in his first season as a regular, the Gunners would win both the league and FA Cups.
Rice was an Arsenal stalwart throughout the ‘70s. From that double winning side, he would be the player who stayed at the club the longest eventually being selected team Captain in 1977. With Rice as captain, Arsenal would make the FA Cup final three times, winning in ‘79 against United and losing in ’78 and ’80. Along with David Seaman and Ray Parlor he has the distinction of being one of three players to have played in five FA Cup finals.
After amassing a total of 528 games for Arsenal, Pat Rice would leave the club in 1980 and head over to Watford where he played a total of 137 times and helped them gain promotion to the old First Division. Again, Rice being as good as he was made team Captain and managed to get on the score sheet in Watford’s first match in top flight. Pat would finally retire from his playing career in 1984 at the age of 35.
Upon leaving the playing ranks, Pat returned to Arsenal to take the helm of their youth squad, a post he would for 12 years and where he would win two youth FA Cups. Then in 1996, when Stewart Houston was fired, Pat would become caretaker manager of the first team and oversee three FA Cup wins as well as a loss in the UEFA Cup.
When Arsene Wenger was made the full time manager, Rice would move over one seat and permanently take the role of the club’s number two. In interviews with Wenger, the Frenchman felt that Pat’s selection was important to the club, the fans and the players because he IS THE link to the club’s history and way of playing. With Pat as Arsene’s deveoted number 2, Arsenal saw unrivaled success. Pat now holds the distinction of being the only person besides Bob Wilson to have had a part in all three of Arsenal’s double winning teams as a player and coach.
Pat has an enthusiasm and dedication to this club that is unsurpassed by anyone else ever associated with it. He has had a hand in developing the talent of tomorrow and guiding today’s big name players.
Much of the success the club has had under Arsene Wenger has to also be given to the steadiness that Pat Rice had brought. The Arsenal have always been about consistency, whether it’s their style of play or approach to the game in all facets. Pat Rice is a living testament to that.
There have been many who claimed that Pat was only been around so long because he was a ‘yes-man’ to Wenger and wouldn’t challenge or rock the boat. From the stories I’ve read by former players and anecdotes told to me, that is far from the truth and Pat was always willing to let Wenger know his displeasure on certain matters. Frankly, It’s rather hard to fathom any Irishman biting their tongue when they think something is wrong. Pat never painted the picture of a ‘yes-man’ and his loyalty to Arsenal and to Arsene Wenger shouldn’t ever be construed as it.
No, his loyalty should be the case study on commitment it should remind today’s players that there is more to the game than making oodles of money and the next big sponsorship.
Pat Rice represented a dying breed of player from an era long past and we are unlikely to see that type ever again. Certainly some players out there give you a smidgen of hope that this isn’t true. Of course there are those who wantonly crash that perception. But Pat Rice stands as a testament to all that makes and made this club great and frankly why I love it. He reminds all of us (supporters and players) that this club is one of a long and great history. When he steped aside at the end 2011/2012 season none of that changed but the ever present reminder, the one that has been there in one form or another since 1966 was gone.
Get well Pat, we’re sure you’ll beat this. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for your self-less service to the club. You are a legend.
