Stockport () is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground on the River Mersey at the confluence of the rivers Goyt and Tame, southeast from the centre of Manchester. Stockport is the largest settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, and has a population of 136,082, the wider borough having 281,000.

Historically a part of Cheshire, Stockport in the 16th century was a small town entirely on the southbank of the Mersey, and known for the cultivation of hemp and rope manufacture and in the 18th century the town had one of the first mechanised silk factories in the British Isles. However, Stockport's predominant industries of the 19th century were the cotton and allied industries. Stockport was also at the centre of the country's hatting industry which by 1884 was exporting more than six million hats a year. In December 1997 the last Stockport hat works closed. The town's hatting heritage is preserved at 'Hat Works – the Museum of Hatting'.

Dominating the western approaches to the town is the Stockport Viaduct. Built in 1840, the viaduct's 27 brick arches over the River Mersey carry the mainline railways from Manchester to Birmingham and London. This structure featured as the background in many paintings by L.S. Lowry. Lowry often visited the Stockport War Memorial Gallery on Greek Street especially during the annual Stockport Art Guild exhibition of paintings and sculpture.

History

Toponymy

Stockport was first recorded as "Stokeport" in 1170. The currently accepted etymology is Old English ''stoc'', a market place, with ''port'', a hamlet (but more accurately a minor settlement within an estate); hence, a market place at a hamlet. Older derivations include ''stock'', a stockaded place or castle, with ''port'', a wood, hence a castle in a wood. The castle part of the name probably refers to Stockport Castle, a 12th century motte-and-bailey first mentioned in 1173.

Other derivations have been formed, based on early variants of the name such as Stopford and Stockford. There is evidence that a ford across the Mersey existed at the foot of the town centre street now known as Bridge Street Brow. Stopford retains a use in the adjectival form, Stopfordian, used for Stockport-related items, and pupils at Stockport Grammar School style themselves ''Stopfordians''. By contrast, former pupils of nearby Stockport School are known as ''Old Stoconians''. Stopfordian is the general term used for people from Stockport, much as someone from London would be a Londoner.

Stockport has never been a sea or river port. The Mersey is not navigable to anything much above canoe size; in the centre of Stockport it has been culverted and the main shopping street, ''Merseyway'', built above it.

Early history

The earliest evidence for human occupation in the wider area are microliths from the hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic period (the Middle Stone Age, about 8000–3500 BC) and weapons and tools from the Neolithic period (the New Stone age, 3500–2000 BC). Early Bronze Age (2000–1200 BC) remains include stone hammers, flint knives, palstaves (i.e. bronze) and funery urns; all finds have been chance discoveries, rather than a systematic search of a known site. There is a gap in the age of finds between about 1200 BC and the Roman period (i.e. after about 70 AD). This may indicate depopulation, possibly due to a poorer climate.

There is little evidence of a Roman military station at Stockport, despite a strong local tradition. It is assumed that roads from Cheadle to Ardotalia (Melandra) and Manchester to Buxton crossed close to the town centre. The preferred site is at a ford over the Mersey, known to be paved in the 18th century, but it has never been shown that this or any of the roads in the area are Roman. Hegginbotham reported (in 1892) the discovery of Roman mosaics at Castle Hill (the area around Stockport market) in the late 18th century, during the construction of a mill, but noted it was 'founded on tradition only'; substantial stonework found in the area has never been dated by modern methods. However, Roman coins and pottery were probably found there during the 18th century. A cache of coins dating 375–378 may have come from the banks of the Mersey at Daw Bank; these were possibly buried for safekeeping at the side of a road.

Six coins from the reigns of the Anglo-Saxon English Kings Edmund (reigned 939–946) and Eadred (reigned 946–955) were found during ploughing at Reddish Green in 1789. There is contrasting source material about the significance of this; Arrowsmith takes this as evidence for existence of a settlement at that time, but Morris states the find could be "an isolated incident". This small cache is the only Anglo-Saxon find in the area. However, the etymology ''Stoc-port'' suggests inhabitation.

Medieval period

No part of Stockport appears in the Domesday Book of 1086. The area north of the Mersey was part of the hundred of Salford, which was poorly surveyed. The area south of the Mersey was part of the Hamestan (Macclesfield) hundred. (Cheadle, Bramhall, Bredbury, and Romiley are mentioned, but these all lay just outside the town limits.) The survey includes valuations of the Salford hundred as a whole and Cheadle (etc.) for the times of Edward the Confessor (i.e. just before the Norman invasion of 1066) and the time of the survey. The reduction in value is taken as evidence of destruction by William the Conqueror's men in the campaigns generally known as the Harrying of the North. The omission of Stockport was once taken as evidence that destruction was so complete that a survey was not needeed (see e.g. Husain).

Arrowsmith argues from the etymology that Stockport may have still been a market place associated with a larger estate, and so would not be surveyed separately. The Anglo-Saxon landholders in the area were dispossessed and the land divided amongst the new Norman rulers. The first borough charter was granted in about 1220 and was the only basis for local government for six hundred years.

A castle held by Geoffrey de Costentin is recorded as a rebel stronghold against Henry II in 1172–3. There is an incorrect local tradition that Geoffrey was the king's son, Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany, who was one of the rebels. Dent gives the size of the castle as about , and suggests it was similar in pattern to those at Pontefract and Launceston. The castle was probably ruinous by the middle of the 16th century, and in 1642 it was agreed to demolish it. Castle Hill, possibly the motte, was levelled in 1775 to make space for Warren's mill, see below. Nearby walls, once thought to be either part of the castle or of the town walls, are now thought to be revetments to protect the cliff face from erosion.

Industrialisation

Stockport was one of the prototype textile towns. In the early 18th century, England was not capable of producing silk of sufficient quality to be used as the warp in woven fabrics. Suitable thread had to be imported from Italy, where it was spun on water-powered machinery. In about 1717 John Lombe travelled to Italy and copied the design of the machinery. On his return he obtained a patent on the design, and went into production in Derby. When Lombe tried to renew his patent in 1732, silk spinners from towns including Manchester,Macclesfield, Leek, and Stockport successfully petitioned parliament to not renew the patent. Lombe was paid off, and in 1732 Stockport's first silk mill (indeed, the first water-powered textile mill in the north-west of England) was opened on a bend in the Mersey. Further mills were opened on local brooks.

Silk weaving expanded until in 1769 two thousand people were employed in the industry. By 1772 the boom had turned to bust, possibly due to cheaper foreign imports; by the late 1770s trade had recovered. The cycle of boom and bust would continue throughout the textile era.

The combination of a good water power site (described by Rodgers as "by far the finest of any site within the lowland" [of the Manchester region]) and a workforce used to textile factory work meant Stockport was well-placed to take advantage of the phenomenal expansion in cotton processing in the late 18th century. Warren's mill in the market place was the first. Power came from an undershot water wheel in a deep pit, fed by a tunnel from the River Goyt. The positioning on high ground, unusual for a water powered mill, contributed to an early demise, but the concept of moving water around in tunnels proved successful, and several tunnels were driven under the town from the Goyt to power mills. In 1796, James Harrisson drove a wide cut from the Tame which fed several mills in the Park, Portwood. Other water-powered mills were built on the Mersey.

Hatmaking was established in north Cheshire and south-east Lancashire by the 16th century. In the early 19th century the number of hatters in the area began to increase, and a reputation for quality work was created. The London firm of Miller Christy bought out a local firm in 1826, a move described by Arrowsmith as 'a watershed'. By the latter part of the century hatting had changed from a manual to a mechanised process, and was one of Stockport's primary employers; the area, with nearby Denton, was the leading national centre. Support industries, such as blockmaking, trimmings, and leatherware, became established.

The First World War cut off overseas markets, which established local industries and eroded Stockports eminence. Even so, in 1932 over 3000 people worked in the industry, making it the third biggest employer, after textiles and engineering. The depression of the 1930s and changes in fashion greatly reduced the demand for hats, and the demand that existed was met by cheaper wool products made elsewhere, for example the Luton area. By 1966–7 all the major companies merged to form Associated British Hat Manufacturers, leaving Christy's and Wilson's (at Denton) as the last two factories in production. First Wilson's, and then (in 1997) Christy's closed, bringing to an end over 400 years of hatting in the area. The industry is commemorated the UK's only dedicated hatting museum, Hat Works.

From the 17th century Stockport became a centre for the hatting industry and later the silk industry. Stockport expanded rapidly during the Industrial Revolution, helped particularly by the growth of the cotton manufacturing industries. However, economic growth took its toll, and 19th century philosopher Friedrich Engels wrote in 1844 that Stockport was "renowned as one of the duskiest, smokiest holes in the whole of the industrial area". The town was connected to the national canal network by the of the Stockport branch of the Ashton Canal opened in 1797 which continued in use until the 1930s. Much of it is now filled in, but there is an active campaign to re-open it for leisure uses.

Recent history

Since the start of the 20th century Stockport has moved away from being a town dependent on cotton and its allied industries to one with a varied base. It makes the most of its varied heritage attractions, including a national museum of hatting, a unique system of underground Second World War air raid tunnel shelters in the town centre, and a late medieval merchants' house on the 700-year-old Market Place. In 1967, the Stockport Air Disaster occurred, when a British Midland Airways C-4 Argonaut aeroplane crashed in the Hopes Carr area of the town, resulting in 72 deaths among the passengers and crew.

In recent years, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council has embarked on an ambitious regeneration scheme, known as ''Future Stockport''. The plan is to bring over 3,000 residents into the centre of the town, and revitalise its residential property and retail markets, in a similar fashion to the nearby city of Manchester. Many ex-industrial areas around the town's core will be brought back into productive use as mixed-use residential and commercial developments.

Governance

Civic history

The Municipal Corporations Act 1835 made Stockport a municipal borough divided into six wards with a council consisting of 14 Aldermen and 42 Councillors. In 1888, its status was raised to County Borough, becoming the County Borough of Stockport. Since 1972, Stockport has been twinned with in Béziers in France. In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972 Stockport amalgamated with neighbouring districts to form the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.

In 1986, Greater Manchester County Council was abolished and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council assumed many of its functions, effectively becoming a unitary authority.

An application for city status was made in 2011, with a decision due in 2012.

Parliamentary representation

There are four parliamentary constituencies in the Stockport Metropolitan Borough: Stockport, Cheadle, Hazel Grove, and Denton and Reddish. Stockport has been represented by Labour MP Ann Coffey since 1992; Mark Hunter has been the Liberal Democrat MP for Cheadle since a 2005 by-election; and Andrew Stunell has been the Liberal Democrat MP for Hazel Grove since 1997. The constituency of Denton and Reddish bridges Stockport and Tameside; the current member is Andrew Gwynne.

Geography

At (53.408°, -2.149°), and northwest of London, Stockport stands on elevated ground, southeast of Manchester city centre, at the confluence of the rivers Goyt and Tame, creating the River Mersey. It shares a common boundary with the City of Manchester.

Divisions and suburbs

Demography

Stockport 136,082 95.5% 2.0% 0.5% 74.9% 1.8% 15.3%

Stockport Compared
2001 UK census	|	Stockport MB	England
Total population	|	284,528	49,138,831
White	|	95.7%	91%
Asian	|	2.1%	4.6%
Black	|	0.4%	2.3%
Christian	|	75.4%	72%
Muslim	|	1.8%	3.1%
No religion	|	14.2%	15%

As of the 2001 UK census, Stockport had a population of 136,082. The 2001 population density was 11,937 per mi² (4,613 per km²), with a 100 to 94.0 female-to-male ratio. Of those over 16 years old, 32% were single (never married) and 50.2% married. Stockport's 58,687 households included 33.1% one-person, 33.7% married couples living together, 9.7% were co-habiting couples, and 10.4% single parents with their children, these figures were similar to those of Stockport Metropolitan Borough and England. Of those aged 16–74, 29.2% had no academic qualifications, significantly higher than that of 25.7% in all of Stockport Metropolitan Borough but significantly similar to 28.9% in all of England.

Although suburbs such as Woodford, Bramhall and Hazel Grove rank amongst the wealthiest areas of the United Kingdom and 45% of the borough is green space, districts such as Adswood and Brinnington suffer from widespread poverty and post-industrial decay. In the north-west of the borough are the relatively prosperous areas of Heaton Moor and Heaton Mersey, which together with Heaton Chapel and Heaton Norris comprise the so-called ''Four Heatons''.

Population change

Population growth in Stockport since 1901
Year	1901	1911	1921	1931	1939	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001
Population

Economy

Stockport's principal commercial district is located in the town centre, with branches of most high-street stores to be found in the Merseyway Shopping Centre or The Peel Centre. Grand Central Leisure boasts an Olympic sized swimming pool, a ten-screen cinema, bars, a bowling alley, health complex, and several restaurants. Stockport is located six miles (10 km) from Manchester, making it convenient for commuters and shoppers. In 2008, the council's £500M plans to redevelop the town centre were cancelled. The construction company, Lend Lease Corporation, pulled out of the project, blaming the credit crunch for their choice.

Landmarks

Stockport is home to the following:

Stockport boasts the UK's only hat museum, the "Hat Works" based in Wellington Mill - a thriving hat factory in Victorian times.

Stockport Town Hall designed by Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas, with its ballroom described by Poet Laureate, John Betjeman as 'magnificent' and containing the largest Wurlitzer theatre organ in Britain.

Stockport Air Raid Shelters is a museum based around the underground tunnels dug during World War II to protect local inhabitants during air raids

Vernon Park is the main municipal park, located a short distance to the east towards Bredbury. It was opened on September 20, 1858 on the anniversary of the Battle of Alma in the Crimean War. Named after Lord Vernon who presented the land for the park to the town.

St Elisabeth's Church, Reddish, and model village. Mill community designed in the main by Alfred Waterhouse for the workers from Houldsworth Mill, at the time the largest cotton mill in the world.

St Mary's Church on the Market Place is the town's oldest place of worship with parts dating to the early 14th century and houses the Stockport Heritage centre run by local volunteers on market days. The church is Grade I listed. Stockport Plaza is a Grade II* listed Super Cinema and Variety Theatre built in 1932. It is the last remaining venue of its kind still operating in its original format making it of international significance. Local Nature Reserves. Stockport has 12 local nature reserves (Abney Hall Park, Carr Wood, Chadkirk Country Estate, Etherow Country Park, Gatley Carrs, Heaton Mersey Common, Happy Valley, Mersey Vale Nature Park, Poise Brook, Reddish Vale Country Park, Woodbank Park and Wright's Wood.

Stockport Viaduct

Stockport Viaduct is one of the Western Europe's biggest brick structures. It is high, and carries a four-tracks over the River Mersey on the line to Manchester. The viaduct represents a major feat of Victorian engineering, it was built in 21 months at a cost of £70,000 and consists of 11,000,000 bricks. The structure is Grade II* listed.

War memorial & art gallery

Located on Greek Street, diagonally opposite the town hall.

The Pyramid

Beside the M60 (Manchester orbital motorway) at junction 1 is the Stockport Pyramid, a distinctive glass and steel building. It was designed by the architect Maxwell Hutchinson. The building is steel framed with mostly blue glass paneling and some clear glass paneling at the apex. It was intended to be the signature building for a much larger 'kings valley' commercial development designed in 1987. Construction began in the early 1990s with completion in 1992. However, with another economic downturn the project went no further as the developers went into administration., and the building lay empty for several years. In 1995 the Co-operative Bank (who funded the developers) repossessed The Pyramid and opened it as a Call centre for the bank themselves, which it remains to this day.

Staircase House

Staircase House is a Grade II* listed medieval townhouse in the Market Place. The building has been modified several times, but is probably the oldest secular building in Stockport. Staircase House is the home to the Stockport Story Museum. The museum claims to detail over 10,000 years of Stockport's history.

Underbank Hall

Located in the centre of Stockport, Underbank Hall is a Grade II* listed late 16th century timber framed building. It was built as the townhouse of the Arderne family from nearby Bredbury. The family occupied the building until 1823. Since 1824, it has been used as a bank. The current main banking hall lies behind the 16th century part and dates from 1915.

Transport

The Manchester orbital M60 motorway and A6 road to London cross at Stockport. Stockport railway station is a mainline station on the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line. Stockport is connected with Central London by Virgin trains with services departing every twenty minutes. Stockport Tiviot Dale station also served the town centre between 1865 and 1967, lying on routes from Liverpool, Derby and Sheffield. The station site now lies under the M60 motorway.

Manchester Airport (Ringway), the busiest in the UK outside London, is located five miles (8 km) southwest of the town. Stockport is also home to Stockport bus station, which serves as a terminus for many services across the borough. A free bus service links the bus and rail stations with other parts of Stockport, including shopping areas.

Education

Stockport College has sites in the town centre and Heaton Moor. Also Stockport is home to Stockport Grammar School established in 1487, the oldest in the North of England

Sports

;Athletics Stockport has three athletics clubs — Manchester Harriers & AC, Stockport Harriers & AC, and DASH Athletics Club. Manchester Harriers train at William Scholes' Playing Fields in Gatley, and they organise highly-regarded schools cross country races throughout the winter. Stockport Harriers are based at Woodbank Park in Offerton, and have several International middle-distance and endurance athletes including Steve Vernon. DASH Athletics Club are the newest Club in Stockport based at both Hazel Grove Recreation Centre,and the Manchester Regional Arena at Sportcity in Manchester. In 2006 DASH AC Coach Geoff Barratt was UK Athletics' Development Coach of the Year, and in 2007 the club won England Athletics North West Junior Club and North West Overall Club of The Year accolades.

;Football Stockport is home to two professional sports teams, both of which play at Edgeley Park stadium. Stockport County F.C. currently play in Conference National (fifth tier). They were formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, changing their name to Stockport County in 1890 to reflect the town of Stockport's new status as a County borough. They joined the Football League in 1900 and have been members ever since. Perhaps their most successful season ever was the 1996-97 season, where they reached the Football League Cup semi-finals and won promotion from Division Two (third tier) into what is currently known as The Championship. Notable former players include Brett Angell, George Best, Kevin Francis, Jim Gannon, Wayne Hennessey, Paul Jones, Chris Marsden, Andy Mutch, Micky Quinn and Len White, Notable former managers include Danny Bergara, Dave Jones, Gary Megson, and Jim Gannon. In the late 1990s, former Stockport County chairman Brendan Elwood expressed an interest in departing from Edgeley Park to Maine Road in Moss Side, but this did not happen. The Maine Road stadium which opened in 1923, was the home of Manchester City until 2003. Following a recent take - over, County are looking to either re - develop Edgeley Park, or move to a new stadium in Stockport.

;Lacrosse Stockport is the heart of English lacrosse, a sport introduced to the UK by a Canadian touring side during the reign of Queen Victoria. Stockport Lacrosse Club, HQ at Stockport Cricket Club, Cale Green, was founded in 1876, with the first match being played as Shaw Heath Villas. It is claimed that Stockport is the oldest club in the world and currently has a number of men's, ladies', and junior teams. There are also lacrosse clubs at Norbury (Hazel Grove) Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme, Heaton Mersey, Heaton Mersey Guild, and Mellor. The Stockport Grammar School old boys (Old Stopfordians) play at Disley, with other clubs in the area at Poynton, Ashton, Oldham, Timperley, Sale, Didsbury and Wilmslow. Edgeley Park hosted the 1978 Lacrosse World Cup.

;Swimming Stockport Metro Swimming Club, based at Grand Central Pools, is the most successful British swimming club, through the last three Olympic Games. Stockport Metro swimmers have claimed 50% of British swimming's medal haul. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Graeme Smith won bronze in the 1500m freestyle, and, at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Steve Parry won bronze in the 200m butterfly. Most recently, at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten won silver and bronze, respectively, in the 10 km open water swim.

;Tennis Stockport is the birthplace of the late tennis player, Fred Perry. Perry is the last Briton to win both the Men's Singles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open (both in 1936), making him the last British male to win a Grand Slam title.

;Rugby league When the rugby football schism occurred in 1895, Stockport (founded 1895) became founder members of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League). Stockport played for eight seasons from the 1895–96 season through to the end of 1902–1903 season, the latter two seasons being played at Edgeley Park, they finished 17th of 22 in the initial combined league, then 5th, 11th, 11th, 9th, 12th, 6th, in the 14-club Lancashire Senior Competition, and then 18th of 18 in Division 2 of the recombined league, after which they withdrew from the Northern Rugby Football Union.

;Rugby Union Sale Sharks Rugby Union Club have played at Edgeley Park since 2002

Youth organisations

The Stockport area is covered by several different squadrons of the Air Training Corps. Two of these Squadrons are 162 (Stockport) Squadron based on the A6 opposite St George's Church and 1804 (Four Heatons) Squadron based on Reddish Road. There is also a vast amount of youth basketball teams, and currently the Stockport Senior mens league team are in D3 of the EBL league after their promotion earlier last season from Division 4.

Twin towns — sister cities

Stockport is twinned with: 25px Béziers, France (1972) Heilbronn, Germany (1982)

See also

List of people from Stockport

List of mills in Stockport

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

Stockport Council

Stockport Express

Category:Articles including recorded pronunciations (UK English) Category:Market towns in Greater Manchester Category:Towns in Greater Manchester

bg:Стокпорт da:Stockport de:Stockport es:Stockport eo:Stockport fa:استاکپورت fr:Stockport id:Stockport it:Stockport lt:Stokportas nl:Stockport (North West England) no:Stockport nn:Stockport pl:Stockport (Anglia) pt:Stockport ro:Stockport ru:Стокпорт simple:Stockport fi:Stockport sv:Stockport tr:Stockport war:Stockport

playername	Alex Miller
fullname	Alex Miller
dateofbirth	July 04, 1949
cityofbirth	Glasgow
countryofbirth	Scotland
position	Defender
youthyears1	| youthclubs1 Clydebank Strollers
years1	1967–1982 | clubs1 Rangers | caps1 197 | goals1 17
years2	1983 | clubs2 South China | caps2 | goals2
years3	1983 | clubs3 Morton | caps3 8 | goals3 1
totalcaps	205 | totalgoals 18
manageryears1	1983 | managerclubs1 South China
manageryears2	1983 | managerclubs2 Morton
manageryears3	1983–1986 | managerclubs3 St. Mirren
manageryears4	1986–1996 | managerclubs4 Hibernian
manageryears5	1997–1998 | managerclubs5 Aberdeen
manageryears6	2008–2009 | managerclubs6 JEF United Chiba
manageryears7	2010 | managerclubs7 AIK }}

Alex Miller (born 4 July 1949) is a Scottish association football coach and former player. As a player, he had a 15 year career with Rangers. As a manager, he won the 1991 Scottish League Cup with Hibernian. He subsequently worked for Premier League club Liverpool for nine years, assisting Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benítez.

Playing career

As a player Miller started out his career with Clydebank Strollers before he made the move to Rangers. Miller played for Rangers from 1967 until 1982 before finishing his playing career in Hong Kong. He was something of a legend at Ibrox having played in a Scottish Cup Final despite having a broken jaw. He made 306 appearances during his spell at Rangers and scored 30 goals.

Coaching career

Miller was appointed as player-manager when he played briefly for South China in Hong Kong in 1983, but was unable to save the club from relegation. He was then briefly manager of Greenock Morton in 1983 before contentiously joining their rivals from Paisley, St Mirren, who were at that time in a higher division.

Miller managed St Mirren from 1983 until 1986. He moulded a side that would win the Scottish Cup shortly after he resigned in season 1986–87. Success for him was qualifying for Europe. One of Saints all time great nights came in a European campaign when in 1985, Slavia Prague were knocked out after a 3–0 Saints win at home.

He was then manager of Hibernian from 1986 to 1996, through a "difficult" period in the clubs history. He led Hibs to victory in the 1991 Scottish League Cup, beating Rangers in the semi finals (1–0) and Dunfermline Athletic in the final (2–0). Hibs qualified for the UEFA Cup, losing on the away goals rule to RSC Anderlecht. In 1993, Hibs were again in the final of the League Cup but this time lost out to Rangers (1–2). Hibs finished the 1994–95 season in third place in the league. Miller was sacked by Hibs in 1996, with some observers accusing him of having betrayed Hibs' "cavalier ideals".

He then moved to Coventry City as assistant manager. A year later, unable to resist the challenge of being his own man again, he moved to Aberdeen taking over the manager's post from Roy Aitken. However this stint was not a successful one and he was replaced in 1998 by Paul Hegarty.

Miller joined English Premiership side Liverpool as Director of Scouting under Gérard Houllier in 1999. However, when Rafael Benítez was appointed manager of Liverpool in 2004, he overhauled the scouting system. Miller then subsequently worked as first team coach, before leaving Liverpool in May 2008 to manage Japanese side JEF United Chiba. Despite taking over the club when they had taken just two points from eleven games, Miller managed to guide the team to safety from relegation. However, following a string of poor results in the next season, Miller's contract was terminated by the club in July 2009.

Miller was appointed manager of Swedish team AIK in June 2010. He left in November 2010

Managerial record

! Team	! From	! To	! Games	! Won	! Lost	! Drawn
St Mirren	01-08-1983	16-12-1986
Hibernian	15-11-1986	30-09-1996
Aberdeen	21-11-1997	08-12-1998	43	11	19	13
AIK	22-06-2010	10-11-2010	24	9	11	4

Personal life

Two of Miller's sons, Graeme and Greg, both played for Hibs while Miller was manager there. Miller also employed Greg as a coach while he was manager of JEF United Chiba.

References

External links

Newcastle Fans profile

Category:Living people Category:1949 births Category:Sportspeople from Glasgow Category:Scottish footballers Category:Scottish expatriate footballers Category:Association football defenders Category:Scottish Football League players Category:Hong Kong First Division League players Category:Rangers F.C. players Category:South China AA footballers Category:Greenock Morton F.C. players Category:Scottish football managers Category:AIK Fotboll managers Category:South China AA managers Category:Greenock Morton F.C. managers Category:St. Mirren F.C. managers Category:British expatriates in Hong Kong Category:Hibernian F.C. managers Category:Scottish expatriates in Hong Kong Category:Aberdeen F.C. managers Category:Liverpool F.C. non-playing staff Category:JEF United Ichihara Chiba managers Category:Expatriate football managers in Japan Category:Expatriate football managers in Sweden Category:Greenock Morton F.C. non-playing staff Category:Scottish Premier League managers

de:Alex Miller ja:アレックス・ミラー no:Alex Miller pt:Alex Miller