New Queens Park Rangers boss Michael Beale began his coaching career in a room with a pew – and only three kids turned up.
Hiring his local church hall in Bromley for £32 an hour, with the chairs all pushed aside to make an indoor futsal arena, Beale had to absorb a substantial loss when there weren't enough takers at £4 a head to make even a five-a-side team.
But Beale, whose sessions soon gained traction and caught Chelsea's attention, went on to work with Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Jurgen Klopp before QPR persuaded Aston Villa to release manager Steven Gerrard's highly-rated assistant earlier this month. Now one of the most enlightened home-grown coaches, who even worked for a season with Sao Paulo in Brazil – because he wanted to test himself abroad and learn a new language – is ready for the muck and nettles of the Championship at Loftus Road.
