View source for Marc Bircham

{{Short description|Canadian soccer player}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=December 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name           = Marc Bircham
| image          =
| fullname       = Marc Stephen John Bircham
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1978|5|11|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Wembley]], England<ref name="Hugman 2008-09">{{cite book
 | editor-last = Hugman
 | editor-first = Barry J. 
 | title = The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09
 | publisher = Mainstream
 | year = 2008
 | isbn = 978-1-84596-324-8}}</ref>
| height         =
| position       = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]] / [[Defensive midfielder]]
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1    = | youthclubs1 =  
| years1 = 1996–2002 | clubs1 = [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]]                       | caps1 = 104 | goals1 = 3 
| years2 = 2002–2007 | clubs2 = [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]] | caps2 = 152 | goals2 = 7
| years3 = 2007–2009 | clubs3 = [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]]                 | caps3 = 16  | goals3 = 0  
| totalcaps = 272 | totalgoals = 10
| nationalyears1 = 1999–2004 | nationalteam1 = [[Canada men's national soccer team|Canada]] | nationalcaps1 = 17 | nationalgoals1 = 1 
| manageryears1 = 2009 | managerclubs1 = [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]] (caretaker)
| manageryears2 = 2021      | managerclubs2 = [[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]]
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{fb|CAN}}}}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[association football|soccer]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[CONCACAF Gold Cup]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2000 United States]]|}}
}}

'''Marc Stephen John Bircham''' (born 11 May 1978) is a former [[association football|soccer player]]. Born in England, he represented Canada at international level. He was recently assistant coach at [[Serie A]] club [[Como 1907|Como]], but left in 2023

==Club career==
London-born Bircham started his professional career at [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]] and after 6 seasons joined [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]] where he became a crowd favorite. Bircham used to be known for his unusual hairstyle – a [[dyed]] blue and white streak down the centre of his hair from when he played for QPR{{Citation needed|date=July 2007}} and a red and white streak while playing for [[Canada men's national soccer team|Canada]]. QPR fans sang a song to the tune of "[[Can't Take My Eyes Off You|I Love You, Baby]]": ''"We love you, Bircham/ because you got blue hair/ We love you, Bircham/ because you're everywhere/ We love you, Bircham/ because you're Rangers through and through."''{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

In 2007, he moved to [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]]. He scored his first and what turned out to be only goal for Yeovil against [[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]] in the [[EFL Trophy|Football League Trophy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7587907.stm|title=Brentford 2-2 Yeovil |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=2 September 2008 |access-date=27 July 2013}}</ref> After a series of ankle injuries in the 2008–09 season it was revealed that Bircham had quit football and is going to set up a youth coaching camp in Cyprus.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Bircham Hangs Up His Boots
| url = http://www.ciderspace.co.uk/ASP/news/news.asp?NewsItemId=8431
| publisher = Ciderspace
| date = 3 January 2008
| access-date = 3 January 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| title = Bircham forced to hang up boots
| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/y/yeovil/7862812.stm
| publisher = [[BBC Sport]]
| date = 31 January 2008}}</ref>

==International career==
Bircham was eligible to play for Canada because one of his grandfathers was born in [[Winnipeg]]. He made his debut for [[Canada men's national soccer team|Canada]] in an April 1999 friendly match against [[Northern Ireland national football team|Northern Ireland]] in [[Belfast]]. He is the only player to have played for a country without actually visiting it when his first cap – as well as his first and only goal – came.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://talksport.com/football/efl/1132154/marc-bircham-canada-python-snake-prank-qpr-cult-hero/|title=Marc Bircham is a QPR cult hero who scored for Canada without setting foot in country, and bought 25ft snake as team mascot that 'attacked players in dressing room'|website=Talk Sport|date=17 July 2022}}</ref> He scored that goal only 8 minutes after coming on as a substitute for another player making his debut, [[Davide Xausa]].

Bircham earned 17 caps for his adopted country, representing Canada in two [[FIFA World Cup qualification]] matches.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121107080209/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=178674/index.html Record at FIFA Tournaments] – FIFA</ref> His final international was a June 2004 World Cup qualification match against [[Belize national football team|Belize]].

==Managerial career==
===QPR===
After becoming a QPR youth coach at the start of the 2009–10 season, he was put in temporary charge with fellow Youth Coach [[Steve Gallen]] due to manager [[Jim Magilton]]'s suspension on 9 December 2009.<ref>{{cite web| title = Duo in caretaker charge| url = http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10373~1900124,00.html| publisher = Queen's Park Rangers| date = 9 December 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title = Manager Jim Magilton suspended by QPR| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/q/qpr/8403668.stm| date = 9 December 2009| publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The duo took charge of a 2–2 draw away to [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]] on 14 December 2009.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/8404880.stm|title=West Brom 2-2 QPR|date=14 December 2009|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

===Waterford===
On 12 May 2021, Bircham was named manager of [[League of Ireland Premier Division]] side [[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]] until the end of the season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/arid-40288037.html|title=Former QPR midfielder Marc Bircham appointed Waterford manager|first=John|last=Fallon|date=12 May 2021|website=Irish Examiner}}</ref> With Waterford bottom of the table when Bircham took over, he led his side to 6 wins and a draw from his first 12 league games in charge, taking the club out of the relegation zone and earning a new {{frac|2|1|2}}-year contract which was announced in August 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/marc-bircham-handed-two-year-deal-as-waterford-boss-after-turning-season-around-40723590.html|title=Marc Bircham handed two-year deal as Waterford boss after turning season around|website=Irish Independent}}</ref> On 23 November 2021, Bircham was sacked by [[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]], having learned of the news on [[Twitter]] without being contacted by the club following a text exchange between himself and owner Richard Forrest the previous night in which Forrest suspended Bircham for a week, preventing him from taking charge of the club's crucial [[2021 League of Ireland Premier Division#Play-offs|Promotion/relegation play-off final]] against [[University College Dublin A.F.C.|UCD]].<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021/1123/1262577-waterford-sack-manager-bircham-ahead-of-play-off/|title=Waterford boss Bircham learned of sacking via Twitter|date=23 November 2021|via=rte.ie}}</ref>

===Como===
In the summer of 2022, he was appointed as first team coach of Italian [[Serie B]] side [[Como 1907|Como]] under manager [[Giacomo Gattuso]], but left in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://talksport.com/football/1162397/cesc-fabregas-marc-bircham-como-serie-b-arsenal-chelsea/|title=Bircham explains Como move as he begins coaching ex-Chelsea and Arsenal star Fabregas|date=2 August 2022}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Bircham has 3 children from a previous marriage. 1 boy, Frankie and 2 girls, Layla & Dolly.

He currently regularly appears on [[Talksport]].

==Career statistics==
===International===
:''Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.''
{| class="wikitable"
! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| 1 || 27 April 1999|| [[Windsor Park]], [[Belfast]], Northern Ireland || {{fb|NIR}} || 1–0 || 1–1 || [[Friendly match]]
|}

===Managerial===
As of 23 November 2021.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Managerial record by team and tenure
|-
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|From
!rowspan="2"|To
!colspan="8"|Record
|-
!{{Tooltip|G|Games managed}}
!{{Tooltip|W|Games won}}
!{{Tooltip|D|Games drawn}}
!{{Tooltip|L|Games lost}}
!{{Tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!{{Tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!{{Tooltip|GD|Goal difference}}
!{{Tooltip|Win %|Winning percentage}}
|-
|{{flagicon|England}} [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]]<br>(caretaker manager,<br> with [[Steve Gallen]])
|9 December 2009
|17 December 2009
{{WDL|1|0|1|0|for=2|against=2|diff=yes}}
|-
|{{flagicon|Ireland}} [[Waterford F.C.|Waterford]]
|12 May 2021
|23 November 2021
{{WDL|29|13|6|10|for=42|against=40|diff=yes}}
|-
!colspan=3|Total
{{WDLtot|30|13|7|10|for=44|against=42|diff=yes}}
|}

==Honours==
'''Canada'''
*[[CONCACAF Gold Cup]]: [[2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2000]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/00gc-full.html|title=CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2000 - Full Details|access-date=April 20, 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Soccerbase}}
* {{Canada Soccer|406}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110605064754/http://www.canadasoccer.com/players/profile.asp?playerid=114&gender=male archive])
* {{NFT player|1293}}

{{Canada squad 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup}}
{{Queens Park Rangers F.C. managers}}
{{Waterford F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bircham, Marc}}
[[Category:1978 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Brent]]
[[Category:People from Wembley]]
[[Category:English people of Canadian descent]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Canadian men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Canadian expatriate men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Canada men's international soccer players]]
[[Category:2001 FIFA Confederations Cup players]]
[[Category:Millwall F.C. players]]
[[Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Yeovil Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Queens Park Rangers F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Chicago Fire FC non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Canadian expatriate sportspeople in England]]
[[Category:English football managers]]