Former Lincoln City coach Scott Fry has completed another move, with Birmingham City confirming him as their first dedicated set-piece coach.
Fry has been appointed as part of Chris Davies’ backroom team at St Andrew’s, where he will take charge of all attacking and defensive set-pieces. It is another notable step for a coach whose reputation was built in no small part at Sincil Bank, where his work helped turn the Imps into one of the most effective dead-ball sides in the country.
The 33-year-old initially joined Lincoln City in July 2022 as goalkeeping coach, before taking on responsibility for set-pieces ahead of the 2024/25 campaign. The results were eye-catching. City scored 30 goals from set-pieces that season, the highest total in League One, while also recording the best differential between set-piece goals scored and conceded across Europe’s top domestic leagues.
That success inevitably brought attention from the Championship, but after seemingly agreeing a deal to move, and even being replaced by David Preece, Fry signed a new deal with the Imps. Just a month later, he left for Rangers with the club’s absolute blessing, with compensation paid to City as part of the move. His time at Ibrox only strengthened his reputation, with Rangers scoring more set-piece goals than any other side in the Scottish Premiership during his spell as First Team Set Play Coach.
Speaking when Fry left Lincoln, director of football Jez George made clear how highly the club rated his work, particularly around the use of technology and innovation.
“Scott leaves with our absolute best wishes. We went on a journey together in terms of our use of AI to improve our processes and design of set plays, which resulted in outstanding outcomes and inevitably attracted the attention of other clubs.”
“Scott made it clear that it would take a life changing offer for him to leave and, while we have managed to rebuff a number of approaches, we respect that Rangers have provided him with an opportunity that he can’t turn down. We thank Scott for his contribution to our continued development over the past four seasons, the culture that he has embedded regarding set plays and sincerely wish him well for this next challenge.”
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Birmingham have now moved to bring him back to England, adding him to a coaching staff they say is being built around experienced and innovative specialists. Blues boss Chris Davies said Fry’s track record made him an important addition.
“I am pleased to welcome Scott to the Club. He brings valuable experience in an area where we believe we can keep improving.”
Davies also highlighted Fry’s approach and his ability to get his ideas across to players.
“Scott’s success has been built on his ability to think differently and to convey his ideas to the players in a clear way. This is an important addition to the team and one that we believe will make us improve and be even more competitive.”
Fry’s latest move underlines the strength of the work carried out during his time at Sincil Bank. It’s also a return to his home: he was travelling from the Birmingham area to work at Lincoln, and this will place him closer to his family.
I really liked Scott, and his spell with the Imps helped shape one of City’s most productive set-piece periods. His progress since leaving shows just how valuable that expertise has become across the modern game, and we should be as proud of his career and the role we played in that as we are of players who go on to bigger things.