Memories From Toronto Part 8: Steve Guppy

Podcast – Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This is another episode in our Memories From Toronto series, where we interview people from the 2010 Colorado Rapids. There’s still several of these interviews waiting to be released. I’ve got a few soccer new resolutions for 2026, and sharing these with you is one of them.

On this episode, I speak with Steve Guppy, the top assistant coach under Gary Smith. Steve grew up in Winchester, north of Southampton in England. Played for more than a decade in the Football league. From 1990-92, he and Gary Smith were teammates at Wycombe Wanderers. Spent three years at Celtic, winning the Scottish Premiership. In the later half of his playing career, he played for D.C. United and Rochester Rhinos. In 2008, Gary Smith got hired at Colorado Rapids. He recruited his former Wycombe teammate into retirement to start his coaching career.

Guppy discusses that season, his affinity for creative wide players that led to the acquisition of Mac Kandji, and the fallout from the 2011 season. For those who listened to the Jeff Plush and Paul Bravo episodes, Guppy gives his and Smith’s side of those relationships and the ultimate parting of ways. There’s a lot to learn from what he says and doesn’t say.

You can listen to previous episodes of Memories From Toronto where we interview Marvell Wynne, Kosuke Kimura, Omar Cummings, Paul Bravo, Jeff Plush, Drew Moor, and Mac Kandji.

About the hosts:

Matt Pollard is the Managing Editor of Burgundy Wave, having overseen the site’s move to being independent in April 2023. He moved to Denver in 2015 and has covered the Rapids since 2016. An engineer and environmentalist by day, when he’s not watching or writing about soccer, he’s hiking or skiing in the mountains. He also writes for Last Word on Sports, covering the USMNT.

Mark Goodman, known as Rapids Rabbi or Soccer Rabbi, lived in Colorado from 2011-2018. He became an MLS Sicko after seeing Lee Nguyen of the New England Revolution pull off some silky moves at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. He’s a professional rabbi during the day and the author of the well regarded Backpass series, which started at Burgundy Wave. He watches the Pids from a far, having moved to Pittsburgh. He also covers the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL Championship for Pittsburgh Soccer Now.

Thank you for reading Burgundy Wave. Support us via our Patreon starting at $5/month. We’re always looking for new talent. Let us know if you’re interested in covering Colorado Soccer.