Ian Branfoot

Ian Grant Branfoot (born Gateshead, 26 January 1947[1]) is an English former footballer and manager.

Ian Branfoot
Personal information
Full name Ian Grant Branfoot
Date of birth (1947-01-26) 26 January 1947
Place of birth Gateshead, England
Position(s) Full back
Youth career
Gateshead
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1965–1969 Sheffield Wednesday 36 (0)
1969–1973 Doncaster Rovers 156 (5)
1973–1977 Lincoln City 166 (11)
Total 358 (16)
Teams managed
1984–1989 Reading
1991–1994 Southampton
1994–1996 Fulham
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He played as a defender, and after starting at Gateshead joined Sheffield Wednesday,[1] making his Football League debut in 1965. After 42 senior appearances for the club he left in 1969–70 for Doncaster Rovers.[1] He made over 150 League appearances for Rovers, and after moving to Lincoln City in 1973–74, he went on to make over 150 league appearances for the Imps as well.[1]

Branfoot was manager of Reading from 31 January 1984 to 23 October 1989,.[2] He must rank as one of Reading's most successful managers, leading Reading to promotion from Division 4 to Division 3 in 1984 based on the good work of Maurice Evans, and then promotion from Division 3 to Division 2 as champions in 1986. This last achievement included a record breaking start to the season of 13 straight wins. The club maintained a 13th position the next season but were relegated in 1988. However, in the same season that they won the Full Members Cup beating Luton Town 4–1 at Wembley.[3]

He became manager of Southampton in June 1991, remaining in this position until January 1994. He then managed Fulham between 1994 and 1996.[2] Branfoot later had a spell at Sunderland as academy director and at Leeds United as a scout. He also coached at Winchester College.[4]

References

  1. Ian Branfoot at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
  2. Ian Branfoot management career statistics at Soccerbase
  3. Sedunary, Alan (2008). The Little Book of Reading FC. ISBN 9781859836583.
  4. Fissler, Neil (13 August 2017). "Where Are They Now? We catch up with Reading's 1985-86 Division Three champions". The Football League Paper via PressReader.


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