Ian Branfoot

Infobox Football biography
playername= Ian Branfoot


fullname = Ian Grant Branfoot
height =
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1947|1|26|df=y
cityofbirth = Gateshead
countryofbirth = England
position = Full back
currentclub =
youthyears =
youthclubs = Gateshead
years = 1965-1969
1969-1973
1973-1977
clubs = Sheffield Wednesday
Doncaster Rovers
Lincoln City
caps(goals) = 036 00(0)
156 00(5)
166 0(11)
manageryears = 1984-1989
1991-1994
1994-1996
managerclubs = Reading
Southampton
Fulham
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =

Ian Grant Branfoot (born Gateshead, 26 January 1947) is a former football manager.

He had a playing career as a defender, playing for Sheffield Wednesday, Doncaster Rovers, and Lincoln City.

Branfoot was manager of Reading from 31 January 1984 to 23 October 1989, where he successfully managed the club to a record breaking start to the season of 13 straight wins in 1985, and led them to promotion to Division 2 as champions in 1986. The club maintained a 13th position the next season, but, having sold Trevor Senior and Kevin Bremner, in the summer of 1987, were relegated in 1988, but not before they won the Simod Cup on 27 March 1988, by beating Luton Town 4–1 at Wembley. Branfoot, however, was sacked in October the following year, with the team mid-table in Division 3.

He was coach at Crystal Palace between December 1989 and 1991, before becoming manager of Southampton. He subsequently had 3 years as manager at the Dell, where he became the most vilified manager in the club's history (until Harry Redknapp), the stands often ringing to the sounds of the chant, 'We Want Branfoot Out.' He left in January 1994.

He then managed Fulham for two seasons in the mid 1990s. He was academy director at Sunderland between 1998 and 2002, before leaving.

He is currently a football professional at Winchester College.

External links

*soccerbase (manager)|id=624|name=Ian Branfoot