Ian Leigh
Ian Leigh (born 11 June 1962) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Active between 1981 and 1992 in both England and Malta, in both League and non-League football, Leigh made over 125 career appearances.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 June 1962 | ||
| Place of birth | Ilfracombe, England | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1978–1979 | Swaythling | ||
| 1979–1981 | Bournemouth | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1981–1986 | Bournemouth | 123 | (0) |
| 1984 | → Bristol City (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 1985 | → Torquay United (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 1986 | Bashley | ? | (?) |
| 1986–1992 | Hamrun Spartans | ? | (?) |
| Total | 128 | (0) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early and personal life edit
Leigh was born in Ilfracombe, Devon on 11 June 1962.[1][2] After retiring as a professional footballer, Leigh later became a double-glazing salesman in Southampton.[2]
Career edit
Leigh began his career in non-League football with Swaythling, leaving them as a seventeen-year-old in October 1979 to join Football League team Bournemouth.[2] Leigh made his professional debut for Bournemouth in 1981 after replacing the injured Kenny Allen in an away game against Peterborough United, a game in which Bournemouth lost 1–0.[3] Over the next five seasons, Leigh made 123 appearances in the Football League for Bournemouth.[4] While playing in the FA Cup against defending champions Manchester United in January 1984, Leigh kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 victory, and was rewarded with a lifetime supply of pizzas from a local Italian restaurant.[2][5] The deal stayed in place for over a year, until Bournemouth's then manager Harry Redknapp bought the restaurant, citing the fact that Leigh was getting, "a bit fat, a little bit lumpy."[2][5] He also played as Bournemouth won the inaugural Associate Members' Cup by beating Hull City in the final.[6] Towards the end of his Bournemouth career, Leigh spent brief loan spells at Bristol City and Torquay United, making one and four appearances respectively.[7][8] After Leigh left Bournemouth in 1986, he briefly played non-League football for Bashley, before moving to Malta to play with Hamrun Spartans, where he spent a further six seasons.[1] Leigh was renowned for his powerful long shots, and became Ħamrun Spartans' penalty taker.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Ian Leigh profile". Hamrun Spartans F.C. official website. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Greg Struthers (8 January 2006). "Caught in Time: Bournemouth beat Manchester United, FA Cup, 1984". The Times. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
- ^ Neil Perrett (20 August 2010). "Cherries: Jalal would take a whack for Prenton victory". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
- ^ "BOURNEMOUTH : 1946/47–2009/10". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
- ^ a b "Harry's magic touch". The Independent. 24 January 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
- ^ "Cup win was simply red-markable for club legend Mozzy". afcb.co.uk. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ "BRISTOL CITY : 1946/47–2009/10". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
- ^ "TORQUAY UNITED : 1946/47–2006/07". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 9 September 2010.