English footballer and manager
Robert Burnitt Ferguson
(8 January 1938 ? 28 March 2018) was an English professional
football
player and manager. He was best known for his spell at
Ipswich Town
, as a coach and then manager, from 1970 to 1987. While at Ipswich, he was reserve team coach and first team coach in
Bobby Robson
's
FA Cup
and
UEFA Cup
-winning teams, and was appointed manager after Robson's exit.
Playing career
[
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]
Born in
Dudley, Northumberland
, Ferguson's father
Robert
and uncle
Ted
were both professional footballers.
[2]
Having represented England at schoolboy level,
[3]
he began his career with
Newcastle United
as a
left back
. He made only eleven league appearances over seven years as he was unable to displace
Alf McMichael
from the first-team.
[2]
He later played for
Derby County
before joining
Cardiff City
on 31 December 1965 for a fee of £5,000.
[2]
With Cardiff, he reached the semi-finals of the
1967?68 European Cup Winners' Cup
and made over 100 appearances in all competitions before losing his place in the side to
Gary Bell
.
[4]
He joined
Barry Town
in January 1969 as player-manager.
[5]
However, six months later he returned to the
Football League
in the same role at
Newport County
,
[6]
[7]
signing for a fee of £250. Replacing
Leslie Graham
, he became the youngest manager in the Football League at the age of 31 but finished 21st in the
Fourth Division
in his first season. The club won re-election to stay in the Football League but a 6?1 defeat to
Barnet
in the
FA Cup
in November 1970 resulted in his dismissal.
[3]
Coaching career
[
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]
Ferguson was appointed by fellow northeasterner
Bobby Robson
into the coaching staff at
Ipswich Town
in 1970.
[7]
He was coach of the Ipswich team than won the
FA Youth Cup
in 1973 and 1975, and as the reserve team coach he developed several young players including
Terry Butcher
and
George Burley
.
[7]
While reserve team coach, he rejected the offer to manage
Millwall
.
[7]
After Ipswich won the
1978 FA Cup Final
, he replaced
Cyril Lea
as the first team coach, and the team went on to win the
1981 UEFA Cup Final
.
[7]
In 1982, Robson left Ipswich to become
England national football team manager
, and Ferguson was named the new Ipswich manager.
[7]
His tenure was marked by financial constraints due to the construction of the Pioneer Stand at the team's
Portman Road
stadium.
[7]
After several near misses, the club were relegated in 1986, and Ferguson was given an ultimatum that he would be dismissed if Ipswich were not promoted immediately back; they lost 2?1 on aggregate to
Charlton Athletic
in the
1987 play-off semi-finals
.
[7]
Ferguson became the first Ipswich manager to be sacked.
[8]
After leaving Ipswich, Ferguson travelled to Kuwait to work as a coach for
Al-Arabi SC
, managed by the Scotsman
Dave Mackay
.
[7]
On returning to England, he had the same role for his former player Butcher's
Sunderland
and Mackay's
Birmingham City
.
[7]
Later life and death
[
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]
Ferguson settled in Ipswich. He spent his later life watching Ipswich Town and races at
Newmarket Racecourse
, as well as playing golf. He and his wife Ann had a son and a daughter.
[7]
Ferguson died on 28 March 2018, at the age of 80. Ipswich announced that they plan to hold a minute's silence and wear black armbands at their next home match, against Millwall on 2 April 2018.
[9]
Honours
[
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]
Player
[
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]
Cardiff City
Manager
[
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]
Al-Arabi
Individual
References
[
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]