Date / Year of birth: 1965*

Position: Midfielder

Season of first appearance: 1989/90

Season of last appearance: 1992/93

Also played for: Gillingham (1,0), Bromley, Tooting & Mitcham United and Chatham Town

Midfielder who started his career with Gillingham, spending seven years with the club. Ian progressed from the Gills' youth sides up to the reserve team and during the 1984/85 campaign he made one first team appearance in the Associate Members Cup before being released at the end of the season.

He joined Bromley for the start of the 1985/86 campaign and went on to spend four seasons at Hayes Lane under manager Trevor Ford, winning the club's 'Player of the Year' award for 1988/89.

In the summer of 1989 Ian followed Ford to Margate but injured his knee in the club's first friendly against Arsenal on 8.8.89 and missed the first three games of the season proper as a result. Ian finally made his debut in a 3-1 defeat at Buckingham on 26.8.89 and he then became a regular in the side, usually playing in midfield but sometimes filling one of the full-back berths. He also played as a striker on a couple of occasions. On 30.9.89 he was sent off seven minutes before the end of a 1-0 defeat at Wokingham in the FA Cup. Ian had already been booked when he picked up a second caution for what the Adscene called "a wild tackle". He scored his first goal for Margate to secure a 1-1 draw at home to Burnham on 10.10.89 and the Thanet Times said that Ian was "outstanding" during a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Poole at Hartsdown Park on 11.11.89. He scored the Margate goal with what the paper described as "a deft lob" from 30 yards out and was said to be "a midfield maestro". Further praise from the press followed one of his performances at right-back during a 2-1 defeat at home to Salisbury on 9.12.89. Referring to the challenge for Ian of playing in an unfamiliar role the Thanet Extra said that he "came through with flying colours". The Extra also called Ian's display in a 3-2 defeat at Trowbridge on 6.1.90 "inspirational" whilst the Isle of Thanet Gazette described him as being "industrious" on several occasions. The Thanet Times similarly praised Ian after a 0-0 draw at Dunstable on 10.3.90, dubbing him "a tireless prompter". He finished the season having scored twice in 46 appearances.

Ian struggled to gain a regular first team place in the opening weeks of the 1990/91 campaign and only appeared in one of Margate's first five matches. By early September 1990 he was back in favour and Ian became a fixture in the side over the course of the next few months playing in a variety of positions - midfield, left-back, right-back and on the wing. On 6.10.90 he was carried off with concussion as Margate won 3-0 at Sudbury and on 13.10.90 he made what the Thanet Times called "telling passes" during a 1-0 defeat at Peacehaven & Telscombe in the FA Cup. On 15.1.91 Ian was sent off for a 'professional foul' in a 1-0 defeat at Bury and on 19.1.91 he picked up an injury after coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat at Ashford. By the time he'd recovered and served his suspension Ian found himself out of the first team picture and he spent almost three months playing for the reserves, making 11 appearances for them during February, March and April 1991. Ian returned to the senior side for a match at Gosport on 20.4.91 and the Thanet Times said that he was "outstanding" in midfield before being knocked out and carried off during the second half. He then featured in each of Margate's remaining four games to finish the season with a record of 33 appearances (four as sub) without scoring.

On 24.7.91 Margate keeper Joe Radford was injured 15 minutes from the end of a pre-season friendly against Leyton Orient and Ian took over in goal as Margate held on to win 3-2. He was troubled by injuries at the start of the 1991/92 campaign proper and after coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat at home to Burnham on 17.8.91 Ian only played once more in Margate's next seven matches. Towards the end of September 1991 he returned to action and then played regularly in midfield for the remainder of the season.

On 21.9.91 Ian had an eventful afternoon as Margate played Abingdon in an FA Trophy tie at Hartsdown. The game was poised at 0-0 when Gate keeper Kevin Hudson was sent off after 70 minutes. Ian took over in goal and after saving a free-kick he weakly cleared the ball straight to an Abingdon striker who put his side ahead. Ian more than made up for his error a few minutes later when he made a spectacular penalty save to prevent the ball going into the top corner and his stop proved to be vital as Margate equalised in the dying seconds to force a replay. After the match Ian told the Thanet Extra "It was a strange game for me, starting in midfield and ending up in goal. I have played in goal before, in a friendly, but never in a real match. He modestly added "There was a bit of luck in my penalty save - I was lucky to choose the right way and get my hand to the ball".

Margate eventually made it through to the next round of the FA Trophy and in a tie at Whyteleafe on 19.10.91 Ian threw a punch at an opponent - a clear sending off offence in full view of the referee. Fortunately for Ian the official mistakenly thought that Roy Hales was the culprit and gave the big striker his marching orders instead. The decision caused uproar on and off the pitch but after the match the referee realised his mistake and it was Ian that had to serve a three match ban in November 1991.

After his return from suspension Ian was ever-present and the Thanet Times said he "strove every sinew to keep Margate's midfield ticking" during a 0-0 home draw with Havant on 28.12.91. The paper reported that Ian "busied himself effectively and with commitment" in a 2-0 defeat at Sudbury on 14.1.92 and felt he had "an outstanding game" as Margate won 2-1 at Gosport on 11.4.92. On 28.4.92 Ian was sent off as Margate's reserves lost 3-0 at Whitstable in a Kent Midweek League game and he finished the 1991/92 campaign having made 43 appearances (one as sub) without scoring to take his total games for the club past the 100 mark.

Ian started the 1992/93 season by scoring with a brilliant 25 yard lob as Margate beat Wealdstone 4-1 at Watford on 22.8.92, the opening day of the campaign. It was his first goal since 11.11.89. On 5.9.92 Ian was carried off after 25 minutes of a 5-0 win at Bury and the achilles injury he suffered coupled with a 35 day ban for his 1991/92 dismissal at Whitstable in the Kent Midweek League meant he missed Margate's next 11 matches. Ian returned to the side in midfield for a 3-1 defeat at Dover in the Southern League Cup on 20.10.92 and then had a run of three games as a makeshift striker before moving to right-back for a Kent Senior Cup tie against Ashford at Hartsdown on 3.11.92. Margate lost 1-0 and Ian played once more in the number two shirt - in a 2-1 home defeat against Wealdstone on 7.11.92 - before leaving the club later in November 1992. He'd made eight appearances and scored once.

Ian joined Tooting & Mitcham after his departure from Hartsdown Park, linking up with his former Bromley and Margate colleague Brian Frampton, and went on to make 71 appearances there without scoring before leaving the club in May 1994.

He joined Chatham in the summer of 1994 and spent two seasons there before dropping out of senior football at the end of the 1995/96 season.

In later years Ian played for Corinthian Veterans and he was still turning out for them during 2008 along with Brian Frampton and another former Margate and Bromley team-mate Paul McMenemy.

He worked as a postman during his time with Margate and was still employed by Royal Mail in 2008.