Ian Benjamin

Ian Tracey Benjamin (born 11 December 1961) is an English former professional footballer who made nearly 500 appearances in the Football League between 1979 and 1994, playing primarily as a forward.

Ian Benjamin
Personal information
Full name Ian Tracey Benjamin[1]
Date of birth (1961-12-11) 11 December 1961[1]
Place of birth Nottingham,[1] England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Sheffield United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979 Sheffield United 5 (3)
1979–1982 West Bromwich Albion 2 (0)
1982 Notts County 0 (0)
1982–1984 Peterborough United 80 (14)
1984–1987 Northampton Town 150 (58)
1987–1988 Cambridge United 25 (2)
1988–1989 Chester City 22 (2)
1989–1990 Exeter City 32 (4)
1990–1992 Southend United 122 (33)
1992–1993 Luton Town 13 (2)
1993–1994 Brentford 15 (2)
1994–1996 Wigan Athletic 20 (6)
1996–1997 Chelmsford City 34 (1)
Bury Town
Soham Town Rangers
International career
England Youth
Managerial career
1997–1998 Corby Town
Warboys Town
2001–???? Soham Town Rangers
2002–???? Wisbech Town
2005–2011 Soham Town Rangers
2015–2016 Yaxley
2016–2017 Stewarts & Lloyds Corby
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Benjamin joined Sheffield United as a youngster and then made a move to West Bromwich Albion for £100,000. Whilst a West Bromwich Albion player he played in a benefit match for Len Cantello, that saw a team of white players play against a team of black players.[3]

He struggled in his early days and it was not until he joined Peterborough United that he became a first team regular. He then joined the Cobblers, and after a spell in midfield, he moved up front and won the player of the year award.[4] He fitted in well with Graham Carr's side, but he later lost his place as the manager believed he had better options available for Northampton. Benjamin later joined a number of clubs. He helped Southend United to promotion and scored against Bury, but was with Luton Town when they were relegated. In 1996 he dropped into non-League, signing for Chelmsford City and later Bury Town.[5][6]

His first managerial job was at Corby Town in the late 1990s.[7] He then managed Warboys Town, while working part-time for the Royal Mail postal service, before joining Soham Town Rangers as a player, later becoming joint manager in May 2001.[7] In January 2002 Benjamin was appointed manager of Wisbech Town.[7]

He returned to Soham Town Rangers at the start of the 2005–06 season and led the club to their first Eastern Counties League title in 2007–08, earning promotion to the Southern League.[8] He left Soham in 2011, after which he worked as a youth coach for Northampton Town and for Swindon Town as a scout.[9]

In June 2015 he was appointed manager of Yaxley, with Andy Furnell as his assistant.[9] However, on 31 March 2016 Benjamin resigned as Yaxley manager, stating 'I didn't feel all the committee were behind me'.[10] In June 2016 he became manager of Stewarts & Lloyds Corby,[11] where he remained in post until resigning in December 2017.[12]

Honours

Northampton Town

References
  1. "Ian Benjamin". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
  2. Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 258. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  3. Adrian Chiles (17 November 2016). "The match that pitted white players against black players". BBC. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  4. Bunn is your choice ntfc.co.uk. 2007-04-28. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
  5. "Archive player appearances: 1996/97 season". Chelmsford City F.C. Archived from the original on 21 June 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  6. Ian Benjamin at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
  7. Meet the Fenmen Fenmen Online
  8. Benjamin Stands Down Soham Town Rangers
  9. Ex-Posh strikers take over at Yaxley Peterborough Today, 9 June 2015
  10. NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL: Yaxley and Wisbech managers both quit Peterborough Today, 31 March 2016
  11. Benjamin takes charge of Foundrymen Northants Telegraph, 23 June 2016
  12. S&L on the hunt for a new boss as Benjamin steps down Northants Telegraph, 21 December 2017
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