Ian Handysides

Football player infobox
playername = Ian Handysides


fullname = Ian Robert Handysides
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date|1962|12|14|df=y
cityofbirth = Jarrow
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1990|8|17|1962|12|14|df=y
cityofdeath = Solihull
countryofdeath = England
position = Midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1980-1984
1984-1986
1986-1988
1986
clubs = Birmingham City
Walsall
Birmingham City
→ Wolves (loan)
caps(goals) = 062 0(2)
066 (11)
056 0(4)
011 0(2)

Ian Robert Handysides (born 14 December 1962 in Jarrow; died 17 August 1990 in Solihull) was an English footballer. He began his footballing career when joining Birmingham City on leaving school in 1979. A year later he made his first-team debut as a midfielder and by 1982 was a regular player in Birmingham's First Division side. By the turn of 1984, he had lost his place in the first team and was transferred to Walsall (in the Third Division) in hope of getting more first-team chances. He was a regular player for Walsall and within two years of joining, he returned to Birmingham.

In the autumn of 1986, Handysides was loaned out to Wolverhampton Wanderers and scored twice in 11 Fourth Division fixtures. On his return to Birmingham, he quickly re-established himself as a first-team regular and made 30 appearances in the 1987-88 Second Division campaign, scoring three goals, as he helped the club avoid relegation.

In the autumn of 1988, Ian Handysides was diagnosed with a brain tumour. After a course of chemotherapy, he appeared to be recovering well, however this then spread to his spine and he died in Solihull on 17 August 1990, when still only 27 years old.

Ian also made a few appearances for England Youth Team during his first spell with Birmingham, during which time many observers described him as "the new Trevor Francis", although he never lived up to this hype.

External links

* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=951 Sporting-heroes.net]