Barry Fry
Encyclopedia
Barry Francis Fry is an English
football manager. A former Manchester United
apprentice as a winger
, his playing career involved brief spells with Bolton Wanderers
, Luton Town
and Leyton Orient
, before he retired prematurely due to injury.
He has managed Dunstable Town
, Bedford Town
, Maidstone United
, Southend United
, Barnet
, Birmingham City
and, most recently, Peterborough United
. Fry is currently director of football
at Peterborough.
and George Best
were brought in to play for the team (Best only actually playing three competitive games). Dunstable were promoted under Fry, but he was later dismissed by Cheeseman's successor, Billy Kitt, after a poor performance in the Southern League.
After spells at Hillingdon Borough
and hometown club Bedford Town
, in 1979 Fry became Barnet
manager for the first of two management spells covering almost thirteen seasons. In his first spell, Barnet maintained a mid-table position in the Alliance League for six seasons before Fry left in December 1985 to manage Maidstone United
. He returned to Barnet in August 1986 for a further seven seasons. Three times runners-up in the GM Vauxhall Conference
, Fry achieved his first managerial success as Champions in 1990–91
. Two years later he guided them towards the new Division Two (leaving two months before the end of the season to manage Southend
) despite being sacked eight times and reinstated each time by controversial chairman Stan Flashman
, as well as being in charge of a club which was in a precarious financial state and under threat of expulsion from the Football League.
Fry moved to Southend United in 1993 with the club bottom of Division One
. Fry kept Southend up, but later in the year moved to Birmingham City
. Though Birmingham were relegated in his first season, he won the Division Two championship in 1995 and also reached the finals of the Football League Trophy
. During the 1995–96
season, Fry guided the Blues to the semi-finals of the League Cup
but was sacked after their mid-season promotion hopes faded and the club finished 15th in Division One.
Just after leaving Birmingham, Fry became chairman-manager of Peterborough United
. They were relegated to Division Three in his first season at the helm but they regained their Division Two status three years later. Fry's nine-year reign as manager came to an end in May 2005 after they were relegated again, after which time he took up a role as director of football. Fry remained as chairman until September 2006 when Darragh MacAnthony succeeded him.
led to lifelong Birmingham City supporter Jasper Carrott
claiming Fry "was probably trying to sort out the unemployment problem single-handed!"
Fry was often renowned for his attacking brand of football, although his tactics usually meant his teams conceded as many goals as they scored.
's 2006 documentary series Big Ron Manager
in which Ron Atkinson
was bought in as a troubleshooter to help Fry and the management team during Peterborough's quest for promotion. They finished 10th.
He featured in an episode of Big Brother as a manager of the Big Brother housemates.
Fry still occasionally takes charge of both legend and pro-celebrity teams whenever Birmingham City hold either testimonial or fund raising
games at their home ground, St Andrews.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football manager. A former Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
apprentice as a winger
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
, his playing career involved brief spells with Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
and Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
, before he retired prematurely due to injury.
He has managed Dunstable Town
Dunstable Town F.C.
Dunstable Town have always been associated with Royal Blue and White, in a number of combinations. Unlike some of the larger clubs who hold an identity with one particular pattern, Dunstable have had stripes, hoops, halves, quarters, pin stripe and plain shirts...
, Bedford Town
Bedford Town F.C.
Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....
, Maidstone United
Maidstone United F.C.
Maidstone United Football Club is an English football team from Maidstone, Kent.The current club is a continuation of the old Maidstone United, which was a member of the Football League between 1989 and 1992. The club was forced out of the league by financial ruin but the youth squad formed the...
, Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
, Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
, Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
and, most recently, Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
. Fry is currently director of football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
at Peterborough.
Career
In 1974, Dunstable Town received the financial backing of Keith Cheesman. He hired a young Barry Fry as manager, and gave him money to build up a strong team; indeed in his autobiography, Fry claims that he was often given blank, signed cheques. Of note, both Jeff AstleJeff Astle
Jeffrey "The King" Astle was an English footballer. He played 361 games for West Bromwich Albion, scoring 174 goals, and was one of the most iconic players in the history of the club...
and George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
were brought in to play for the team (Best only actually playing three competitive games). Dunstable were promoted under Fry, but he was later dismissed by Cheeseman's successor, Billy Kitt, after a poor performance in the Southern League.
After spells at Hillingdon Borough
Hillingdon Borough F.C.
Hillingdon Borough Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Ruislip, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It was also the name of a now-extinct club that existed between 1965 and 1987.-Historic club:...
and hometown club Bedford Town
Bedford Town F.C.
Bedford Town F.C. is an English football club based in the Borough of Bedford. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division and play at The New Eyrie in Cardington, a parish on the outskirts of Bedford....
, in 1979 Fry became Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
manager for the first of two management spells covering almost thirteen seasons. In his first spell, Barnet maintained a mid-table position in the Alliance League for six seasons before Fry left in December 1985 to manage Maidstone United
Maidstone United F.C.
Maidstone United Football Club is an English football team from Maidstone, Kent.The current club is a continuation of the old Maidstone United, which was a member of the Football League between 1989 and 1992. The club was forced out of the league by financial ruin but the youth squad formed the...
. He returned to Barnet in August 1986 for a further seven seasons. Three times runners-up in the GM Vauxhall Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
, Fry achieved his first managerial success as Champions in 1990–91
1990-91 in English football
The 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
. Two years later he guided them towards the new Division Two (leaving two months before the end of the season to manage Southend
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
) despite being sacked eight times and reinstated each time by controversial chairman Stan Flashman
Stan Flashman
Stan Flashman was known for many years as a ticket tout who claimed he could obtain tickets for almost anything, from Cup Finals to the Queen's Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace.-Chairmanship of Barnet:...
, as well as being in charge of a club which was in a precarious financial state and under threat of expulsion from the Football League.
Fry moved to Southend United in 1993 with the club bottom of Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
. Fry kept Southend up, but later in the year moved to Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. Though Birmingham were relegated in his first season, he won the Division Two championship in 1995 and also reached the finals of the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
. During the 1995–96
1995-96 in English football
- Premiership :Newcastle United were 12 points clear at the top of Manchester United, but Alex Ferguson's relatively young and inexperienced side overhauled them during the second half of the season to win the title....
season, Fry guided the Blues to the semi-finals of the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
but was sacked after their mid-season promotion hopes faded and the club finished 15th in Division One.
Just after leaving Birmingham, Fry became chairman-manager of Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
. They were relegated to Division Three in his first season at the helm but they regained their Division Two status three years later. Fry's nine-year reign as manager came to an end in May 2005 after they were relegated again, after which time he took up a role as director of football. Fry remained as chairman until September 2006 when Darragh MacAnthony succeeded him.
Management style
Fry's prolific and often erratic dealings in the transfer marketTransfer market
The Transfer market and Transfer list are common slang terms for the virtual arena in which football players are available for transfer to clubs.- Transfer market :...
led to lifelong Birmingham City supporter Jasper Carrott
Jasper Carrott
Jasper Carrott OBE is a British comedian, actor, television presenter and personality.-Early life:...
claiming Fry "was probably trying to sort out the unemployment problem single-handed!"
Fry was often renowned for his attacking brand of football, although his tactics usually meant his teams conceded as many goals as they scored.
Fry in popular culture
Fry starred in a documentary called There's Only One Barry Fry. The programme included some of Fry's dressing room antics, including a row with Mick Bodley and his promise to get the Posh out of Division Two. Fry's Peterborough United were later the subject of Sky OneSky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
's 2006 documentary series Big Ron Manager
Big Ron Manager
Big Ron Manager is a television documentary series based on Ron Atkinson's efforts as a troubleshooter at the English football club Peterborough United, at the time playing in Football League Two...
in which Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
was bought in as a troubleshooter to help Fry and the management team during Peterborough's quest for promotion. They finished 10th.
He featured in an episode of Big Brother as a manager of the Big Brother housemates.
Fry still occasionally takes charge of both legend and pro-celebrity teams whenever Birmingham City hold either testimonial or fund raising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
games at their home ground, St Andrews.
Manager
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Barnet Barnet F.C. Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet.... |
 Kingdom of England |
1 August 1986 | 31 March 1993 | 94 | 45 | 19 | 30 | |
| Southend United Southend United F.C. Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had... |
Kingdom of England |
1 April 1993 | 10 December 1993 | 30 | 15 | 6 | 9 | |
| Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the... |
Kingdom of England |
10 December 1993 | 7 May 1996 | 143 | 57 | 43 | 43 | |
| Peterborough United Peterborough United F.C. Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is... |
Kingdom of England |
1 August 1996 | 31 May 2005 | 483 | 163 | 133 | 187 | |
- Note: These figures include only those matches in Soccerbases database.