Ian Handysides
Encyclopedia
Ian Robert Handysides was an English
footballer
.
Handysides was born in Jarrow
. He began his footballing career when he joined 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.
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...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
.
Handysides was born in Jarrow
Jarrow
Jarrow is a town in Tyne and Wear, England, located on the River Tyne, with a population of 27,526. From the middle of the 19th century until 1935, Jarrow was a centre for shipbuilding, and was the starting point of the Jarrow March against unemployment in 1936.-Foundation:The Angles re-occupied...
. He began his footballing career when he joined 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...
on leaving school in 1979. A year later he made his first-team debut as a midfielder
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...
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
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
(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
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
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
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
and he died in Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
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
Trevor Francis
Trevor John Francis , is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England 52 times. He was England's first £1 million player...
", although he never lived up to this hype.