I am Ian's younger brother and I am amazed by the memories and comments on this forum. Indeed Ian first joined Arsenal as an outside left, his apprenticeship year was coming to an end and he was being released from the ground staff. However during a bounce match they were a goalie short, Ian volunteered and the manager George Swindin, himself a former goalie, saw potential there. Ian featured in less than 30 first team games for Arsenal but played in goal against Real Madrid, who had arranged a friendly, in those days Arsenal sadly were never in European competitions, he also played against Glasgow Rangers in Jack Kelsey's testimonial game. Ian's brother-in-law was also an Arsenal goalie, the late Jack McClelland from Northern Ireland. Arsenal then favoured Bob Wilson as number one and Ian got a free transfer signing for Southend United. After two seasons at Roots Hall he was given another free transfer and this is when he wrote to all the teams in the Football League looking for a trial, he was about to sign for a stint in Australia before Hull City offered him a trial. He played most of his football and it was here I saw him play many times for The Tigers with the great Chris Chilton and Ken Wagstaff. Hull City were later managed by Terry Neill and assisted by Tommy Docherty, these two were at Arsenal when Ian was there, incidentally both Neill and Docherty were also part time managers of Northern Ireland and Scotland whilst at Hull City. The great first penalty shoot out in the semi-final of the Watney Cup against the mighty Manchester United with the trinity Law, Best and Charlton was a night to remember and I was fortunate to be there to first see Ian concede the first ever penalty taken in a shoot out by the late great George Best, Ian then became the first goalie to save, diving to deny Denis Law, with the penalties tied Ian stepped up to become the first goalie to take a penalty.....only to blast it over the bar, Alex Stephney said he had tipped it over but Ian later told me if had done that he'd have broken his wrist with the power of the kick. Ironically had Ian scored with that last of Hull's five penalties, it wouldn't have gone to sudden death but to another five penalties each, Ian told me the Ref said to him as they left the pitch 'Thank goodness you missed that Ian, I've a train to catch home!'
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At the end of his time at Hull City he played in America for the Boston Minutemen, even here his kick was noted and there was a chance that he was going to get a try as a goal kicker in American Football, however there was a strike at the time and this didn't come to anything.
It's great that so many have taken to time to remember him and his family at this sad time.
Ian left Scotland in 1958, when I was just four, but unlike other Anglo Scots, Ian never lost his accent and when I phoned him he always wanted to know the Scottish Junior Football results especially following the fortunes of Kirkintilloch Rob Roy who were the first team he supported with his father.
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I visited Ian and Avril last year and he was still the usual character though a bit more subdued, when I meet folk I've not seen for ages they wouldn't ask how I was getting but how Ian was getting on, he'll be sadly missed by family and friends, but thanks for the memories Ian.
). The big game was The Battle Of Bramall Lane. Coming out of the ground and making my way through the police and general shenanigans you got after games in those days I heard a banging. Turning round I saw it was Ian who had spotted me and was giving a cheery thumbs up. A few years ago my son was at a corporate do and was talking to Ian and Boaz Myhill and rang me up to ask me if he was being wound up by them about him being in the company of two City keepers as he was before his time. I told him the story above which he repeated to Ian who told him he remembered the night he knocked down the pennies just before the Sheffield Utd game. Maybe he was just being polite but it would be nice to think he had remembered it.
