Ian Filby

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Ian Filby
Personal information
Full name Ian Frederick Filby[1]
Date of birth (1954-10-09) 9 October 1954 (age 69)
Place of birth Woodford, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1971–1972 Orient
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1975 Orient 0 (0)
1973Montreal Olympique (loan) 19 (3)
1974Brentford (loan) 3 (0)
1974St Mirren (loan) 0 (0)
Romford (loan) 5 (1)
1976–1978 Durban City
1979 Lusitano
1979–1980 Sacramento Gold 42 (25)
1980 Pennsylvania Stoners
1981 California Surf 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ian Frederick Filby (born 9 October 1954) is an English retired professional footballer who played professionally as a forward for a number of clubs in England, South Africa and North America.

Career[edit]

Early years[edit]

Filby began his career in the youth system at Second Division club Orient and signed his first professional contract on his 18th birthday in October 1972.[3] He later won the London Challenge Cup with the reserve team in 1972 and 1973.[1] Filby moved to Canada to join North American Soccer League club Montreal Olympique on loan for the 1973 season.[2] Manager Graham Adams commented that Filby was faster and had better ball control than the previous season's highly rated Scottish player Graeme Souness.[4] Despite the build-up, Filby managed just three goals in Olympique's 19 regular season games.[2] Filby was loaned to Brentford, St Mirren and Romford during the 1974–75 season and departed Orient at the end of the campaign.[3][1][5]

South Africa[edit]

Filby moved to South Africa in 1976 and played for National Football League and National Premier Soccer League clubs Durban City and Lusitano.[2]

United States[edit]

Filby returned to North America to sign for American Soccer League club Sacramento Gold in 1979.[2] He had a good 1979 season, finishing the campaign as the league's top scorer (with 45 points) and winning the championship (after a 1–0 victory over Columbus Magic in the final) and being named on the league's All-Star team.[6] Filby scored 11 goals in the 1980 season, before transferring to American Soccer League club Pennsylvania Stoners midway through the season.[2][7] He won his second successive championship with the Stoners, beating former club Sacramento Gold 2–1 in the final.[7] Filby returned to the North American Soccer League to sign for California Surf in 1981.[2] After retiring from professional play, Filby remained in Northern California and continued to play in the amateur Central California Soccer League.[8]

Personal life[edit]

Filby's brother Malcolm was also a footballer and the pair played together at Sacramento Gold and California Surf.[9][10][11]

Career statistics[edit]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Montreal Olympique (loan) 1973[2] North American Soccer League 19 3 19 3
Brentford (loan) 1974–75[12] Fourth Division 3 0 3 0
Sacramento Gold 1979[2] American Soccer League 26 14 26 14
California Surf 1981[2] North American Soccer League 1 0 1 0
Career total 49 17 0 0 49 17

Honours[edit]

Orient Reserves

Sacramento Gold

Pennsylvania Stoners

Individual

  • American Soccer League All-Star: 1979[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 56. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Ian Filby". NASL Soccer North American Soccer League Players. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  3. ^ a b Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. p. 272. ISBN 978-1906796709.
  4. ^ "Corsi to start for Italian ace". The Montreal Gazette. 22 May 1973. p. 42. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Player Appearances and goalscoring records – F". Scottish Football Historical Archive. p. 231. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "The Year in American Soccer – 1979". sover.net. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  7. ^ a b c "The Year in American Soccer – 1980". homepages.sover.net. Archived from the original on 5 November 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  8. ^ Filby Finds A Happy Home At Turn Verein Sacramento Bee – Sunday, 5 October 1986
  9. ^ "June 8, 1977 – Sacramento Spirits vs. Los Angeles Skyhawks". Fun While It Lasted. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  10. ^ "Malcolm Filby". www.footballzz.co.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  11. ^ "Malcolm Filby". NASL Soccer North American Soccer League Players. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  12. ^ White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 393. ISBN 0951526200.