Ian Robert Baraclough (/bærəklʌf/; born 4 December 1970) is an English football manager and former player who was last assistant manager of Cheltenham Town. He was also previously the manager of the Northern Ireland national football team.
 Baraclough as the manager of Northern Ireland in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ian Robert Baraclough | ||
| Date of birth | 4 December 1970 | ||
| Place of birth | Leicester, England | ||
| Position(s) | Defender, midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cheltenham Town (assistant manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Leicester City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1991 | Leicester City | 0 | (0) |
| 1990 | → Wigan Athletic (loan) | 9 | (2) |
| 1990 | → Grimsby Town (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 1991–1992 | Grimsby Town | 1 | (0) |
| 1992–1994 | Lincoln City | 73 | (10) |
| 1994–1995 | Mansfield Town | 47 | (5) |
| 1995–1998 | Notts County | 111 | (10) |
| 1998–2001 | Queens Park Rangers | 125 | (1) |
| 2001–2004 | Notts County | 101 | (7) |
| 2004–2008 | Scunthorpe United | 134 | (15) |
| Total | 605 | (50) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2010–2011 | Scunthorpe United | ||
| 2012–2014 | Sligo Rovers | ||
| 2014–2015 | Motherwell | ||
| 2017–2020 | Northern Ireland U21 | ||
| 2020–2022 | Northern Ireland | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
As a player, he was a defender from 1988 to 2008 for Leicester City, Grimsby Town, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Notts County, Queens Park Rangers and Scunthorpe United. Having been a part of Scunthorpe's coaching staff after retiring from playing he went on to manage the club between 2010 and 2011. In 2012, he was appointed manager of Sligo Rovers and is regarded as the club's most successful manager having led the club to numerous trophies during a two-year stay.[citation needed]
Playing career
editBorn in Leicester, Baraclough started his career with local team Leicester City, and has also played for Grimsby Town, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, Notts County and Queens Park Rangers (QPR).
Baraclough signed for QPR in March 1998 making his debut against Stoke City the same month. He played 125 league games for them, scoring one goal against Huddersfield Town.[1]
After his spell at Loftus Road, Baraclough joined Notts County and enjoyed a turbulent first season captaining the side on a few occasions.
He later signed for Scunthorpe United in 2004 on a free transfer, enjoying fantastic success with the Iron, winning promotion from Football League Two. He was part of the team who were then promoted from League One as champions to the Championship in 2007 and then once more via the playoffs in 2009 as part of the backroom staff at Glanford Park where he had great success as coach/assistant to Nigel Adkins. Baraclough made 124 League starts and nine as a substitute, scoring seven goals for Scunthorpe.
Coaching career
editScunthorpe United
editWhen Nigel Adkins was appointed Scunthorpe manager in November 2006, Baraclough was made head first-team coach. From the 2008–09 season, he ceased playing to concentrate on coaching duties.
Baraclough was appointed caretaker manager of the club on 12 September 2010, following Adkins' departure to League One Southampton.[2] His first match was a 4–0 away win at Sheffield United. On 24 September 2010, Scunthorpe United named him as their new manager. [3] He was surprisingly dismissed on 16 March 2011 after a 3–0 loss to Preston North End, who occupied 24th place in the Championship, with his team having just dropped into the relegation zone at the time of his dismissal.[4]
Sligo Rovers
editOn 27 February 2012, Baraclough was announced as the new manager of League of Ireland Premier Division side Sligo Rovers.[5] He fought off competition from former Aston Villa boss Brian Little, former Sligo legend Willie McStay, and Republic of Ireland international Kevin Kilbane.
On 13 October 2012, Baraclough led Sligo Rovers to their first League of Ireland title in 35 years. The 3–2 victory against St Patrick's Athletic secured the league title with two games to play and was played in front of a sell-out crowd of 5,600 at The Showgrounds. As a result of this title, Sligo Rovers qualified for the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League, and Baraclough was the sole English coach involved in that season's competition.[6]
Baraclough then led Sligo Rovers to their fifth (and his first) FAI Cup triumph in an exciting 3–2 win over Drogheda United in the 2013 FAI Cup final at the Aviva Stadium on 3 November.
Baraclough and Sligo Rovers continued their winning habit by lifting the first major piece of silverware available during the 2014 season by defeating high flying Dundalk in the All-Ireland Setanta Sports Cup at a rain soaked Tallaght Stadium. The 1–0 victory gave Sligo Rovers their first ever cross border title since they were formed in 1928.[7]
On 19 June 2014, Baraclough parted company with Sligo Rovers with the club in fifth place, 17 points behind leaders Dundalk.[8][9][10]
After leaving Sligo, Baraclough worked as a scout for Huddersfield Town.
Motherwell
editOn 13 December 2014, Baraclough was appointed manager of Motherwell of the Scottish Premiership, replacing Stuart McCall.[11] Despite a very tough season he led the club to league safety after 6–1 aggregate victory in the Scottish Premiership play-offs against Rangers in a two-legged final at the end of the season. In an ironic twist of events, the opposition manager was his predecessor at Fir Park, Stuart McCall. Baraclough left Motherwell in September 2015, with the club having taken seven points from their first eight league games of the 2015–16 season.[12]
Oldham Athletic
editIn July 2016, Baraclough was appointed assistant manager at League One club Oldham Athletic by incoming manager Steve Robinson, who he worked with at Baraclough's previous club Motherwell.
Northern Ireland Under-21
editIn May 2017 Baraclough left Oldham to become manager of the Northern Ireland Under-21 side.[13]
Northern Ireland
editAfter a successful spell with the under-21s, he was appointed as the successor to Michael O'Neill as manager of the senior team on 27 June 2020.[14] Baraclough's first match in charge of Northern Ireland was an away UEFA Nations League fixture against Romania which ended in a 1–1 draw. On 12 November 2020, Northern Ireland lost 2–1 to Slovakia in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying play-offs and failed to qualify for the finals in 2021.[15] He was sacked on 21 October 2022.[16] In May 2023, he was linked with the St Patrick's Athletic job following the departure of Tim Clancy from the role.[17]
Cheltenham Town
editOn 18 January 2024, Baraclough was appointed assistant manager of League One club Cheltenham Town on an initial contract until the end of the season.[18]
Managerial statistics
edit- As of match played 27 September 2022[19]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Scunthorpe United | 12 September 2010 | 16 March 2011 | 34 | 8 | 4 | 22 | 23.5 |
| Sligo Rovers | 27 February 2012 | 19 June 2014 | 111 | 61 | 25 | 25 | 55.0 |
| Motherwell | 13 December 2014 | 23 September 2015 | 34 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 35.3 |
| Northern Ireland U21 | 5 May 2017 | 27 June 2020 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 47.1 |
| Northern Ireland | 27 June 2020 | 21 October 2022 | 28 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 21.4 |
| Total | 224 | 95 | 47 | 82 | 42.4 | ||
Honours
editPlayer
editGrimsby Town
Notts County
Scunthorpe United
- Football League One: 2006–07; play-offs: 2009
- Football League Two promotion: 2004–05
Managerial
editSligo Rovers
References
edit- ^ "QPR 1 Huddersfield 1". Sporting Life. 3 April 1999. Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ^ "Baraclough named caretaker boss". Scunthorpe United FC. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
- ^ Ian Baraclough named Scunthorpe United manager, BBC News, 24 September 2010, news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
- ^ Scunthorpe United sack manager Ian Baraclough, BBC News, 16 March 2011, news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
- ^ "Baraclough confirmed as new Sligo boss". RTÉ News. 27 February 2012. Archived from the original on 10 September 2012.
- ^ Oliver Farry (12 July 2013). "League of Ireland can concentrate on football". When Saturday Comes. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
Molde, like Sligo, have recently enjoyed success after winning little for most of their history but, after being champions in Solksjaer's first two seasons, they are now struggling in mid-table in the Tippeliga. Rovers manager Ian Baraclough, who is the sole English coach involved in this year's Champion League, might feel he can put one over the man alongside whom he once studied for his A-Licence.
- ^ "O'Conor the hero as Sligo lift Setanta Sports Cup". sseairtricityleague.ie. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Sligo Rovers part company with Ian Baraclough". RTE Sport. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Ian Baraclough - a Sligo giant brought low by pygmies". Irish Independent. 29 June 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Another one bites the dust: Ian Baraclough gone as Sligo manager". The Score. 19 June 2014. Archived from the original on 26 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
- ^ "Motherwell FC – Ian Baraclough appointed 'Well boss". 13 December 2014.
- ^ "Ian Baraclough: Motherwell part with manager after nine months". BBC Sport. BBC. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
- ^ "Ian Baraclough: Ex-Motherwell and Sligo Rovers manager appointed NI U21 boss". BBC Sport. BBC. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
- ^ "Ian Baraclough: New Northern Ireland manager won't overlook Nations League". BBC Sport. 5 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
- ^ "Euro 2020 play-off: Ian Baraclough 'can't ask any more' of NI after Slovakia defeat". BBC Sport. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
- ^ "Ian Baraclough sacked by Northern Ireland | 'It's been tough for him'". SkySports.
- ^ "Highly regarded Irish coach Ian Baraclough in frame for St Pat's job". 3 May 2023.
- ^ "Ian Baraclough named new assistant manager". www.ctfc.com. 18 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
- ^ "Ian Barrclough's managerial career". Soccerbase. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
External links
edit- Ian Baraclough player profile at scunthorpe-united.co.uk
- Ian Baraclough at Soccerbase
- Ian Barraclough management career statistics at Soccerbase