Ian Filby
Personal information
Full name Ian Frederick Filby[1]
Date of birth (1954-10-09) 9 October 1954
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)
1973 → Montreal Olympique (loan) 19 (3)
1974 → Brentford (loan) 3 (0)
1974 → St 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

Early years

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

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

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

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

Career statistics

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

Orient Reserves

Sacramento Gold

Pennsylvania Stoners

Individual

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

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Harefield: Yore Publications. p. 56. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Ian Filby". NASL Soccer North American Soccer League Players. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  3. 1 2 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. 1 2 3 "The Year in American Soccer – 1979". sover.net. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 "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.
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