Ian Bennett
Encyclopedia
Ian Michael Bennett is an English
footballer who currently plays for Football League One
side Huddersfield Town
as a goalkeeper. Infamously known for his penalty saving abilities.
, Nottinghamshire
, started his football career as a YTS trainee
with Queens Park Rangers
in 1988. He turned professional with Newcastle United
in March of the same season. Bennett never made a single first-team appearance for either club, he signed for Peterborough United
in March 1991.
in March 1991. He made 89 appearances for the "Posh" (72 in the League) as they gained successive promotions from the old Fourth
and Third
Divisions between 1991 and 1993. After two seasons in the then First Division
with the Posh, Bennett moved to Birmingham City
for £325,000 in December 1993
signed Bennett for Birmingham City
for £325,000 in December 1993. He became the first-choice goalkeeper at Birmingham, and in the 1994–95 season, he was ever-present as the club won the Division Two
(third tier) title. for the next five years, making 287 league appearances, before, eventually losing his number one position to Kevin Poole
in September 1998 due to injury.
However, Poole also succumbed to injury, enabling Bennett to return to the team until the 1999-00 season, when he was again plagued with injury this time being consistently replaced by Norwegian Thomas Myhre
for the last two months of the campaign. A rare highlight of that season occurred during the League Cup
when he saved a penalty for Birmingham taken by Alan Shearer
. He made some fine saves in a losing cause in the 2001 Football League Cup Final
against Liverpool
.
Although the signings of Nico Vaesen
in summer 2000 and Maik Taylor
three years later meant that he was not able to play in goal for as many games as he wanted, Bennett still made his 350th Birmingham appearance against Aston Villa
in the 2003–04 season.
In late 2004 he was loaned out to Sheffield United
where he impressed manager Neil Warnock
in the five games he played as cover for the injured Paddy Kenny
. After this he was loaned to Coventry City
. During his loan spell, he became the only goalkeeper to be sent off in a competitive league match at Highfield Road, sent off in the 0–0 draw at home with Stoke City
.
who already had Scottish international goalkeeper Neil Sullivan
as first-choice goalkeeper. Despite playing the pre-season friendlies, he was limited to four league appearances during the 2005-06 season, obtained deputising for the injured Sullivan.
, signing on a two-year deal to provide competition to the Blades first-choice goalkeeper, Paddy Kenny
. He played the first game of his second spell at the club at Bramall Lane
against Reading
on 16 September 2006. Despite making his full debut Bennett found first team chances difficult to come by thanks to the fitness and form of Paddy Kenny
, making only nine starts in his first two seasons at Bramall Lane
. His contract expired at the end of the 2007/08 season but despite reported interest from other clubs he signed a new one year deal in July.
The following season again saw his first team opportunities limited to only two league starts and appearances the League
and FA Cup
s. Despite this he was offered another one year contract extension during the 2009 close season.
side Huddersfield Town
, reuniting with Gary Naysmith
and manager Lee Clark who he was with when they were together at Newcastle United
.
He made his debut in the 2nd Round of the League Cup against Everton
at Goodison Park
, as a replacement for Alex Smithies
. His first start for the Terriers was on 5 October 2010, in the Football League Trophy
match at the Galpharm Stadium
against Peterborough United
, which Town won 3-2. His first league start came 4 days later in the 3-0 win over Colchester United
at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.
He has played more than expected due to injuries to first choice Smithies and has quickly become a favourite with the Huddersfield Town fans due to his accomplished goalkeeping performances.("There's only one Ian Bennett" is a crowd chant.) On 18 May 2011 Bennett saved a penalty in the League One play-off semi-final penalty shootout against Bournemouth, which Huddersfield went on to win 4-2. The following 2011-12 season he saved two penalties in Town's 2-2 draw with Scunthorpe United
at Glanford Park
on 25 October 2011.
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 who currently plays for Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
as a goalkeeper. Infamously known for his penalty saving abilities.
QPR and Newcastle
Bennett, born in WorksopWorksop
Worksop is the largest town in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire, England on the River Ryton at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest. It is about east-south-east of the City of Sheffield and its population is estimated to be 39,800...
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
, started his football career as a YTS trainee
Youth Training Scheme
The Youth Training Scheme was the former name in the United Kingdom of an on-the-job training course for school leavers aged 16 and 17, managed by the Manpower Services Commission...
with Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
in 1988. He turned professional with Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
in March of the same season. Bennett never made a single first-team appearance for either club, he signed for Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
in March 1991.
Peterborough United
Bennett signed for Peterborough UnitedPeterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
in March 1991. He made 89 appearances for the "Posh" (72 in the League) as they gained successive promotions from the old Fourth
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
and Third
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
Divisions between 1991 and 1993. After two seasons in the then First Division
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
with the Posh, Bennett moved to 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...
for £325,000 in December 1993
Birmingham City
Barry FryBarry Fry
Barry Francis Fry is an English football manager. A former Manchester United apprentice as a winger, his playing career involved brief spells with Bolton Wanderers, Luton Town and Leyton Orient, before he retired prematurely due to injury.He has managed Dunstable Town, Bedford Town, Maidstone...
signed Bennett for 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...
for £325,000 in December 1993. He became the first-choice goalkeeper at Birmingham, and in the 1994–95 season, he was ever-present as the club won the Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
(third tier) title. for the next five years, making 287 league appearances, before, eventually losing his number one position to Kevin Poole
Kevin Poole
Kevin Poole is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Football League Two side Burton Albion, where he is also goalkeeping coach...
in September 1998 due to injury.
However, Poole also succumbed to injury, enabling Bennett to return to the team until the 1999-00 season, when he was again plagued with injury this time being consistently replaced by Norwegian Thomas Myhre
Thomas Myhre
Thomas Myhre is a Norwegian international football goalkeeper. He currently plays for Kongsvinger, having returned to Norwegian football in July 2007...
for the last two months of the campaign. A rare highlight of that season occurred during the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
when he saved a penalty for Birmingham taken by Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
. He made some fine saves in a losing cause in the 2001 Football League Cup Final
2001 Football League Cup Final
The 2001 Worthington Cup Final was a football match played between Liverpool and Birmingham City at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Sunday 25 February 2001...
against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
.
Although the signings of Nico Vaesen
Nico Vaesen
Nico-Jos Theodoor Vaesen is a Belgian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He retired from football shortly after joining Lierse, but returned to the game in 2008 with K.F.C...
in summer 2000 and Maik Taylor
Maik Taylor
Maik Stefan Taylor is a professional footballer who plays for Leeds United and is a former Northern Ireland international....
three years later meant that he was not able to play in goal for as many games as he wanted, Bennett still made his 350th Birmingham appearance against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in the 2003–04 season.
In late 2004 he was loaned out to Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
where he impressed manager Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
in the five games he played as cover for the injured Paddy Kenny
Paddy Kenny
Patrick Joseph "Paddy" Kenny is a footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Queens Park Rangers in the Barclays Premier League.-Early career:...
. After this he was loaned to Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
. During his loan spell, he became the only goalkeeper to be sent off in a competitive league match at Highfield Road, sent off in the 0–0 draw at home with Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
.
Leeds United
On 17 June 2005, after 12 years at Birmingham, Bennett transferred to Leeds UnitedLeeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
who already had Scottish international goalkeeper Neil Sullivan
Neil Sullivan
Neil Sullivan is an English-born Scottish ex-international professional Association footballer. A goalkeeper, Sullivan currently plays for Doncaster Rovers after signing on a permanent basis from Leeds United at the end of the 2006–07 season, following two loan moves to Doncaster...
as first-choice goalkeeper. Despite playing the pre-season friendlies, he was limited to four league appearances during the 2005-06 season, obtained deputising for the injured Sullivan.
Sheffield United
In July 2006, Bennett transferred for an undisclosed fee to newly promoted Premiership club Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, signing on a two-year deal to provide competition to the Blades first-choice goalkeeper, Paddy Kenny
Paddy Kenny
Patrick Joseph "Paddy" Kenny is a footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Queens Park Rangers in the Barclays Premier League.-Early career:...
. He played the first game of his second spell at the club at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
on 16 September 2006. Despite making his full debut Bennett found first team chances difficult to come by thanks to the fitness and form of Paddy Kenny
Paddy Kenny
Patrick Joseph "Paddy" Kenny is a footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for Queens Park Rangers in the Barclays Premier League.-Early career:...
, making only nine starts in his first two seasons at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
. His contract expired at the end of the 2007/08 season but despite reported interest from other clubs he signed a new one year deal in July.
The following season again saw his first team opportunities limited to only two league starts and appearances the League
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
and FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
s. Despite this he was offered another one year contract extension during the 2009 close season.
Huddersfield Town
On 17 June 2010, after leaving Sheffield United, he was signed by Football League OneFootball League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, reuniting with Gary Naysmith
Gary Naysmith
Gary Andrew Naysmith is a Scottish footballer, currently playing for Huddersfield Town in League One and has been capped for the Scotland national team 46 times...
and manager Lee Clark who he was with when they were together at Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
.
He made his debut in the 2nd Round of the League Cup against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
at Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
, as a replacement for Alex Smithies
Alex Smithies
Alexander "Alex" Smithies is a professional footballer with League One side Huddersfield Town. An academy goalkeeper who first came into prominence during the 2007–08 season, after second choice goalkeeper Simon Eastwood injured his foot.-Early life:Smithies grew up in Golcar, in the Colne Valley...
. His first start for the Terriers was on 5 October 2010, in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
match at the Galpharm Stadium
Galpharm Stadium
The Galpharm Stadium, formerly the Alfred McAlpine Stadium, is a multi-use sports in Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. Since 1994, it has been the home ground of Huddersfield Town and Super League side, Huddersfield Giants.-The Stadium:...
against Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
, which Town won 3-2. His first league start came 4 days later in the 3-0 win over Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.
He has played more than expected due to injuries to first choice Smithies and has quickly become a favourite with the Huddersfield Town fans due to his accomplished goalkeeping performances.("There's only one Ian Bennett" is a crowd chant.) On 18 May 2011 Bennett saved a penalty in the League One play-off semi-final penalty shootout against Bournemouth, which Huddersfield went on to win 4-2. The following 2011-12 season he saved two penalties in Town's 2-2 draw with Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
at Glanford Park
Glanford Park
Glanford Park is a football stadium in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, and the current home of Scunthorpe United. It is the smallest stadium by capacity in the Championship ....
on 25 October 2011.
External links
- Ian Bennett player profile at sufc.co.uk