Ian Atkins (born 16 January 1957 in Birmingham) is an English professional football manager, and former professional footballer. January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... The term footballer is ambiguous, as there are several games known as football. ...

Playing career

His first club, whom he joined as an apprentice in January 1975, was Shrewsbury Town. In seven years at the club, he made 279 appearances and scored 58 times. In August 1982, he signed for Sunderland staying with them for two years, before joining Everton in October 1984. His stay with Everton lasted just one year, and in September 1985 he left them for Ipswich Town In the three years he was at Town he played 77 matches and scored four goals. He joined and left Birmingham City in March 1998, going from there to Colchester United. After three years at Colchester, he again joined Birmingham staying for a year, before signing for Cambridge United After a short spell at Sunderland he ended his playing days at Doncaster Rovers. If youre looking for the TV show, see The Apprentice. ... Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football. ... Sunderland Association Football Club (Sunderland AFC or SAFC) is a Premiership football club, based at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, North-East England. ... Everton Football Club are an English football club from the city of Liverpool, founded in 1878. ... Ipswich Town Football Club is the professional football club of Ipswich, Suffolk, England. ... Birmingham City (BCFC) are a football club from England who play in the FA Premier League . ... Colchester United Football Club are an English football team currently playing in Football League One. ... Cambridge United Football Club are a professional football club from Cambridge, England. ... Sunderland Association Football Club is a football club based in Sunderland, on Wearside in the North-East of England. ... Doncaster Rovers club badge Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based at Belle Vue in the town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. ...

Managerial career

In October 1994 he was appointed manager of Northampton Town In the 1996-97 season, he guided Northampton Town to promotion by winning the Division Three promotion playoffs. They reached the Division Two playoff final the following season losing out to Grimsby Town. Northampton Town Football Club is a football team based in Northampton, England. ... Until the 2004/05 season, the Football League Third Division was the third-highest division of The Football League and the fourth-highest division in the overall English football league system. ... Between the 1992-93 and 2004-05 season, the Football League Second Division was the second-highest division of The Football League and the third-highest division in the overall English football league system. ... Grimsby Town F.C. are an English football Football League Two club. ...

The 1998-99 season saw Northampton relegated to Division Three - the third season in a row that the previous year`s playoff losers had been relegated. Atkins handed in his resignation soon afterwards.

He was appointed manager of Division Three strugglers Chester City in January 2000, but he quit six months later, after the club were relegated to the Conference after 69 years in The Football League. Chester City Football Club is an English football club from Chester, currently playing in Football League Two. ... The term conference can be used to describe any meeting of people that confer about a certain topic. ... The Football League logo The Football League (often referred to as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons) is a league competition for English football (soccer) clubs (though a few Welsh clubs also take part) containing three divisions (the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League Two...

Atkins was assistant manager to Alan Cork at Cardiff City from November 2000 to December 2001, and helped them win promotion as Division Three runners-up at the end of the 2000-01 season. In December 2001, he left Cardiff to take over from Mark Wright as manager of Oxford United 2001-02 was Oxford`s first season in the bottom division of the football league for over 30 years, and they scored a record low of 21st place in the final table. Atkins reorganised the team during the 2002 closed season and the new-look squad looked capable of achieved a far higher position in the coming season. Oxford United occupied the automatic promotion and playoff places in Division Three for much of the 2002-03 season, but a slight dip in form during the final weeks of the season saw them finish eighth in the final table - one place short of the playoffs. A lively start to the 2003-04 season saw Oxford United leading the Division Three table at Christmas with just one defeat in over 20 fixtures. Atkins was dismissed in March 2004 for talking to Bristol Rovers about the possibility of taking over as manager, which he subsequently did. Cardiff City Association Football Club is a football team based in Cardiff. ... Mark Wright (born August 1, 1963) is an English football player turned manager. ... Oxford United F.C. is an English football team currently playing in Football League Two. ... Bristol Rovers Football Club is the oldest professional football team in Bristol, England. ...

External links

• Profile on Pride of Anglia website