Former Blues manager and coach Bobby Ferguson has died aged 80, Town have announced.
County Durham-born Ferguson (pictured above right with Bobby Robson and Paul Cooper) was a full-back during his playing career with Newcastle United, Cardiff City, Barry Town and Newport County.
It was from Newport, where he had briefly been player-manager, that he joined Bobby Robson’s coaching staff in 1970.
Ferguson worked with the reserves as the likes of Kevin Beattie, John Wark, George Burley, Terry Butcher and Russell Osman progressed through from the youth system before taking over from Cyril Lea as first-team coach in the summer of 1978.
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Town manager Bobby Ferguson at the age of 80.
The thoughts of everybody at #itfc are with Bobby’s family and friends at this very difficult time. pic.twitter.com/oXapr2NOd4– Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) March 28, 2018
Famously Ferguson came up with the idea of playing Eric Gates in the hole behind main strike pair Paul Mariner and Alan Brazil, a role he had previously tried with Johnny Miller in the reserves.
After Robson’s departure for England in 1982, Ferguson took over as Blues boss. He remained in the role following Town’s relegation to the Second Division in 1986 but his contract wasn’t renewed a year later when the Blues failed to make their return to the top flight via the play-offs.
He later worked with Butcher during his spell as manager at Sunderland and in recent years continued to watch the Blues on a regular basis. Ferguson leaves a wife Ann and a son and a daughter, Keith and Kim. Town have confirmed that the players will wear black armbands during Monday's match against Millwall, while there will be a minute’s applause prior to kick-off.What to read next:
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