Barry Ferguson

Barry Ferguson
BarryFerguson Augsburg.jpg
Ferguson in 2009 pre-season
Personal information
Full name Barry Ferguson[1]
Date of birth 2 February 1978 (1978-02-02) (age 33)[1]
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Birmingham City
Number 12
Youth career
000?–1994 Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1994–2003 Rangers 152 (24)
2003–2005 Blackburn Rovers 36 (3)
2005–2009 Rangers 137 (20)
2009– Birmingham City 38 (0)
National team‡
Scotland U21 12 (?)
1998–2009 Scotland 45 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:33, 14 August 2010 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11:28, 23 February 2010 (UTC)

Barry Ferguson MBE (born 2 February 1978) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a midfielder. He plays for Premier League club Birmingham City.

Ferguson overtook David Narey's record for the number of European appearances made whilst playing for a Scottish club, by starting in a UEFA Cup match against Werder Bremen. He broke Kenny Dalglish's record for the number of competitive European appearances by a Scottish footballer when he played in his 80th match in Europe, against Sporting Lisbon. Ferguson has made 82 appearances in European competitions, all for Rangers,[2][3] which makes him the record European appearance holder at the club. He was also inducted into the Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame.

Ferguson made 45 appearances for the Scotland national team. In 2009, following incidents while on Scotland duty, he was stripped of the captaincy of Rangers and told he would no longer be considered for international selection.[4][5]

Ferguson was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire MBE on 17 June 2006.[6]

Contents

Early life

Born in Glasgow,[1] Ferguson has been a keen Rangers fan since childhood. His older brother, Derek, was a member of the Rangers squad in the 1980s (though the younger sibling's achievements would eventually eclipse those of the older) and the young Barry was exposed to the inner circle of the club long before officially joining Rangers.

Club career

First spell at Rangers

Ferguson was promoted to the first team squad for the 1994–95 season. He made his debut on the last day of the 1996–97 season against Hearts on 10 May 1997. He would make a number of sporadic appearances the following season under then managers Walter Smith's policy of easing him into the first team. Ferguson became a regular fixture in the first team during the 1998–99 season under new manager Dick Advocaat. The Dutchman soon secured Ferguson on a long term contract as he became an important member of a multi-million pound squad. He scored his first career goal in a League Cup match against Alloa Athletic on 18 August 1998. Injury prevented him from being involved in the 1998–99 season run-in as the club achieved the Treble. Ferguson watched the 1999 Scottish Cup Final from the stands as Rangers won the match 1–0, thanks to Rod Wallace's 48th minute goal.

Ferguson was so influential the following season that he given an extended six-year deal at Rangers in October 1999. He was named the Scottish Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year for season 1999-00, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst second.

In the autumn of 2000, with Rangers having a poor start to the season and the defence in particular having a horrendous run of form, Advocaat was already thinking about changes. Ferguson received minor facial injuries after engaging in a drunken hotel brawl following the 6-2 defeat to Celtic in August 2000.[7][8] After being sent-off in the match, Ferguson had made obscene gestures to the crowd then gone drinking in Bothwell in his club shellsuit.[9] When the club crashed out of the UEFA Champions League group stage at the hands of AS Monaco largely because of a mistake by captain Lorenzo Amoruso,[10] he was stripped of the captaincy and it instead went to the 22 year-old Ferguson. An incident in which two bags of ice were thrown at the Celtic dug-out during a 2-0 defeat at Ibrox in September 2001 was attributed to Ferguson,[7][11][12][13][14] who was criticised for his petulance and immaturity. Celtic manager Martin O'Neill played down the incident, saying he thought the ice had been thrown by his club's doctor.[11][14] The young Ferguson would go on to successfully guide his team to a League Cup and Scottish Cup double the following season, under manager Alex McLeish who replaced Advocaat in December 2001.

During their second season together, 2002–03, Ferguson captained the side to a domestic treble. After scoring eighteen goals from midfield he also won Scottish Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Move to Blackburn Rovers

On 29 August 2003, Ferguson joined Premier League club Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £7.5 million.[15] With Everton also chasing Ferguson,[16] Rangers initially denied that he was leaving.[17] He made his Blackburn debut in a Premier League match against Liverpool on 19 September at Ewood Park.[18] His first goal came against the same team, during a League Cup match, at Ewood Park, on 29 October.[19]

Graeme Souness made Ferguson captain of Blackburn in July 2004 and he seemed to be adapting well to Premiership football, despite the team still struggling and a managerial change, which saw Mark Hughes replacing Souness. However, after just 16 months at the club, including a lengthy period out through injury after fracturing his kneecap in a Premiership match against Newcastle United,[20] Ferguson submitted a written transfer request, admitting that the draw of playing in the Premiership and a Lancashire derby could not compare with an Old Firm match.[21] After much discussion between the clubs, a fee of £4.5 million was agreed and Ferguson rejoined Rangers just before the close of the transfer window in January 2005.[22] Ferguson would later reveal in his book that the fee Rangers paid was actually £100,000, plus the fees Blackburn owed from the original transfer.

Return to Ibrox

Ferguson's second debut for Rangers came in a League Cup semi final victory over Dundee United. He was a 69th minute substitute for Alex Rae during the 7–1 win. His first goal since his return was the opening goal in a 1–1 draw against Inverness CT on 5 March 2005. Ferguson played in the 2005 Scottish League Cup Final and was part of the Rangers team that won the league on the last day of the season.

At the start of the 2005–06 season, the then manager Alex McLeish re-appointed Ferguson as club captain. McLeish did not want to remove the captaincy mid-season from Fernando Ricksen who held the position the previously. Ferguson played the later part of the season carrying an ankle injury as Rangers limped into a poor third place finish in the Scottish Premier League. At the end of the season, Ferguson revealed that he had snapped ligaments and confessed that he should have undergone the surgery sooner.[23]

Ferguson playing for Rangers against FC Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League match in 2007

On 1 January 2007 it was announced on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound programme that Ferguson had been stripped of the Rangers captaincy after a meeting with then manager Paul Le Guen. He was also dropped from the squad for the next match. Later Le Guen claimed Ferguson was undermining him.[24] The match at Motherwell was won 1–0 by Rangers, and goalscorer Kris Boyd reportedly showed solidarity with the deposed skipper by holding up 6 fingers: Ferguson's shirt number.[25] Following the resignation of Paul Le Guen as manager on 4 January,[26] Ferguson was re-instated to the Rangers side by caretaker manager Ian Durrant and was also re-appointed as captain. Later that year, sports journalist Graham Spiers published, Paul Le Guen: Enigma (ISBN 1-84596-291-5), documenting his tenure at the club. According to Spiers, Le Guen left the club because he was being "undermined" by other Rangers personnel, including Ferguson and then club doctor, Ian McGuinness.[27]

The 2007–08 season began well for Ferguson as he scored a brace in the first SPL match against Inverness.[28] His scoring form continued and he netted the second in a 3–0 win over rivals Celtic as well as in the UEFA Champions League against VfB Stuttgart.[29] The Old Firm goal was Ferguson's first against Celtic since the 2002 Scottish Cup final where he scored a free-kick in a 3–2 win for Rangers. In January 2008, he scored a controversial goal in Rangers' Scottish League Cup semi-final defeat of Hearts. Ferguson later admitted handling the ball in the build up to the goal but that the infringement was unintentional.[30]

On 14 May 2008, Ferguson made his 400th appearance for Rangers in the UEFA Cup Final against Zenit Saint Petersburg at City of Manchester Stadium. He captained the side to a 2–0 defeat.[31]

The summer of 2008 saw Ferguson undergo an operation on a fresh injury problem that would see him ruled out until early November. The injury was not the same one that plagued him towards the end of the last season.[32] He returned to the first team on 1 November in a 5–0 league win over Inverness at Ibrox. After an extended drinking session with Rangers and Scotland team mate Allan McGregor after the Netherlands match which they lost 3–0 and along with making inappropriate gestures while on the bench during a Scotland match against Iceland, he was stripped of the captain's arm band for both club and country.[4]

Birmingham City

On 17 July 2009, Ferguson completed a move to English Premier League newcomers Birmingham City on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee,[33] reported as "in the region of £1.2m".[34] Joining up with boss Alex McLeish once again, the former Rangers supremo stated that Ferguson has "unfinished business in England" and that he believed the former Scottish international is "very capable of competing with the best players in the Premier League."[35] He made his debut in the opening game of the season, against Manchester United on 15 August 2009, and his first goal for the club came as the only goal of the FA Cup third round replay against Nottingham Forest in January 2010.[36] On his first return to former club Blackburn Rovers, in March 2010, Ferguson was reported by the Daily Mirror to have sworn at Rovers' manager Sam Allardyce.[37] Ferguson won the Birmingham City players' Player of the Year award for 2009–10.[38]

International career

Ferguson made his international debut at the age of 20 against Lithuania on 5 September 1998.[39] However, an injury plagued season prevented him from picking up more caps. Indeed, Ferguson did not return to the Scotland set up until a year later, starting in a 2–1 win against Bosnia Herzegovina on 4 September 1999.

Ferguson played alongside Craig Burley in both legs of Scotland's Euro 2000 play-off aggregate defeat to England. He was appointed captain of the national side in 2004 by then manager Berti Vogts following the retirement of Paul Lambert. Ferguson would tasted further play-off pain as he captained Scotland to a 6–1 aggregate loss against the Netherlands. Despite winning the first leg at Hampden Park 1–0, thanks to a James McFadden strike, a disastrous night in Amsterdam saw the side beaten 6–0 which ended the nation's hopes of going to Euro 2004.

Ferguson captained Scotland a total of 28 times. He lead the side to arguably one of the greatest results in the nation's modern footballing history when they beat former World Champions France 1–0 at the Parc des Princes in Paris on 12 September 2007. This completed a double header of 1–0 wins against the French during the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

Ferguson has received criticism for being a disruptive influence on the team despite captaining his country for years.[40] On 3 April 2009, he was banned from ever representing Scotland again, after a serious breach of squad discipline[5] and the captain's armband was given to Darren Fletcher. Additionally, his club, Rangers, stripped Ferguson of his captain's role and suspended him for two weeks without pay.[4]

Following the dismissal of George Burley as manager of Scotland, SFA chief executive Gordon Smith confirmed that the incoming manager would be free to select Ferguson should he so wish.[41] On 6 July 2010, Scotland coach Craig Levein confirmed that Ferguson will not play for Scotland again. Levein had hoped he would return but Ferguson informed him that he wanted to focus on club football instead.[42]

International goals

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.

Num Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 30 May 2000 Dublin, Ireland  Republic of Ireland 2–1 2–1 Friendly match
2. 7 September 2002 Toftir, Faroe Islands  Faroe Islands 2–2 2–2 UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
3. 17 November 2007 Glasgow, Scotland  Italy 1–1 1–2 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying

Career statistics

As of 29 April 2010
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Scotland League Scottish Cup Scottish League Cup Europe Total
1996–97 Rangers Premier Division 1 0 - - - 1 0
1997–98 7 0 4 0 - - 11 0
1998–99 Premier League 23 1 3 0 4 1 10 0 40 2
1999-00 31 4 5 1 1 0 12 0 49 5
2000–01 30 2 3 1 3 1 11 0 47 4
2001–02 22 1 5 2 3 1 9 3 39 7
2002–03 36 16 6 2 4 0 2 0 48 18
2003–04 3 0 - - 2 0 5 0
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
2003–04 Blackburn Rovers Premier League 15 1 - 1 1 - 16 2
2004–05 21 2 1 0 - - 22 2
Scotland League Scottish Cup Scottish League Cup Europe Total
2004–05 Rangers Premier League 13 2 - 2 0 - 15 2
2005–06 32 5 2 0 2 0 10 0 46 5
2006–07 32 4 1 0 - 8 3 41 7
2007–08 38 7 3 0 3 1 18 1 62 9
2008–09 22 2 3 0 2 0 0 0 27 2
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
2009–10 Birmingham City Premier League 37 0 5 2 1 0 - 43 2
2009–10 Birmingham City Premier League 2 0 0 0 0 0 - 2 0
Total Scotland 290 44 35 6 24 4 82 7 431 61
England 73 3 6 2 2 1 - 81 6
Career total 363 47 41 8 26 5 82 7 512 67

Honours

Rangers

1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009
2000, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009
1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hugman, Barry J. (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005. Queen Anne Press. p. 205. ISBN 1852916656. 
  2. ↑ "Ferguson ready for Euro landmark". BBC Sport website. 2008-03-05. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7279360.stm. 
  3. ↑ ""I won't let the pain get to me"". www.eveningtimes.co.uk. 2008-04-10. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.2186351.0.0.php. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Scots end Gers pair's cap career". BBC Sport. 2009-04-03. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7981287.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-15. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Ferguson and McGregor No Longer Scotland Players". Scottish Football Association. 2009-04-03. http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=273&newsCategoryID=6&newsID=4548. Retrieved 2009-04-03. 
  6. ↑ "Thorpe/Ferguson head honours list". BBC Sport website. 2006-06-16. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/5087176.stm. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Gordon Waddell (2001-11-04). "FOOTBALL: OLD FIRM BOSSES SEE RED AT CARD CALLS REF JUSTICE; O'NEILL AND ADVOCAAT SEE RED OVER REFEREE'S CARD COLOUR SCHEME". Sunday Mail. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-79734016.html. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 
  8. ↑ "BARRY WATCH K.O.; Reconstruction of what really went on at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge". Sunday Mail. 2000-09-03. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BARRY+WATCH+K.O.%3b+Reconstruction+of+what+really+went+on+at+the+Battle...-a064963416. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 
  9. ↑ Michael Grant (2000-09-03). "Murray tries to leave his troubles behind". Sunday Herald. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_20000903/ai_n13952076/. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 
  10. ↑ "Simone steals Rangers glory" Guardian.co.uk (8 November 2000)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Roddy Thomson (2001-10-01). "O'Neill cool as ice is thrown". Daily Mail. http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/daily-mail-london-england-the/mi_8002/is_2001_Oct_1/oneill-cool-ice-thrown/ai_n36418218/?tag=content;col1. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 
  12. ↑ Gordon Waddell (2001-11-04). "Football: CAPTAIN SENSIBLE; Ferguson says he's changed for better". Daily Record. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3a+CAPTAIN+SENSIBLE%3b+Ferguson+says+he%27s+changed+for+better.-a079734016. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 
  13. ↑ Ray Hepburn (2001-10-07). "Football: Clubs must take action". Daily Mirror. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3a+Clubs+must+take+action.-a078946600. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 David McCarthy (2001-10-01). "FOOTBALL: ON THE ROCKS RANGERS' TITLE HOPES FOUNDER AS FERGIE ESCAPES ICE -THROWING RAP; RANGERS 0 CELTIC 2". Daily Record. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3a+ON+THE+ROCKS+Rangers%27+title+hopes+founder+as+Fergie+escapes...-a078778316. Retrieved 2010-07-09. 
  15. ↑ "Rovers sign Ferguson" BBC Sport Website (29 August 2003)
  16. ↑ "Everton make Ferguson bid". BBC Sport website. 2003-08-27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3179045.stm. 
  17. ↑ "Rangers could lose Ferguson". BBC Sport website. 2003-08-15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3150791.stm. 
  18. ↑ Blackburn 1–3 Liverpool Soccerbase (19 September 2003)
  19. ↑ "Blackburn 3–4 Liverpool" Soccerbase (29 October 2003)
  20. ↑ Rovers rue Ferguson injury blow Telegraph.co.uk (29 December 2003)
  21. ↑ "Ferguson turned off by Rovers tie". BBC Sport website. 2005-02-16. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4270105.stm. 
  22. ↑ "Ferguson clinches Rangers return". BBC Sport website. 2005-02-01. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackburn_rovers/4203441.stm. 
  23. ↑ "Ferguson relief at Le Guen plans". BBC Sport website. 2006-05-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/4993282.stm. 
  24. ↑ "Le Guen points blame at Ferguson". BBC Sport website. 2007-01-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6225469.stm. 
  25. ↑ "Boyd makes point as Barry sideshow engulfs Rangers". Evening Times. 2007-01-03. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/display.var.1100407.0.boyd_makes_point_as_barry_sideshow_engulfs_rangers.php. 
  26. ↑ "Le Guen and Rangers part company". BBC Sport website. 2007-01-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/6231489.stm. 
  27. ↑ Paul Le Guen: Enigma – A Chronicle of Trauma and Turmoil at Rangers, Random House, ISBN 1-84596-291-5
  28. ↑ "Inverness CT 0–3 Rangers". BBC Sport website. 2007-08-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6928890.stm. 
  29. ↑ "Rangers 3–0 Celtic". BBC Sport website. 2007-10-20. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/7051963.stm. 
  30. ↑ "Ferguson admits to handling ball". BBC Sport website. 2008-01-30. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/7218921.stm. 
  31. ↑ "Zenit St Petersburg 2–0 Rangers". BBC Sport website. 2008-05-14. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/7393752.stm. 
  32. ↑ "Gers dealt huge Ferguson blow". Setanta Sports website. 2008-07-10. http://www.setanta.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/07/10/Prem-Ferguson-injury-blow/. 
  33. ↑ "Ferguson's Another Blue Signing". Birmingham City F.C. 17 July 2009. http://www.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~1725783,00.html. Retrieved 16 August 2009. 
  34. ↑ "Birmingham clinch Ferguson deal". BBC Sport. 17 July 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/8152896.stm. Retrieved 16 August 2009. 
  35. ↑ "McLeish Delight at Ferguson Arrival". Birmingham City F.C. 17 July 2009. http://www.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~1725539,00.html. Retrieved 16 August 2009. 
  36. ↑ Dawkes, Phil (12 January 2010). "Birmingham 1–0 Nottm Forest". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/8451766.stm. Retrieved 12 January 2010. 
  37. ↑ "Allardyce branded 'fat b*****d' by Barry Ferguson". The Daily Mirror. 26 March 2010. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Sam-Allardyce-of-Blackburn-branded-fat-bastard-by-Birmingham-s-Barry-Ferguson-article367823.html. Retrieved 26 March 2010. 
  38. ↑ "Joe Scoops Top Award!". Birmingham City F.C. 11 May 2010. http://www.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~2048759,00.html. Retrieved 11 May 2010. 
  39. ↑ "Lithuania v Scotland". The SFA Website. 14 November 2007. http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/match_details.cfm?matchid=25630. 
  40. ↑ "Goodbye and good riddance". The Herald website. 2009-04-03. http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.2499584.0.Goodbye_and_good_riddance.php. 
  41. ↑ "Smith in no rush to name new boss". BBC Sport. 18 November 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/8366276.stm. Retrieved 18 November 2009. 
  42. ↑ "Levein confirms Ferguson retirement". BBC Sport. 2010-07-06. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=806389&sec=scotland&cc=5739. Retrieved 2010-07-05. 

External links

Birmingham City F.C. – current squad

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