Born: Gateshead, 26 January 1947
Appointed: 1 July 1994
Sacked: 19 February 1996
Games managed: 88
Won: 26 (29.55%)
Drawn: 35
Lost: 27
Ian Branfoot took over in the summer of 1994 following Fulham’s relegation into the Third Division with the club’s board believing his no-nonsense approach could transform their fortunes. Branfoot, who took Southampton into the top flight, revamped the squad by letting veterans Jim Stannard, Martin Pike, Jeff Eckhardt and Glen Thomas and bringing in a number of former Saints stars. Fulham were disappointing in Branfoot’s first campaign, finishing in mid-table, and things got worse the following year when the Whites were dragged into a relegation fight having fallen to 91st in the pyramid and being beaten at Torquay United, the only team beneath them in the league. Branfoot was replaced by his player-coach barely a week later, but continued to work as Fulham’s general manager until Mohamed Al-Fayed bought the club in the summer of 1997.
