Everyone at Edgeley Park was saddened to hear of the passing of our former player Ian Davidson (SCAN 759). The Club have recently been made aware that Ian died in November following a battle with cancer.
A native of Goole, he began his career as an amateur at Hull City in 1963, signing professional in Feb 1965. He finally before he made his first team debut in 1966 as a 17 year old, and over the following two seasons he made 6 appearances for The Tigers.
He was loaned to Scunthorpe in 1968 where he quickly established himself as a regular first team player, making 37 appearances during the 1968-69 season. These performances secured him a permanent move to York City in 1969, where the left winger again became a regular and in his second season was in their side that secured promotion from the 4th Division.
In July 1971 he was transferred south to AFC Bournemouth, who had also just gained promotion to the 3rd Division. In a Cherries team that boasted a strike force of Ted McDougall and Phil Boyer, opportunities were limited and Davidson didn’t hesitate to move back north to join County in May 1972. It was through the friendship of County boss Brian Doyle and Bournemouth’s assistant manager Reg Tyrell that County were able to jump ahead of other clubs and secure his signature.
In his two seasons at Edgeley Park, he was a virtual ever present in the side and made a total of 92 appearances for The Hatters, scoring 9 goals. He was a member of the famous side that in 1972-73, reached the 4th Round of the League Cup, defeating First Division Crystal Palace and West Ham United before losing to eventual finalists Norwich City. Davidson played in all of the games in this run, scoring a crucial goal in the first round draw with Bradford City. This season also saw County reach the 3rd Round of the FA Cup with Davidson’s winning goal at Rotherham giving County a fixture against his former club Hull City. After a tempestuous draw at Edgeley Park, Hull won the replay 2-0 after extra time.
His second season at Edgeley Park, saw a disappointing league campaign see The Hatters finish 92nd in the Football League and have to apply for re-election. County’s cup fighting spirit came to the fore as another famous League Cup victory over Crystal Palace saw County again in the national headlines. In the closing weeks of the season Davidson captained the County team. He was released at the end of the season
He later played for Southern League side Worcester City, before finishing his career with Scarborough FC, playing in the Wembley final of the FA Trophy, where they lost 4-0 to Matlock Town.
In 2015, Ian returned to Edgeley Park to join his fellow cup fighting heroes at a memorable reunion at Edgeley Park. It was a chance to renew old friendships and for a new generation of County fans, who regale the achievements of the team in song, to acknowledge their special place in County history. Ian’s name is proudly listed on the Player Wall at Edgeley Park.
We send our belated condolences to his wife Mary and the rest of his family and friends.
