Ian Painter

Painter joined Stoke City from school and was in the first team at the Victoria Ground a day before his 18th birthday in 1982. A wide striker who could also play in the centre he was a regular for the Potters over the next three and half seasons. Stoke sadly were a struggling First Division side and in 1984-85 they had a disastrous campaign and were relegated with a record low 17 points with only three wins all season. Painter was top scorer with six goals (four of them penalties! One penalty he missed however was against the Sky Blues in a crucial relegation battle when if he had scored he would have sent City down. In 1986 John Sillett paid £80,000 to bring the England under 21 international to Coventry but couldn't win a regular first team place because of the form of Cyrille Regis and Dave Bennett and only made one start, versus Liverpool in the League Cup and four substitute appearances. He also suffered a serious back injury which effectively ended his playing career. For some years he has run a sports shop in the Wolverhampton suburb of Wombourne and he had some success as a non-league manager of Stafford Rangers and Hednesford.