Ian Greaves

Who was Ian Greaves?

Ian Denzil Greaves was an English football player and manager. He was born in Crompton, Lancashire. He won a League Championship medal and an FA Cup runners-up medal while playing fullback for Manchester United between 1953 and 1960. He was not with the United team when eight of their players died in the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958, as he was ruled out by injury. He was the first player to occupy the left-back position at United after the death of captain Roger Byrne at Munich.

After leaving United in 1960, he later played for Lincoln City and Oldham Athletic.

He took over the reins at Huddersfield Town in 1968 and led them to the Football League Second Division championship in 1969–1970.

After leaving Huddersfield in the summer of 1974 he joined Bolton Wanderers as assistant to Jimmy Armfield and when Armfield took over the vacant manager's position at Leeds United he was promoted to the top job, taking over a squad that included Sam Allardyce and Peter Reid. In his time there he again won promotion to the top division and also reached the League Cup semi-final while the club were still in the second division. Unfortunately, Bolton's First Division performance was disappointing and Greaves was sacked in early 1980.