IAN PORTERFIELDIan Porterfield, who died on 11 September, 2007, following a long battle with cancer, will be remembered in Sunderland for bringing the FA Cup back to Wearside and around the world for helping bring high coaching standards to developing nations.The Cup win was the highlight of a 10-year career with the Black Cats in which he made 268 appearances in midfield. He scored in the 31st minute with his weaker foot to give Sunderland a shock win over Leeds United in 1973. It was the second time the club had won the trophy.He later had a successful management career that eventually led him to take up the mantle of helping developing nations such as Zambia, Zimbabwe and Trinidad and Tobago improves their sides.Despite being diagnosed with cancer at the start of 2007, he continued his last job as head coach of Armenia. He led the team to the biggest victory in their history, beating Poland 1-0 in June of that year, and in August they held Portugal to a 1-1 home draw.John “Ian” Porterfield was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, and started his career with Raith Rovers in 1964, aged 18. He moved to Sunderland in 1967 for £45,000 and became a fans’ favourite at Roker Park.In 1974 he was involved in a serious car crash and suffered from a broken jaw and fractured skull which kept him out of action for two months. Many believe this incident cost him an international career.After leaving Sunderland in 1977, he played with Sheffield Wednesday for two years before taking up the managerial job at Rotherham United. He won the Third Division Championship in the 1980/81 season and was offered the daunting task of restoring Sheffield United to the First Division from the Fourth.In just under five years he led the club to promotion twice, but fell just short of the ultimate objective and was sacked in March 1986. He then managed Aberdeen (replacing Alex Ferguson), Reading and then Chelsea.In 1993 he made the brave move to Africa to oversee the rebuilding the Zambian team following a tragic air crash that had claimed the lives of many of their most gifted players. He was also involved in coaching Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe.He returned to England briefly after a money row forced him to leave Zambia before he could complete his job. He was assistant manager at Bolton Wanderers for four months in 1996, but a drink-driving charge prompted him to return abroad to manage both the Oman and Trinidad and Tobago national teams.In 2003 he became manager of Korean club side Busan I'Park, leading them to a cup win in 2004. He became Armenian manager in August 2006.Mr Porterfield’s widow Glenda said: "He may have been a football man all his life, but I know him best as a wonderful human being who was liked by everyone he came in contact with.”Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn led the tributes from the footballing world, saying: "It is a very, very sad day for the football club. The word legend can be very much over-used in the modern era of football, but Ian is what I would call a true legend of the game.”
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