View source for Ian Stonebridge

{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2016}}
{{infobox football biography
| name        = Ian Stonebridge
| image             = 
| fullname          = Ian Robert Stonebridge
| height            =
| position          = [[Forward (football)|Forward]]
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1981|8|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Lewisham]], England
| youthyears1       = {{0|0000}}–1999
| youthclubs1 = [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]
| years1            = 1999–2004 | clubs1 = [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]]
| caps1             = 171       | goals1 = 38
| years2            = 2004–2007 | clubs2 = [[Wycombe Wanderers F.C.|Wycombe Wanderers]]
| caps2             = 74        | goals2 = 6
| years3            = 2005      | clubs3 = → [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]] (loan)
| caps3             = 3         | goals3 = 0
| years4            = 2008–2009 | clubs4 = [[Truro City F.C.|Truro City]]
| caps4             = 6         | goals4 = 3
| totalcaps         = 254
| totalgoals        = 47
| nationalyears1    = 1999      | nationalteam1 = [[England national under-18 football team|England U18]]
| nationalcaps1     = 4         | nationalgoals1 = 2
}}

Dr '''Ian Robert Stonebridge''' (born 30 August 1981) is an English former professional [[Association football|footballer]]. He played in the [[Football League]] for [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]], [[Wycombe Wanderers F.C.|Wycombe Wanderers]] and [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]]. He represented [[England national football team|England]] at [[England national under-18 football team|Under–18]] level.

==Playing career==
Stonebridge was born in [[Lewisham]], [[London]] and began his career as a trainee with [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]. He failed to make the grade at [[White Hart Lane]] and moved to [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]] on a free transfer in July 1999. His league debut came on 7 August 1999 in a 2–1 defeat away to [[Southend United F.C.|Southend United]]. In the 2001–02 season he helped Plymouth to the [[Football League Two|Division Three]] title and with it promotion to [[Football League One|Division Two]]. After a season of consolidation, Stonebridge then helped Argyle to the Division Two title in 2004, but left at the end of the season to join [[Wycombe Wanderers F.C.|Wycombe Wanderers]] after learning that he would not be a regular in the higher division.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wycombe_wanderers/3940863.stm Wycombe sign Stonebridge]</ref>

He was a regular in his first season with Wycombe, but lost his place in the 2005–06 season, joining [[Torquay United F.C.|Torquay United]] on loan in November 2005<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/torquay_united/4406390.stm Constantine leaves Gulls for Vale]</ref> and scoring on his debut in the [[FA Cup]] draw with [[Harrogate Town F.C.|Harrogate Town]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/4387964.stm Torquay 1-1 Harrogate Town]</ref> He returned early from his loan spell due to injury.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wycombe_wanderers/4536296.stm Wycombe recall loanee Stonebridge]</ref> When he returned to fitness, he scored twice in two games and put in some good performances. After missing pre-season through [[ankle problems]], Stonebridge returned to form with a 35-yard winner against [[Swindon Town F.C.|Swindon Town]] in October 2006.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZCFt3lIJMc Youtube Video of wonder goal Vs Swindon]</ref> Due to a persistent joint injury named [[Arthropathy|reactive arthropathy]], Stonebridge announced his premature retirement from professional football in March 2007 at the age of just 25.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wycombe_wanderers/6409457.stm Stonebridge Forced To Quit Game]</ref> He made a brief comeback for [[Cornwall|Cornish]] [[Southern Football League|Southern League]] club [[Truro City F.C.|Truro City]] in the 2008–09 season.

==International career==
Having joined [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]] in the summer of 1999, Stonebridge made his debut for [[England national under-18 football team|England Under–18]]'s against [[Switzerland national football team|Switzerland]], less than a month after making his first-team debut. He went on to be capped three more times during the qualifying rounds of the [[UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship|Under–18 European Championships]], scoring two goals.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010417113625/http://www.pafc.co.uk/squad_strikers_first.htm Argyle First-team In 2000]</ref>

==Coaching==
Since retiring from playing, Ian has gained a degree in Applied Sport Science and Coaching at [[Plymouth Marjon University]] and an MSc in Sport Coaching at [[Loughborough University]]. He completed his PhD at [[Loughborough University]] in 2023, studying coach identity from a [[Post-structuralism|post-structural]] perspective.

Ian is now a lecturer in Sports Coaching at [[Plymouth Marjon University]] for courses including [https://www.marjon.ac.uk/courses/sport-coaching-pe-degree/ BA (Hons) Sport, Coaching and Physical Education] and  [https://www.marjon.ac.uk/courses/football-degree/ BA (Hons) Football Development and Coaching].

==Honours==
;Plymouth Argyle
'''[[Football League Third Division|Third Division]]'''
* Winner (1): [[2001-02 in English football|2001–02]]

'''[[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]'''
* Winner (1): [[2003-04 in English football|2003–04]]

==Post Career==
Ian ran in the UTMB Arc of Attrition 50 in 2025. He was a legend. He was adopted by Plymouth Musketeers as an honorary member.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Soccerbase|name=Ian Stonebridge's}}
* [http://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/gosdb-players2.asp?pid=792&scp=1,2,3,4,5,6,7 Greens on Screen]
* [https://archive.today/20081010072151/http://www.argylereview.co.uk/player.asp?forename=Ian&surname=Stonebridge Argyle Review]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stonebridge, Ian}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Footballers from the London Borough of Lewisham]]
[[Category:People from Lewisham]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players]]
[[Category:Plymouth Argyle F.C. players]]
[[Category:Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Torquay United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Truro City F.C. players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:21st-century English sportsmen]]