John Impey

{{short description|English association football player and manager}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = John Impey

| image =

| caption =

| full_name = John Edward Impey{{Hugman|9855|access-date=11 October 2021}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|8|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Exeter, England

| height = 5 ft 11 in{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=364 |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5}}

| position = Centre-back

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Cardiff City

| years1 = 1972–1975 | clubs1 = Cardiff City | caps1 = 21 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1975–1983 | clubs2 = AFC Bournemouth | caps2 = 284 | goals2 = 7

| years3 = 1979 | clubs3 = → Seattle Sounders (loan) | caps3 = 22 | goals3 = 1

| years4 = 1983–1985 | clubs4 = Torquay United | caps4 = 72 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1985–1986 | clubs5 = Exeter City | caps5 = 26 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 1986–1988 | clubs6 = Torquay United | caps6 = 58 | goals6 = 2

| years7 = 1988–1989 | clubs7 = Weymouth | caps7 = | goals7 = 1

| years8 = 1989–1990 | clubs8 = Tiverton Town | caps8 = | goals8 = 5

| nationalyears1 = 1969 | nationalteam1 = England Schoolboys | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1973 | nationalteam2 = England Youth | nationalcaps2 = 5 | nationalgoals2 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1989 | managerclubs1 = Weymouth (caretaker manager)

| manageryears2 = 1991 | managerclubs2 = Torquay United

| manageryears3 = 1999–200x | managerclubs3 = Totnes Town

}}

John Edward Impey (born 11 August 1954) is an English former professional football player and manager. As player, he made 461 appearances in the Football League representing Cardiff City, AFC Bournemouth, Torquay United and Exeter City,{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player2/johnimpey.html |title=John Impey |work=UK A–Z Transfers |publisher=Neil Brown |accessdate=2 December 2009}} and spent a season in the North American Soccer League with the Seattle Sounders. As manager, he led Torquay United to promotion from the Football League Fourth Division. He represented England at Schools and Youth level.{{cite news |title=Francis in youth party for Spain |newspaper=The Times |date=21 April 1972 |page=10}}

Career

Impey joined Cardiff City as a 14-year-old after being spotted playing at Barnstaple for Exeter Schools against North Devon Schools. He turned professional with Cardiff in August 1972, moving on to AFC Bournemouth in July 1975 where he established himself as a centre-back. He spent the summer of 1979 on loan with the Seattle Sounders in the North American Soccer League.{{cite web |url=http://nasljerseys.com/Players/I/Impey.John.htm |title=North American Soccer League Players Graham Bell |work=NASL Jerseys |publisher=Dave Morrison |accessdate=2 December 2009}} He made a total of 284 league appearances for Bournemouth before leaving to join Torquay United in August 1983.

He moved to Exeter City in July 1985 for a season but returned to Torquay in July 1986 and was appointed as captain by new manager Cyril Knowles a year later as Torquay almost reached the play-offs. He retired from full-time football after one more season, and joined Conference club Weymouth as player-assistant manager, spending a brief period as caretaker manager in early 1989.{{cite web |url=http://www.theterras.co.uk/website/old-season-first-team/1988-1989.htm |title=1988–1989 |publisher=Weymouth F.C |accessdate=2 December 2009}}{{cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:LTIB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0F91024592F9FA95&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB57AB53DF815 |title=Dover facing cup onslaught |first=Paul |last=Newman |newspaper=The Times |format=reprint |publisher=NewsBank |date=20 January 1989 |accessdate=2 December 2009}} In the 1989–90 season he played in the Western Football League for Tiverton Town.{{cite web |url=http://www.tivertontownfc.com/league8990page.htm |title=1989–1990 Season Western League Premier Division |publisher=Tiverton Town F.C |accessdate=2 December 2009 }}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Impey remained at Torquay United as youth coach under first Knowles and then Dave Smith. Smith was dismissed in April 1991 after Torquay's promotion push appeared to be falling apart and Impey was appointed manager, the first to be appointed by chairman Mike Bateson, guiding them to the play-offs by finishing in seventh place in the Fourth Division. They beat Burnley in the play-off semi-final and on 31 May 1991 Impey led his side out at Wembley for the final against Blackpool. The game went to a penalty shootout, which went to sudden death. Goalkeeper Gareth Howells scored Torquay's sixth penalty, Blackpool forward Dave Bamber missed, and Torquay were in the Third Division for the first time in 19 years. Impey was dismissed in October 1991 after Torquay had lost seven of the first eight games of the season.{{cite web |url=http://www.torquayunited.com/page/History/0,,10445~289478,00.html |title=The History of Torquay United |publisher=Torquay United F.C |accessdate=2 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929033032/http://www.torquayunited.com/page/History/0%2C%2C10445~289478%2C00.html |archivedate=29 September 2009 }}

In July 1999 he was appointed manager of Totnes Town, a position he still held in April 2000. In May 2001, the Herald Express reported that Impey was still living in Torquay.

References

External links

[http://www.soundercentral.com/museum/1979updates/1979_sounders_roster.htm 1979 Seattle Sounders roster]
[http://nasljerseys.com/Players/I/Impey.John.htm NASL stats]
{{NeilBrownPlayers|player2/johnimpey}}

Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Exeter

Category:English men's footballers

Category:Men's association football defenders

Category:Cardiff City F.C. players

Category:AFC Bournemouth players

Category:Seattle Sounders (1974–1983) players

Category:Torquay United F.C. players

Category:Exeter City F.C. players

Category:Weymouth F.C. players

Category:Tiverton Town F.C. players