| Ian Leigh | |
| Birth Date: | 11 June 1962 |
| Birth Place: | Ilfracombe, England |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Youthyears1: | 1978–1979 |
| Youthclubs1: | Swaythling |
| Youthyears2: | 1979–1981 |
| Youthclubs2: | Bournemouth |
| Years1: | 1981–1986 |
| Clubs1: | Bournemouth |
| Caps1: | 123 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 1984 |
| Clubs2: | → Bristol City (loan) |
| Caps2: | 1 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 1985 |
| Clubs3: | → Torquay United (loan) |
| Caps3: | 4 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 1986 |
| Clubs4: | Bashley |
| Caps4: | ? |
| Goals4: | ? |
| Years5: | 1986–1992 |
| Clubs5: | Hamrun Spartans |
| Caps5: | ? |
| Goals5: | ? |
| Totalcaps: | 128 |
| Totalgoals: | 0 |
Ian Leigh (born 11 June 1962) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Active between 1981 and 1992 in both England and Malta, in both League and non-League football, Leigh made over 125 career appearances.
Leigh was born in Ilfracombe, Devon on 11 June 1962.[1] [2] After retiring as a professional footballer, Leigh later became a double-glazing salesman in Southampton.[2]
Leigh began his career in non-League football with Swaythling, leaving them as a seventeen-year-old in October 1979 to join Football League team Bournemouth.[2] Leigh made his professional debut for Bournemouth in 1981 after replacing the injured Kenny Allen in an away game against Peterborough United, a game in which Bournemouth lost 1–0.[3] Over the next five seasons, Leigh made 123 appearances in the Football League for Bournemouth.[4] While playing in the FA Cup against defending champions Manchester United in January 1984, Leigh kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 victory, and was rewarded with a lifetime supply of pizzas from a local Italian restaurant.[2] [5] The deal stayed in place for over a year, until Bournemouth's then manager Harry Redknapp bought the restaurant, citing the fact that Leigh was getting, "a bit fat, a little bit lumpy."[2] [5] He also played as Bournemouth won the inaugural Associate Members' Cup by beating Hull City in the final.[6] Towards the end of his Bournemouth career, Leigh spent brief loan spells at Bristol City and Torquay United, making one and four appearances respectively.[7] [8] After Leigh left Bournemouth in 1986, he briefly played non-League football for Bashley, before moving to Malta to play with Hamrun Spartans, where he spent a further six seasons.[1] Leigh was renowned for his powerful long shots, and became Ħamrun Spartans' penalty taker.[1]