By Mark Heys
September 12 2007

Former Bolton Wanderers first team coach and Sunderland FA Cup hero Ian Porterfield has sadly passed away at the age of 61 following a short battle against cancer.

The Scottish-born Porterfield joined Bolton halfway through the 1995-1996 season to assist manager Colin Todd with first team duties and during his time at Burnden Park results saw a change for the better.

Unfortunately Bolton where relegated from the Premiership that season and Porterfield quit his role with the club just a day before the final game of the season against Arsenal.

During his playing career Porterfield is best remembered for scoring the winning goal for Sunderland against a much fancied Leeds team in the 1973 FA Cup final.

He also took in spells with Raith Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday prior to embarking on a journeyman career at management level with a number of teams at home and abroad.

Rotherham United, Sheffield United, Aberdeen, Reading and Chelsea are clubs Porterfield served in the United Kingdom as a manager and he also coached Zambia, Zimbabwe, Oman and Trinidad & Tobago prior to getting back into club football with Busan Icons of Korea and Ghana's Asante Kotoko.

His last job in football was as the head coach of the Armenian national team where he continued to work just weeks prior to his tragic yet untimely death.

WALKING DOWN THE MANNY ROAD WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS ITS CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF IAN PORTERFIELD.