Paul Ifill
Encyclopedia
Paul Everton Ifill is a Barbadian British
Barbadian British
Barbadian British people, or Bajan-Brits are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in the Caribbean island of Barbados...

 footballer who plays for Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix FC
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...

 in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...

.

Club career

After rejection from Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

's youth team as a 16-year-old, Ifill went back to his home town, Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...

. He enrolled on a physical education course at college and played non-League football in the same Saltdean United
Saltdean United F.C.
Saltdean United F.C. are a football club based in Saltdean, which is a suburb of Brighton & Hove, England.-History:They joined the Sussex County League Division Three in 1984...

 team as his father.

Millwall

He was scouted by Jeff Burnidge and Mick Beard after being tipped off by a former Millwall player and was signed by Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...

 as a centre-forward.

After suffering injury at a crucial time between contracts he was given just one month to prove himself by manager Billy Bonds
Billy Bonds
William Arthur "Billy" Bonds MBE is a former professional footballer and manager, who is most often associated with West Ham United with whom he spent 27 years as player and manager...

. Ifill responded by scoring four goals the next Saturday and two more the following week.

Injuries led to Millwall switching him to midfield, but a recurring back injury prevented him from sprinting, a basic requirement for a winger. Despite seeing a number of different specialists, he was out for three months, and was in danger of having to end his career. Fortunately, a Harley Street
Harley Street
Harley Street is a street in the City of Westminster in London, England which has been noted since the 19th century for its large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery.- Overview :...

 consultant diagnosed a pelvic flaw pressing on a nerve, the day after treatment he was able to sprint again. He was a member of the team that reached the 2004 FA Cup Final, where they lost to Manchester United.

Sheffield United

He signed for Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

 in May 2005 for £800,000, after making over 200 league appearances at The New Den
New Den Stadium
The Den , is a football stadium and the home of Millwall FC. It is situated in South Bermondsey, South East London, almost directly adjacent to the railway line between London Bridge and New Cross Gate, plus the SELCHP incinerator. It is under a quarter of a mile away from original Den...

.

In his first season at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...

, United raced into a large lead, and despite falling behind eventual champions Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

, the Blades finished as runners-up, securing promotion to the Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...

 in the process.

In the top flight, Ifill fell out of favour, and boss Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....

 placed him on the transfer list. During the January transfer window, Ifill left the Blades and after much competition from other clubs was unveiled by Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

, having signed for a reported £800,000 fee.

Crystal Palace

At Palace Ifill's career stuttered, with him struggling for fitness. Warnock's appointment to the managers' post at Palace did not leave him without any chances, but nevertheless Ifill struggled to remain fit.

On 18 August 2008 Ifill and team mate Carl Fletcher were put on the transfer list by manager Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....

. He was released by Crystal Palace on 6 May 2009 with eight other players.

Wellington Phoenix

On 21 July 2009, Ifill signed a two-year contract with New Zealand-based Wellington Phoenix
Wellington Phoenix FC
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...

 of the Australian A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...

. He scored his first goal for his new club in his second appearance netting a header off a pinpoint cross from Leo Bertos
Leo Bertos
Leonida Christos "Leo" Bertos is a New Zealand association football player who plays as an attacking midfielder or right winger for New Zealand-based A-League team Wellington Phoenix and has represented the New Zealand national football team.-Early life:Bertos was born in Wellington, to a Greek...

 to help secure a 2-1 win over Perth Glory at Westpac Stadium. Ifill's second goal came against Adelaide United.

On 6 September 2009 two days after his goal against Adelaide, Ifill signed a contract extension to keep him at the Phoenix until the end of the 2011/2012 season, with an option for an extra year.
Ifill's third goal came on 25 October 2009 as the Phoenix hammered Gold Coast United 6-0, a regular-season record for the largest win. Ifill not only scored, but provided three assists in a masterful performance.

Ifill then scored in three consecutive games for the Phoenix, resulting in two wins and a draw for the fledgling club. On 31 December 2009, Ifill scored both goals in a 2-0 win over the Central Coast Mariners, pushing the Phoenix back up to seventh position in a congested ladder.

In Ifill's first two games of 2010, Ifill provided the Phoenix with a superb assist to Eugene Dadi
Eugène Dadi
Eugène Dadi is an Ivorian association football Striker who is playing for Manado United on Liga Primer Indonesia side. He has previously played for clubs in Switzerland, France, Austria, Scotland, England, Israel, Australia, New Zealand and currently played in Indonesia...

 in a match against the Brisbane Roar as well as a goal against North Queensland Fury.

Ifill's tenth goal for the Wellington Phoenix came on 7 February 2010 via a penalty against Gold Coast United in a 1-0 win. The goal put the Wellington club into the top four leading into the final round of the regular season.

Ifill then scored twice more against Central Coast Mariners in the final round of the regular season to help his team to a 3-0 win, securing fourth position. In the process, Ifill joined former Phoenix marksman Shane Smeltz
Shane Smeltz
Shane Edward Smeltz is a New Zealand professional association football player. He plays as a striker for Perth Glory FC.-Club career:...

 as record holder of most goals scored in a regular season (12).

Ifill scored in the penalty shoot-out as the Phoenix prevailed over Perth 1-1 (4-2 on penalties) in the first week of the playoffs. Ifill scored an extra-time goal as the Phoenix moved past Newcastle 3-1 in the second week. However Ifill had a comparatively quiet match as the Phoenix were downed 4-2 by eventual champions Sydney FC
Sydney FC
Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...

 in the Preliminary Final.

Ifill was injured early in the Phoenix's game against Newcastle Jets on 18 December 2010, and it was initially feared he had broken his leg. However, later scans showed that there was no fracture, but an ankle sprain with some ligament damage. The expectation is that he will miss six weeks of the 2010/11 season.

International career

Ifill plays internationally for Barbados
Barbados national football team
The Barbados national football team, nicknamed Bajan Pride, is the national association football team of Barbados and is controlled by the Barbados Football Association. It has never qualified for a major international tournament...

 due to parental nationality and played in two World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...

 qualifying games for Barbados in June 2004 against St Kitts & Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis national football team
The Saint Kitts and Nevis national football team is the national team of Saint Kitts and Nevis and is controlled by the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association...

.

He was recalled to the squad for three Caribbean Nations Cup 2007
Caribbean Nations Cup 2007
The Digicel Caribbean Cup 2007 is the fourteenth edition of the biennial Caribbean Cup, the finals of which were contested in Trinidad and Tobago between 12 January and 23 January 2007. The four semifinalists qualified for the 2007 edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup...

 Group B fixtures against St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda national football team
The Antigua and Barbuda national football team is the national team of Antigua and Barbuda and is controlled by the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association. A member of CONCACAF. The team's best performance was in the 1998 Caribbean Cup where it placed 4th...

 and Anguilla
Anguilla national football team
The Anguilla national football team is the national team of Anguilla, a British colony in the Caribbean, and is controlled by the Anguilla Football Association. It is affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF....

 at the Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team...

. On 24 September 2006, he scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...

 for Barbados during their 7-1 Gold Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...

 qualifying victory over Anguilla at the Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team...

.

Ifill was recalled for Barbados' semifinal Group G, in which he scored twice in three games, as the hosts advanced to the finals, in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...

, in January 2007.

He scored all his international goals for Barbados in the 2006-07 Caribbean Nations Cup, the qualification tournament for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third...

.

Ifill captained his country against USA in two 2010 World Cup qualification matches, which Barbados lost 9-0 on aggregate.
Paul Ifill International goals
# Date Opponent Stadium Final Score Result Competition
1 20 September 2006 Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team...

 
1-1 Draw Caribbean Nations Cup 2006/07
2 24 September 2006 Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground
Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team...

 
7-1 Win Caribbean Nations Cup 2006/07
3
4
5 21 November 2006 Barbados National Stadium
Barbados National Stadium
Barbados National Stadium was officially opened on October 23, 1970. It is a multi-use outdoor stadium in Waterford, St. Michael, Barbados. Situated approximately 4.3km northeast of Bridgetown it is located off Highway 3. The stadium is currently used mostly for football matches...

 
3-0 Win Caribbean Nations Cup 2006/07
6 28 November 2006 Barbados National Stadium
Barbados National Stadium
Barbados National Stadium was officially opened on October 23, 1970. It is a multi-use outdoor stadium in Waterford, St. Michael, Barbados. Situated approximately 4.3km northeast of Bridgetown it is located off Highway 3. The stadium is currently used mostly for football matches...

 
1-1 Draw Caribbean Nations Cup 2006/07
Last updated 1 September 2010

Personal life

Ifill is the son of English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 and Barbadian
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...

 parents, Everton and Christine. Ifill's partner is Elle Isaac and they have a baby daughter Romy born in 2006.

Club career statistics

All-Time Club Performances
Club Season   League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...

Europe
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...


(Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

)
(Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

)
1998–99 15 1 2 0 17 1
1999–00 48 11 1 0 1 0 50 11
2000–01 35 6 3 0 3 1 41 7
Season   Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

Europe
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
2001–02 44 4 1 0 2 0 47 4
2002–03 45 6 4 1 1 0 50 7
2003–04 33 8 6 1 39 9
2004–05
2004–05 Football League Championship
The Football League 2004–05 , was the thirteenth season under its current league division format. It began in August 2004 and concluded in May 2005, with the promotion play-off finals. This was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League...

18 4 2 0 20 4
Club Total 238 40 15 2 9 1 2 0 264 43
Club Season   Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

Europe
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...


(Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

)
(Premier League)
2005–06 39 9 1 0 1 0 41 9
Season   Premier League FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

Carling Cup Europe
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
2006–07 3 0 3 0
Club Total 42 9 1 0 1 0 44 9
Club Season   Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

Carling Cup Europe
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....

Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Cystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...


(Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...

)
2006–07 13 2 1 0 1 0 15 2
2007–08 15 2 15 2
2008–09 33 5 3 1 2 0 38 6
Club Total 61 9 4 1 3 0 68 10
Club Season   A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...

Finals Series Asia Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Wellington Phoenix FC
Wellington Phoenix FC
Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...


(A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...

)
2009–10 27 12 3 1 30 13
2010–11
2010–11 A-League
The 2010–11 A-League season is the sixth season of the Australian football championship since its establishment in 2004. The home and away season began on 5 August 2010 and concluded on 13 February 2011. The addition of brought the total number of teams to 11...

8 4 8 4
Club Total 35 16 3 1 38 17
Career totals 372 73 23 4 13 1 2 0 410 78
Last updated 1 October 2010

Honours

With Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...

:
  • 2004 FA Cup Runners-Up Medal

Personal Honours:
  • Wellington Phoenix Player's Player of the Year: 2009-10
  • Wellington Phoenix Member's Player of the Year: 2009-10

External links

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