Barry Fry

In 1974, Dunstable Town received the financial backing of Keith Cheesman.^[1] He hired a young Barry Fry as manager, and gave him money to build up a strong team; indeed in his autobiography, Fry claims that he was often given blank, signed cheques. Of note, both Jeff Astle and George Best were brought in to play for the team with Best playing two pre-season games to promote interest in the club.^[2] Dunstable were promoted under Fry, but he was later dismissed by Cheeseman's successor, Billy Kitt, after a poor performance in the Southern League. ^{[citation needed]}

After spells at Hillingdon Borough and hometown club Bedford Town, in 1979 Fry became Barnet manager for the first of two management spells covering almost thirteen seasons. In his first spell, Barnet maintained a mid-table position in the Alliance League for six seasons before Fry left in December 1985 to manage Maidstone United. He returned to Barnet in August 1986 for a further seven seasons. Three times runners-up in the GM Vauxhall Conference, Fry achieved his first managerial success as Champions in 1990–91. Two years later he guided them towards the new Division Two (leaving two months before the end of the season to manage Southend United) despite being sacked eight times and reinstated each time by controversial chairman Stan Flashman,^[1] as well as being in charge of a club which was in a precarious financial state and under threat of expulsion from the Football League. ^{[citation needed]}

Fry moved to Southend United in 1993 with the club bottom of Division One. Fry kept Southend up, but later in the year moved to Birmingham City.^[1] Though Birmingham were relegated in his first season, he won the Division Two championship and the Football League Trophy in 1994–95. During the 1995–96 season, Fry guided the Blues to the semi-finals of the League Cup but was sacked after the club finished 15th in Division One.^[3]

Just after leaving Birmingham, Fry became chairman-manager of Peterborough United. They were relegated to Division Three in his first season at the helm but they regained their Division Two status three years later. Fry's nine-year reign as manager came to an end in May 2005 after they were relegated again, after which time he took up a role as director of football.^[4] Fry remained as chairman until September 2006 when Darragh MacAnthony succeeded him.^[1]

Fry in popular culture

Fry starred in a documentary called There's Only One Barry Fry. The programme included some of Fry's dressing room antics, including a row with Mick Bodley and his promise to get the Posh out of Division Two.^[5] The documentary shows how Fry signed De Souza to Peterborough from Wycombe, and shouted "Sold to the fat bastard in the blue blazer!" when Fry and De Souza reached an agreement.^[6]

Betting controversy

In December 2018, Fry was charged by the Football Association for alleged misconduct in relation to betting after claims that he placed bets on matches or competitions during the 2017–18 season, in breach of FA rules.^[7] He accepted the charges, and on 31 January 2019 he was suspended from all footballing activity for four months, with three months of those suspended for a two-year period.^[8]

Note: These figures include only those matches in Soccerbase's database.

As of 22 March 2009^[9]

Barnet

• Football Conference: 1990–91; runner-up: 1986–87, 1987–88, 1989–90
• Conference League Cup: 1988–89

Birmingham City

• Football League Second Division: 1994–95
• Football League Trophy: 1994–95^[10]

Peterborough United

• Football League Third Division play-offs: 2000

Individual

• Football Conference Manager of the Month: September 1986,^[11] January 1987^[11]

• Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. pp. 66–67. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
• "Barry Fry". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Neil Brown.
• "Manager profile". League Managers' Association.