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Ivor Broadis (1922-2019)
Written by Paul Joannou
Ivor Broadis, who was the club's oldest surviving player, sadly passed away on Friday evening aged 96.
At St. James' Park between 1953 and 1955, Broadis was a creative, fast-thinking inside-forward who possessed a lethal shot yet, although a well-respected player during the Fifties, he never seemed to fit in too well at Gallowgate.
He spoke out at times, noting that players were being treated as "second-class citizens" and once was quoted as saying: "I know what people say about me. That I'm hard to please. That I'm a rebel. Better to speak your mind than be a slave."
Known commonly as 'Ivor" although christened Ivan, he arrived at St. James' Park for a big £17,500 fee from Manchester City to boost United's creative ability on the field and rivalled fellow international Reg Davies for the number eight shirt.
Broadis made headlines on his home debut, laying on a goal in the opening minute then going on to score twice at Gallowgate. At times Ivor showed a mastery in everything he did and, appearing in the 1954 World Cup finals, he had an excellent record in an England shirt grabbing eight goals in 14 appearances.
However, after displaying some good form during United's FA Cup run in 1955, Ivor was left out of the Wembley line-up and moved on after 51 games (18 goals) within weeks of the Magpies' victory.
During the Second World War he was a commissioned officer, a Dakota navigator with a Transport Command squadron, while he also played for a number of sides on service, doing especially well with Spurs, netting 38 goals in 83 games.
On peace being restored, Broadis became, at 23 years of age, the youngest player-boss around when appointed at Carlisle United and later sold himself to Sunderland.
However he always had a close tie with Carlisle, where he had been stationed during the war, and by the time he had retired and had completed a second spell with the Cumbrians, Broadis had clocked up over 250 games for the club.
Afterwards Ivor became a sports journalist, initially on Tyneside with The Journal, then back in Cumbria with the Cumberland News as well as the Evening News & Star. Broadis settled on the outskirts of Carlisle.