Rae Ingram (born 6 December 1974) is an English former professional footballer and sports masseur.
As a player, he was a defender, who played 152 league games in a ten-year career in the English Football League and Premier League. He began his career at Manchester City in July 1993 and made 21 appearances over the next five years. He was loaned out to Macclesfield Town in March 1993 and helped the "Silkmen" to promotion out of the Third Division in 1997âÂÂ98. He joined the club permanently in July 1998 before moving to Port Vale in June 2001. He left Vale Park in May 2003 and spent one season in the Welsh Premier League with Bangor City before announcing his retirement. After retiring as a player, he became a fireman and a sports masseur at Macclesfield Town.
Ingram started his career at Manchester City, signing professional forms at Maine Road in July 1993 under Brian Horton's stewardship. After battles against relegation in 1993âÂÂ94 and 1994âÂÂ95, the "Sky Blues" lost their Premier League status in 1995âÂÂ96 under Alan Ball. Ingram debuted on 30 August 1995 in a 2âÂÂ0 home defeat to Everton and played four more top-flight games during the campaign. A centre-half, he was forced to play out of position at left-back due to a lack of specialist full-backs at the club. He featured 22 times in 1996âÂÂ97, finding a first-team place from January onwards under new boss Frank Clark (who replaced short-term appointment Steve Coppell). He fell out of the first-team picture though in 1997âÂÂ98, and finished the season on loan at Macclesfield Town, after recovering from a bout of ME. He made five league appearances for Sammy McIlroy's "Silkmen", helping the club to finish as runners-up of the Third Division.
He went to Moss Rose permanently in July 1998 on a free transfer. Ingram made 34 appearances but could not prevent the club from finishing at the bottom of the Second Division in 1998âÂÂ99. He played 39 times in 1999âÂÂ2000 and 36 times in 2000âÂÂ01. He scored his first and only senior goal on 14 October 2000 in a 2âÂÂ1 home win over Cheltenham Town.
He signed with Port Vale in June 2001, reuniting him with former boss Brian Horton. He featured 28 times in 2001âÂÂ02, having lost his first-team place at Vale Park by December 2001. He could only play four games in 2002âÂÂ03, as he contracted meningitis in January 2003; after doctors confirmed it was the non-lethal strain he was released from hospital.
He was released by new manager Martin Foyle in May 2003, and subsequently signed for Welsh Premier League club Bangor City, who were managed by his former teammate Peter Davenport. He left Bangor at the end of the 2003âÂÂ04 season, after making 14 league appearances, and went into retirement.
After retiring as a player, Ingram worked as a firefighter in Sale, Greater Manchester. He also worked as a masseur at Macclesfield Town from 2013.
Macclesfield Town