High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Ian Leslie Atkins (born 16 January 1957 in Sheldon, Birmingham) is a former English professional footballer who became a manager later in his career, and now works as a coach with Sunderland. During a 20-year playing career he had eight clubs, including two spells with Sunderland and Birmingham City and playing more than 200 games with his first club Shrewsbury Town. He has managed eight Football League sides winning promotion with one of those; Northampton Town.