Scott Barron

Ipswich Town

Born in Preston, Lancashire and growing up in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, Barron joined Ipswich Town's academy at the age of 10 after being spotted playing in St Ives. Adept as left back or a left midfielder, Barron's first involvement with the first team came on 16 March 2004, when he was named as a substitute for a Division One match against Walsall, though he did not play. Barron made his first team debut against Brentford in a 2–0 League Cup first round win in August 2004 and played the full 90 minutes. He was an unused substitute on another six occasions, but a persistent groin injury meant that he missed much of the 2004–05 season. Barron's injury problems continued into the 2005–06 season and he had to wait until December 2005 for his next appearance, when he replaced Darren Currie after 87 minutes of a 1–1 Championship draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Barron enjoyed a run of 15 first team appearances during the second half of the season, totalling 16 for the campaign. He was only called into the Ipswich Town squad once during the 2006–07 season and was released in June 2007 after his contract expired. He made 17 appearances for the club during his three years as a professional.

Wrexham (loan)

Due to a lack of first team opportunities at Ipswich Town, Barron joined League Two side Wrexham on loan in February 2007. He made three starting appearances and returned to Ipswich in March.

Millwall

Barron joined League One side Millwall in June 2007. He made 17 appearances during the 2007–08 season, as Millwall narrowly avoided relegation to League Two. Barron made 16 appearances in 2008–09 and scored the first senior goal of his career in an FA Cup third round replay against Crewe Alexandra on 13 January 2009. He was an unused substitute during Millwall's unsuccessful playoff campaign. In the 2009–10 season Barron made 29 appearances and won the first medal of his career when Millwall were promoted to the Championship after running out 1–0 victors against Swindon Town in the 2010 League One playoff final. Barron had a successful 2010–11 season in the Championship, making 42 appearances in a variety of positions and scoring two goals as Millwall finished ninth. His injury niggles returned during 2011–12 season and he played the latter part of the campaign while suffering from a recurring knee problem. He made 28 appearances during the 2011–12 season and was told he was free to leave the Lions at the end of the campaign. Barron made 132 appearances and scored three goals during his time with the club.

Brentford

Barron joined League One side Brentford on a two-year deal on 13 August 2012. He made 17 appearances during his debut season with the Bees, before undergoing surgery for a hip joint problem in March 2013. Barron made an additional four appearances for the Development Squad during the 2012–13 season. A highlight of his season was an 80th-minute substitute appearance in a 2–2 FA Cup fourth round draw with Premier League side Chelsea at Griffin Park on 27 January 2013. An injury to Jake Bidwell during the opening weeks of the 2013–14 season saw Barron return to the side, though he only managed five appearances before being sidelined with a groin problem. Upon his return from injury, Barron scored his first Development Squad goal in a 4–2 Professional Development League 2 South victory over Charlton Athletic on 30 September. With a fit-again Bidwell and stand-in left back Tony Craig ahead of him in the first team, Barron was made available for loan by manager Uwe Rösler in October 2013, but a recurrence of his hip injury prevented a loan materialising. Barron returned to training in mid-December.

An injury to Tony Craig meant that Barron received his first call-up into the first team squad in over four months, when he was an unused substitute for a 2–0 win over Port Vale on 11 January 2014. Barron played 71 minutes in a 1–1 Professional Development League 2 South draw with former side Ipswich Town on 14 January, before being brought off for Lewis Lavender. It was his first appearance at any level for the club since a 3–1 Development Squad defeat to Cardiff City on 14 October and he was made available for loan by new manager Mark Warburton the following day. Having overcome his niggling hip problem, Barron returned to full training on 27 February and was the subject of loan interest from League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge in mid-March. Barron made only five first team appearances during the 2013–14 season, in addition to making seven appearances and scoring one goal for the Development Squad. It was announced on 14 May that Barron would not be offered a new contract with the Bees. He made just 22 appearances during his two seasons with the club.

Free agent and retirement

In late June 2014, Barron was the subject of interest from League Two side AFC Wimbledon. In August 2014, Barron revealed he had retired from football due to the long-standing hip-joint problem which he initially suffered in a Football League Trophy match versus Southend United on 4 December 2012.

Personal life

Following his retirement, Barron joined Refuel Performance Management, helping footballers deal with off-pitch problems.

Honours

Millwall