James Patrick Ferry (born 20 April 1997) is an English retired semi-professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. He is a product of the Brentford academy and played in the EFL for Stevenage, before dropping into non-League football in 2019 and retiring from football in 2021.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Patrick Ferry[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1997-04-20) 20 April 1997 (age 25) | ||
| Place of birth | Enfield, England[2] | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2015 | Brentford | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2017 | Brentford | 0 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Wycombe Wanderers (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2016 | → Welling United (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2017–2019 | Stevenage | 12 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | → Nuneaton Town (loan) | 22 | (2) |
| 2018–2019 | → Halifax Town (loan) | 10 | (2) |
| 2019 | Woking | 6 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Eastbourne Borough | 61 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ferry began his youth career at Brentford and captained the Bees' U15 team during the 2012 Milk Cup, leading the side to victory in the Junior category.[4] Despite missing much of the 2012–13 season with injury, he signed a scholarship deal in May 2013.[5] He made 33 appearances and scored six goals during his two seasons as a scholar and captained the youth team to the 2014–15 Professional U18 Development League 2 Final.[6][7][8]
Ferry signed a one-year Development Squad contract in June 2015 and began the 2015–16 season as a near ever-present in the Professional U21 Development League 2 South,[4] impressing enough to sign a new one-year contract extension in November 2015.[9] After two spells away on loan, Ferry received his maiden call into the first team squad for a Championship match versus Ipswich Town on 9 April 2016, but remained an unused substitute during the 3–1 victory.[3] He was a regular in the B team during the 2016–17 season and helped the team to win the Kai Thor Cup,[10] but failed to win any further first team call ups before departing Griffin Park in May 2017.[11]
On 26 November 2015, Ferry joined League Two club Wycombe Wanderers on a one-month loan,[12] but failed to win a call into a squad before his loan expired.[13]
Ferry joined National League strugglers Welling United on a one-month loan on 28 January 2016.[14] He made the first senior appearance of his career two days later, when he played the full 90 minutes of a 1–1 draw with Halifax Town.[15] Ferry made six further appearances before his loan expired.[15]
On 12 May 2017, Ferry joined League Two club Stevenage on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[16][17] He made three EFL Trophy appearances before departing on loan for the remainder of the 2017–18 season on 15 December 2017.[18] Ferry was a regular inclusion in the first team squad during the first three months of the 2018–19 season and made 15 appearances, mostly as a substitute,[19] before departing on loan in December 2018.[20] Shortly after his return in March 2019, he was transferred out of the club.[21] In just under two seasons with Stevenage, Ferry made 18 appearances.[22]
On 15 December 2017, Ferry joined National League North club Nuneaton Town on a one-month loan,[23] which was later extended until the end of the season.[18] He made his debut with a start in a 3–0 defeat to Kidderminster Harriers on eight days later.[3] On 27 February 2018, Ferry scored the first senior goal of his career with the opener in a 2–1 victory over A.F.C. Telford United.[3] He finished his spell with 22 appearances and two goals.[3]
On 15 December 2018, Ferry joined National League club Halifax Town on a 93-day loan.[20] He made 12 appearances and scored two goals during his spell.[3][24]
On 28 March 2019, Ferry joined high-flying National League South club Woking on a contract until the end of the 2018–19 season.[17] He made six appearances in what remained of the regular season, but did not feature in the Cards' successful playoff campaign.[3] Ferry was released at the end of the season.[25]
On 21 June 2019, Ferry joined National League South club Eastbourne Borough on a one-year contract.[25] He made 64 appearances and scored two goals during the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons,[26] both of which were abandoned due to COVID-19.[27][28] Ferry was retained for the 2021–22 season.[29] On 5 December 2021, Ferry mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Eastbourne after struggling with the commute from his West London home.[30] He ended his 2+1⁄2-year career with the club on 88 appearances and two goals and subsequently retired from football due to work commitments.[26][31]
Ferry attended Enfield Grammar School.[32]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brentford | 2015–16[15] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Welling United (loan) | 2015–16[15] | National League | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Stevenage | 2017–18[33] | League Two | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018–19[34] | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| Total | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Nuneaton Town (loan) | 2017–18[3] | National League North | 22 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 | ||
| Halifax Town (loan) | 2018–19[3] | National League | 10 | 2 | — | — | 2[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 12 | 2 | ||
| Woking | 2018–19[3] | National League South | 6 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Eastbourne Borough | 2019–20[26] | National League South | 32 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 6[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 40 | 2 | |
| 2020–21[26] | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 24 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22[26] | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 24 | 0 | |||
| Total | 70 | 2 | 10 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 88 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 127 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 153 | 6 | ||
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