Tommy O'Neil
Encyclopedia
Thomas Patrick "Tommy" O'Neil (25 October 1952 – May 2006) was an English
footballer who played as a defender
for various English clubs, including Manchester United
, Southport
and Tranmere Rovers
.
Born in St Helens, Merseyside
, O'Neil was a schoolboy international at both football and rugby league
, but abandoned the oval ball in favour of the spherical one. He began his football career as an apprentice with Manchester United in 1968, and signed on as a professional in November 1969. He made his first team debut on 5 May 1971 in a 4–3 victory over Manchester City
at Maine Road
. A lack of quality competition for the right-back berth meant that O'Neil was a regular in that position throughout the 1971–72 season, missing just five games during the season. However, after Tommy Docherty
replaced Frank O'Farrell
as manager half-way through the 1972–73 season, O'Neil fell out of favour and was allowed to go on loan to Blackpool
in March 1973. He made seven appearances for Blackpool, and, although he returned to Manchester United at the end of the spell, he left the club for Southport in August 1973.
In five seasons at Southport, O'Neil made 197 appearances and scored 16 goals before moving on to Tranmere Rovers in 1978. He made 74 appearances in two seasons with Tranmere, scoring 10 goals in the process, and was transferred to Halifax Town
in 1980. After two years at Halifax, O'Neil retired from professional football and went into coaching. O'Neil eventually ended up back at Manchester United, coaching the club's academy teams from Under-9s to Under-16s until 2005. He died a year later at the age of 53.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who played as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for various English clubs, including Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Southport
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
and Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
.
Born in St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
, O'Neil was a schoolboy international at both football and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, but abandoned the oval ball in favour of the spherical one. He began his football career as an apprentice with Manchester United in 1968, and signed on as a professional in November 1969. He made his first team debut on 5 May 1971 in a 4–3 victory over Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
. A lack of quality competition for the right-back berth meant that O'Neil was a regular in that position throughout the 1971–72 season, missing just five games during the season. However, after Tommy Docherty
Tommy Docherty
Thomas Henderson "Tommy" Docherty , commonly known as "The Doc", is a Scottish former footballer and football manager.-Playing career:...
replaced Frank O'Farrell
Frank O'Farrell
Francis 'Frank' O'Farrell is an Irish former football player and manager.-Early:Frank O'Farrell started his playing career with Cork United, but followed his former Cork teammate, Tommy Moroney to West Ham United in January 1948. A quietly spoken, but nonetheless determined and talented wing-half,...
as manager half-way through the 1972–73 season, O'Neil fell out of favour and was allowed to go on loan to Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
in March 1973. He made seven appearances for Blackpool, and, although he returned to Manchester United at the end of the spell, he left the club for Southport in August 1973.
In five seasons at Southport, O'Neil made 197 appearances and scored 16 goals before moving on to Tranmere Rovers in 1978. He made 74 appearances in two seasons with Tranmere, scoring 10 goals in the process, and was transferred to Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...
in 1980. After two years at Halifax, O'Neil retired from professional football and went into coaching. O'Neil eventually ended up back at Manchester United, coaching the club's academy teams from Under-9s to Under-16s until 2005. He died a year later at the age of 53.