Tony O'Connell
Encyclopedia
Tony O'Connell was an Irish
soccer player during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
O'Connell first came to prominence as a winger in 1959 with Shamrock Rovers when his balance and ball skills made the league sit up and take notice. He made his first team debut in a Dublin City Cup
tie on the 9th of September 1959 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1959/0910/Pg002.html#Ar00203:5E90FD63812B5FC11B64A13A59E2C65CC2DB5D843360644A5740FD5E012B.
He played against the likes of Valencia CF
in Europe during his first spell at Rovers and won the FAI Cup
in 1962.
There was interest from England in Tony but he snubbed them to move to America where he was nominated for an "All Star" during his spell at New York. He also played for Toronto City alongside Tony Book
and Malcolm Allison
. He returned to Ireland and Shamrock Rovers in time for the 1964/65 season and won his 2nd FAI Cup winners medal as Rovers beat Limerick on April 28. He scored the first goal in the final the following year at Dalymount Park
as Rovers once again beat Limerick to win the Cup.
He made a total of 7 appearances in Europe for Rovers. He got sent off at Prater Stadium against SK Rapid Wien
on the 16th of September 1964 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1964/0917/Pg003.html#Ar00302:1992CB29632632138837F3A62D13D83133F72654F729D50E1D356020C57826076029877A1EB94F2239672953873163A52683D72C23F52074F725950E1745601C657820276021677A21776221F77A22076025277A18894F1D6967.
O'Connell transferred to Dundalk during the summer of 1966 and he picked up yet more silverware as he helped Dundalk win the League of Ireland Shield
and League of Ireland
title. However Dundalk lost to Rovers in the FAI Cup semi-final in 1967 and 1968.
His form hadn't gone unnoticed and he earned his first full international cap for Republic of Ireland
against Spain in October 1966.http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/matchdetails.php?id=108.
In March 1969, he took the revolutionary step of buying out his contract with Dundalk to sign for Bohemians. In doing so, he became Bohs first ever professional after the club's members changed their 79-year old constitution to allow payment to players. He made his debut for the club on March 16 in a 1-1 draw against his former club Dundalk. This decision by the members was vindicated the following season as Bohs won their first major silverware for 34 years with O'Connell scoring the winner in the 1970 FAI Cup Final against Sligo Rovers. Within a year of this success however, Tony hung his boots and retired from playing after 42 league appearances and 10 league goals for Bohs.
This was not to be the end of Tony's association with Bohs though as he initiated the first ever shirt sponsorship in Irish football when his "Jodi" company appeared on the famous red and black jerseys. He would later sponsor the new stand in Dalymount Park
that opened in October 1999 and is still known as the "Jodi Stand". He also kept involved in football as manager of the Irish Schoolboy team and later as manager of Tolka Rovers where in 1991, he knocked Derry City
out of the FAI Cup. He also had a spell as Manchester City's Irish scout. In 1993, he was elected as Club President by the Bohemian members. During his tenure in that position, the club finished league runners-up on 2 occasions. He is still a member of Bohs to this day and had the honour of Honorary Life President bestowed upon him in 1999. A further honour followed in November 2007 when Tony was inducted into the Bohemian F.C. Hall of Fame.http://www.bohemians.ie/index.php/events/murphy-clubpoty.htm
Tony appeared at the Big Bohs Gig at the Olympia Theatre
in Dublin alongside RTE
's Joe Duffy
and ex-boxer Bernard Dunne
on 19 February 2011.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
soccer player during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
O'Connell first came to prominence as a winger in 1959 with Shamrock Rovers when his balance and ball skills made the league sit up and take notice. He made his first team debut in a Dublin City Cup
Dublin City Cup
The Dublin City Cup is a defunct Irish football tournament which was played for by all League of Ireland sides . It ran from 1933 and ran uninterrupted until 1973. In season 1975/76 it was revived and played for by sides who did not reach the League of Ireland Cup quarter finals...
tie on the 9th of September 1959 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1959/0910/Pg002.html#Ar00203:5E90FD63812B5FC11B64A13A59E2C65CC2DB5D843360644A5740FD5E012B.
He played against the likes of Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
in Europe during his first spell at Rovers and won the FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
in 1962.
There was interest from England in Tony but he snubbed them to move to America where he was nominated for an "All Star" during his spell at New York. He also played for Toronto City alongside Tony Book
Tony Book
Anthony Keith Book is a retired English footballer and manager who was born in Bath, 4 September 1934. Book spent a large part of his career in Non-League football with his home town club Bath City, before entering league football with Plymouth Argyle. At the age of 31, he joined First Division...
and Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...
. He returned to Ireland and Shamrock Rovers in time for the 1964/65 season and won his 2nd FAI Cup winners medal as Rovers beat Limerick on April 28. He scored the first goal in the final the following year at Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park is an Irish football stadium situated on Dublin's Northside. It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as 'Dalyer' by fans, it was also historically the "home of Irish football" holding Irish internationals and FAI Cup...
as Rovers once again beat Limerick to win the Cup.
He made a total of 7 appearances in Europe for Rovers. He got sent off at Prater Stadium against SK Rapid Wien
SK Rapid Wien
The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times...
on the 16th of September 1964 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1964/0917/Pg003.html#Ar00302:1992CB29632632138837F3A62D13D83133F72654F729D50E1D356020C57826076029877A1EB94F2239672953873163A52683D72C23F52074F725950E1745601C657820276021677A21776221F77A22076025277A18894F1D6967.
O'Connell transferred to Dundalk during the summer of 1966 and he picked up yet more silverware as he helped Dundalk win the League of Ireland Shield
League of Ireland Shield
The League of Ireland Shield is a defunct Irish football tournament which was introduced when the League of Ireland started in 1921 and ran uninterrupted until 1972...
and League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
title. However Dundalk lost to Rovers in the FAI Cup semi-final in 1967 and 1968.
His form hadn't gone unnoticed and he earned his first full international cap for Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
against Spain in October 1966.http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/matchdetails.php?id=108.
In March 1969, he took the revolutionary step of buying out his contract with Dundalk to sign for Bohemians. In doing so, he became Bohs first ever professional after the club's members changed their 79-year old constitution to allow payment to players. He made his debut for the club on March 16 in a 1-1 draw against his former club Dundalk. This decision by the members was vindicated the following season as Bohs won their first major silverware for 34 years with O'Connell scoring the winner in the 1970 FAI Cup Final against Sligo Rovers. Within a year of this success however, Tony hung his boots and retired from playing after 42 league appearances and 10 league goals for Bohs.
This was not to be the end of Tony's association with Bohs though as he initiated the first ever shirt sponsorship in Irish football when his "Jodi" company appeared on the famous red and black jerseys. He would later sponsor the new stand in Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park is an Irish football stadium situated on Dublin's Northside. It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as 'Dalyer' by fans, it was also historically the "home of Irish football" holding Irish internationals and FAI Cup...
that opened in October 1999 and is still known as the "Jodi Stand". He also kept involved in football as manager of the Irish Schoolboy team and later as manager of Tolka Rovers where in 1991, he knocked Derry City
Derry City F.C.
Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
out of the FAI Cup. He also had a spell as Manchester City's Irish scout. In 1993, he was elected as Club President by the Bohemian members. During his tenure in that position, the club finished league runners-up on 2 occasions. He is still a member of Bohs to this day and had the honour of Honorary Life President bestowed upon him in 1999. A further honour followed in November 2007 when Tony was inducted into the Bohemian F.C. Hall of Fame.http://www.bohemians.ie/index.php/events/murphy-clubpoty.htm
Tony appeared at the Big Bohs Gig at the Olympia Theatre
Olympia Theatre, Dublin
The Olympia Theatre is a concert hall/theatre venue in Dublin, Ireland, located in Dame Street.-History:Built in 1879, it was originally called the "Star of Erin Music Hall". Two years later in 1881, it was renamed "Dan Lowrey's Music Hall" and was renamed again in 1889 to "Dan Lowrey's Palace of...
in Dublin alongside RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
's Joe Duffy
Joe Duffy
Joseph "Joe" Duffy is an Irish broadcaster employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann . A Jacob's Award winner, he is the current presenter of Liveline, which is broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, Monday - Fridays between 13:45 and 15:00.Duffy has a history as a student activist; he was President of the Union of...
and ex-boxer Bernard Dunne
Bernard Dunne
Bernard Dunne is a retired Irish professional boxer and a former WBA, and European super bantamweight champion.On Saturday 21 March 2009, Dunne waged the war that he would be best remembered for and defeated Ricardo Cordoba in the 11th round to become the WBA super bantamweight champion in a fight...
on 19 February 2011.
Honours
- League of IrelandLeague of IrelandThe League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
- Dundalk - 1966/67
- FAI CupFAI CupThe Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
: 4- Shamrock Rovers - 1962, 1965, 1966
- Bohemians - 1970
- League of Ireland ShieldLeague of Ireland ShieldThe League of Ireland Shield is a defunct Irish football tournament which was introduced when the League of Ireland started in 1921 and ran uninterrupted until 1972...
- Shamrock Rovers - 1964
- Leinster Senior Cup (football)Leinster Senior Cup (football)The Leinster Senior Cup is an association football cup competition organised by the Leinster Football Association. It contested by the top League of Ireland sides based in the province in Leinster along with four Leinster Senior League sides and the two Leinster Junior Cup finalists. The Cup was...
- Shamrock Rovers - 1963/64
- Dublin City CupDublin City CupThe Dublin City Cup is a defunct Irish football tournament which was played for by all League of Ireland sides . It ran from 1933 and ran uninterrupted until 1973. In season 1975/76 it was revived and played for by sides who did not reach the League of Ireland Cup quarter finals...
- Shamrock Rovers - 1963/64
- 2 Irish Full International Caps
- League of Ireland Representative Team