Alan Connell
Encyclopedia
Alan John Connell is an English
professional footballer who plays for Football League Two
side Swindon Town
as a striker.
He has previously played for Ipswich Town
, A.F.C. Bournemouth
, Torquay United
, Hereford United
and Grimsby Town
.
, Connell was a trainee at Tottenham Hotspur
as a youngster but soon transferred to George Burley
's Ipswich Town
in 2001. During Connell's only season at Portman Road
he was part of the squad that was relegated after finishing 18th in the Premier League. Ipswich also that season reached the third round of the UEFA Cup
, but despite all this Connell failed to make an impact and was released in the summer of 2002 after failing to make an appearance for the first team.
after a successful trial period at the end of the 2001–02 season
. Alan was handed his professional debut by Sean O'Driscoll
on 13 August 2002 in the clubs 0–0 home draw with Kidderminster Harriers
. He would go on to score 7 goals in 14 games before he suffered a cruciate ligament injury in October 2002 in a match against Leyton Orient
which ruled him out for the remainder of his first season. By the end of the season Bournemouth had earned promotion from Division Three
via a play-off final victory over Lincoln City
at the Millennium Stadium
in Cardiff
. During the 2003–2004 season, Connell would only feature 7 times for The Cherries. His final season at Bournemouth was also thwarted by a foot injury. In all, 42 of his 61 appearances for the Cherries were from the substitutes' bench and he scored 11 goals.
in the summer of 2005 for a fee of £5,000, making his debut in the 0–0 draw against Notts County
on the opening day of the 2005–2006 season. However he failed to secure a regular first-team place and Bournemouth even tried to sign him back on loan in March 2006. By the end of the season Torquay had narrowly avoided relegation from the Football League and Connell would eventually leave the club after making 26 appearances in all competitions, scoring 7 goals.
play-off champions Hereford United
in July 2006. After initially being restricted to substitute appearances, Connell broke into the starting eleven and went on to become the top goalscorer at the club, despite not always playing in his favoured role as a striker. In the second half of the season, he was usually named in the starting XI as other strikers at the club were rotated. He was named Player of the Month for October. He finished the season on 51 appearances in all competitions scoring 10 goals
on 2 July 2007. He remained at Griffin Park
for only one season and departed a year later.
re-signed Connell for an undisclosed fee. The club who had recently been relegated back into Football League Two
were also handed a point deduction for financial irregularities. Connell and Bournemouth secured their Football League status and prevented a second successive relegation when they beat relegation rivals Grimsby Town
2–1 at home on the final day of the 2008–09 season. Other results had meant Grimsby also avoided the drop. During the 2009–10 season despite a transfer embargo being placed on the club, Bournemouth surged home to finish 2nd in the League and earn promotion back to Football League One
. Connell made 60 appearances, scoring 8 goals during his second spell with the club.
side Grimsby Town
. The club had suffered relegation in the previous season from League Two, whilst Connell and former club Bournemouth had earnt promotion. On the 17 July 2010 Alan scored on his home debut for Town in a 2–1 friendly win over Sheffield Wednesday. He then made his league debut on 14 August 2010 in a 1–0 win against Crawley Town
and scored his first league goal in the 2–1 home defeat against Hayes & Yeading. Connell went on to score 14 goals in his opening 19 appearances for The Mariners doubling the total of the previous seasons top goalscorer Peter Sweeney
and doing so in little over two months into the season, prompting club chairman John Fenty
to state in a fans forum that the club would be aiming to keep Connell and not cash in on the forward in the January transfer window. On 1 January 2011 Connell scored two free kicks which were his 18th and 19th goals of the season during Grimsby's 7-2 victory over Mansfield Town
.
On Saturday 30 April 2011, Connell scored his 29th goal of the season in all competitions against AFC Wimbledon
- Grimsby's final game of the 2010-11 season. He received several player of the year trophies at the club's annual awards night. On 24 June 2011 Grimsby joint-manager Paul Hurst
revealed the club had received a number of offers for the player, one from a Football League One
club, another from a Football League Two
side and a third bid from a fellow Conference National
side, all of which were dismissed haven been described as "derisory".
On 7 July 2011 amongst speculation of Connell's future at Grimsby, chairman John Fenty
stated that the player wasn't for sale and also mentioned he had received an official bid from fellow Conference National
side Luton Town
that he described also as "derisory", and on 13 July 2011 Fenty commented that Connell would definatley not be sold to another club in Grimsby's division, mentioning that the player is happy at Grimsby.
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...
professional footballer who plays for Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
as a striker.
He has previously played for Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
, Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
, Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
and Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
.
Ipswich Town
Born in Enfield TownEnfield Town
Enfield Town is the historic town centre of Enfield, formerly in the county of Middlesex and now in the London Borough of Enfield. It is north north-east of Charing Cross...
, Connell was a trainee at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
as a youngster but soon transferred to George Burley
George Burley
George Elder Burley is a Scottish football manager and former player and manager, formerly the manager of Crystal Palace Football Club. Burley had a professional career spanning 21 years as a player making 628 appearances and earning 11 Scotland caps...
's Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
in 2001. During Connell's only season at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
he was part of the squad that was relegated after finishing 18th in the Premier League. Ipswich also that season reached the third round of the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
, but despite all this Connell failed to make an impact and was released in the summer of 2002 after failing to make an appearance for the first team.
AFC Bournemouth
Connell then transferred to BournemouthA.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
after a successful trial period at the end of the 2001–02 season
2001-02 in English football
The 2001-02 season was the 122nd season of competitive football in England.-Arsenal cruise to title glory:In what had earlier been one of the most closely fought Premiership title races for years, Arsenal won the championship by seven points. Their crown was won in the penultimate game of the...
. Alan was handed his professional debut by Sean O'Driscoll
Sean O'Driscoll
Sean Michael O'Driscoll is an English-Irish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having been relieved of his duties as manager of Doncaster Rovers in September 2011. He joined Doncaster in September 2006 following Dave Penney's departure. He was previously manager at...
on 13 August 2002 in the clubs 0–0 home draw with Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
. He would go on to score 7 goals in 14 games before he suffered a cruciate ligament injury in October 2002 in a match against Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
which ruled him out for the remainder of his first season. By the end of the season Bournemouth had earned promotion from Division Three
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
via a play-off final victory over Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. During the 2003–2004 season, Connell would only feature 7 times for The Cherries. His final season at Bournemouth was also thwarted by a foot injury. In all, 42 of his 61 appearances for the Cherries were from the substitutes' bench and he scored 11 goals.
Torquay United
He moved to Torquay UnitedTorquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
in the summer of 2005 for a fee of £5,000, making his debut in the 0–0 draw against Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
on the opening day of the 2005–2006 season. However he failed to secure a regular first-team place and Bournemouth even tried to sign him back on loan in March 2006. By the end of the season Torquay had narrowly avoided relegation from the Football League and Connell would eventually leave the club after making 26 appearances in all competitions, scoring 7 goals.
Hereford United
In the summer of 2006 he signed for newly promoted Conference NationalConference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
play-off champions Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
in July 2006. After initially being restricted to substitute appearances, Connell broke into the starting eleven and went on to become the top goalscorer at the club, despite not always playing in his favoured role as a striker. In the second half of the season, he was usually named in the starting XI as other strikers at the club were rotated. He was named Player of the Month for October. He finished the season on 51 appearances in all competitions scoring 10 goals
Brentford
Connell turned down Hereford's offer of a new contract and instead signed for BrentfordBrentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
on 2 July 2007. He remained at Griffin Park
Griffin Park
Griffin Park is a football ground situated in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It has been the home ground of League One side Brentford since it was built in 1904. It is known for being the only English league football ground to have a pub on each corner, and is situated in a...
for only one season and departed a year later.
AFC Bournemouth (second spell)
On 29 August 2008 BournemouthA.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
re-signed Connell for an undisclosed fee. The club who had recently been relegated back into Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
were also handed a point deduction for financial irregularities. Connell and Bournemouth secured their Football League status and prevented a second successive relegation when they beat relegation rivals Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
2–1 at home on the final day of the 2008–09 season. Other results had meant Grimsby also avoided the drop. During the 2009–10 season despite a transfer embargo being placed on the club, Bournemouth surged home to finish 2nd in the League and earn promotion back to Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. Connell made 60 appearances, scoring 8 goals during his second spell with the club.
Grimsby Town
In July 2010, he moved to Conference NationalConference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
side Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
. The club had suffered relegation in the previous season from League Two, whilst Connell and former club Bournemouth had earnt promotion. On the 17 July 2010 Alan scored on his home debut for Town in a 2–1 friendly win over Sheffield Wednesday. He then made his league debut on 14 August 2010 in a 1–0 win against Crawley Town
Crawley Town F.C.
Crawley Town Football Club is an English football club based in Crawley, West Sussex. They won the title of the Football Conference, by a record 15 point margin on second place, and with it promotion to The Football League, in April 2011.-1896–2009:...
and scored his first league goal in the 2–1 home defeat against Hayes & Yeading. Connell went on to score 14 goals in his opening 19 appearances for The Mariners doubling the total of the previous seasons top goalscorer Peter Sweeney
Peter Sweeney
Peter Henry Sweeney is a Scottish professional football midfielder who currently plays for Football League One side Bury....
and doing so in little over two months into the season, prompting club chairman John Fenty
John Fenty
John Shelton Fenty born is a Conservative councillor for the Humberston and New Waltham ward of North East Lincolnshire Council.-Business:...
to state in a fans forum that the club would be aiming to keep Connell and not cash in on the forward in the January transfer window. On 1 January 2011 Connell scored two free kicks which were his 18th and 19th goals of the season during Grimsby's 7-2 victory over Mansfield Town
Mansfield Town F.C.
Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910...
.
On Saturday 30 April 2011, Connell scored his 29th goal of the season in all competitions against AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon
AFC Wimbledon is a professional English football club that traces its origins to Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. Based at Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames, the club are members of Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football....
- Grimsby's final game of the 2010-11 season. He received several player of the year trophies at the club's annual awards night. On 24 June 2011 Grimsby joint-manager Paul Hurst
Paul Hurst
Paul Michael Hurst is a former English footballer who played in Football League Two in England, for Rotherham, where he played for over 10 years. He is currently joint manager of Conference National side Grimsby Town with Rob Scott.-Playing career:Hurst figured regularly on the left side of the...
revealed the club had received a number of offers for the player, one from a Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club, another from a Football League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
side and a third bid from a fellow Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
side, all of which were dismissed haven been described as "derisory".
On 7 July 2011 amongst speculation of Connell's future at Grimsby, chairman John Fenty
John Fenty
John Shelton Fenty born is a Conservative councillor for the Humberston and New Waltham ward of North East Lincolnshire Council.-Business:...
stated that the player wasn't for sale and also mentioned he had received an official bid from fellow Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
side Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
that he described also as "derisory", and on 13 July 2011 Fenty commented that Connell would definatley not be sold to another club in Grimsby's division, mentioning that the player is happy at Grimsby.