Ciarán Toner
Encyclopedia
Ciarán Toner is a Northern Irish
professional footballer who plays for Conference North
side Guiseley. He has represented Tottenham Hotspur
, Peterborough United
, Bristol Rovers
, Leyton Orient
, Lincoln City
, Cambridge United
, Grimsby Town
, Rochdale
and Harrogate Town
. He has also earned two caps in 2003 for Northern Ireland
, before that he earned 17 caps, scoring once for the Northern Ireland U21
side.
at the beginning of the 2000–01 season. He failed to make an appearance for the club in his two seasons at the Premiership outfit, but spent time on loan with Peterborough United
and Bristol Rovers
, before being released at the end of the 2001–02 season.
. He made his debut for the Brisbane Road club on the opening day of the 2002–03 season, with a 3–2 victory over Macclesfield Town
. Toner went on to make just over 60 appearances for the club in his two season stay. He scored twice, his first coming in a 1–1 away draw with Hull City
on 31 August 2002. While with Orient, Toner impressed enough to be called up to the Northern Ireland
international team, where he played in two games, against Spain
and Italy
.
manager Keith Alexander
on a one year deal. He became a first team regular at Sincil Bank
, scoring vital goals in victories over the clubs rivals Grimsby Town
and Mansfield Town
. Toner made 17 appearances for The Imps, scoring twice, before being severely disciplined by the club for a "training ground incident" involving fellow team mate Marcus Richardson
. The pair were both fined by the club, made available for transfer, and loaned out too other clubs. An unexpected end to the season for the Irishman and he spent the remaining two months on loan with Cambridge United
. Toner made eight appearances for United, and the club were eventually relegated from the Football League at the end of the season.
on an initial trial period he was one of many players on trial at the club that summer and was invited by the club to take part in there pre-season Royal Army boot camp. Shortly before the start of the season Town manager Russell Slade
rewarded Toner with a one year contract, to which he accepted. In his first season with Grimsby Toner initially found it hard to break up Slade's favoured central midfield role of Paul Bolland
and Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala
. It wasn't until Kalala joined up with the DR Congo
international side for the African Nations Cup midway through the 2005–06 season that Toner began to find his feet in the first team. Toner however would eventually lose his place again when Slade signed Curtis Woodhouse
in the January transfer window
. Grimsby would go on to defeat former side Lincoln City in the Play-Off semi finals before finally losing out in the final at the Millennium Stadium
to Cheltenham Town
, Toner however was an unused substitute in the final. In his second season at Blundell Park
, Toner finished joint top scorer with eight goals, as he played a large part in keeping Alan Buckley
's side in the Football League
. Toner was rewarded and signed a new two-year deal in the summer of 2007. During the 2007–08 season, Toner struggled with fitness problems that curtailed his season, and eventually saw him play second fiddle to other players at the club, and at the end of the season Buckley decided to cancel his contract by mutual consent. Upon his departure from Blundell Park
, he gave an interview to the local press stating that he always gave 100% and did not see any reason why the fans would not acknowledge this upon his future return. On the 26 June 2008 it was confirmed that Toner would leave the club after agreeing with the club to cancel his contract, despite having one year remaining on the deal. While at Grimsby, Toner managed to score some important goals, two of them goals came against his former side Lincoln City, in the clubs local derbys. One of them came in a 3–0 home win for The Mariners in 2005, while the other came in a 2–1 away win for Grimsby in 2007. He had previously scored in 2004 for Lincoln in the same fixture.
side Rochdale
. He did not feature in Rochdale's first game of the season, against former club Grimsby Town at Blundell Park and instead, Toner made his debut against Oldham Athletic
in the League Cup
and throughout the 2008–09 season he became a first team regular mainly featuring alongside veteran Gary Jones
in the centre of midfield. Toner became an integral part of the Dale side by making 37 appearances and scoring a wonder strike against Aldershot Town
. Rochdale went on to finish sixth in the league and claim a play off spot, but lost out in the final.
Toner had a race to be fit for the opening day of the 2009–10 football season after having problems with his ear drum in Rochdale's pre-season training camp in Marbella
before suffering from shin splints which made him miss the rest of Rochdale's pre season matches. Toner won his race by being named as an unused substitute for Rochdale's opening day fixture to Port Vale
. Dale were promoted to League One
at the end of the season after finishing third in the table despite leading the league for a lengthy period of the season.
outfit Harrogate Town
. He made his debut on 28 August 2010 in a 6–3 defeat to Boston United
. On 4 September 2010, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw at home to Hinckley United
.
in two matches for his country, replacing Damien Johnson
in a friendly against Italy
, and Thomas Doherty
in a 0–0 draw with Spain
.
with Lincoln City
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
professional footballer who plays for Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
side Guiseley. He has represented 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....
, Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
, Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
, 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...
, 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....
, Cambridge United
Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
, 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...
, Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
and Harrogate Town
Harrogate Town F.C.
Harrogate Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1914 and currently competes in the Conference North division of the Football Conference.-History:...
. He has also earned two caps in 2003 for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, before that he earned 17 caps, scoring once for the Northern Ireland U21
Northern Ireland national under-21 football team
The Northern Ireland national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Northern Ireland.-Former coaches:* To 20 August 2008.-2008/09 Matches:-Current squad:Squad to play San Marino.-Other Recent Call-Ups:...
side.
Tottenham Hotspur
Toner was promoted to the first team setup at White Hart LaneWhite Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
at the beginning of the 2000–01 season. He failed to make an appearance for the club in his two seasons at the Premiership outfit, but spent time on loan with Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
and Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
, before being released at the end of the 2001–02 season.
Leyton Orient
His next port of call was too sign with Leyton OrientLeyton 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...
. He made his debut for the Brisbane Road club on the opening day of the 2002–03 season, with a 3–2 victory over Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
. Toner went on to make just over 60 appearances for the club in his two season stay. He scored twice, his first coming in a 1–1 away draw with Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
on 31 August 2002. While with Orient, Toner impressed enough to be called up to the Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
international team, where he played in two games, against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
.
Lincoln City
At the start of the 2004–05 season, Toner was signed by Lincoln CityLincoln 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....
manager Keith Alexander
Keith Alexander (footballer)
Keith Alexander was a Saint Lucian footballer and manager. Born in Nottingham, England, he was the manager of League Two side Macclesfield Town at the time of his death, in a career that included international appearances for Saint Lucia. Alexander played for a whole host of lower league football...
on a one year deal. He became a first team regular at Sincil Bank
Sincil Bank
Sincil Bank is a football stadium in Lincoln, England and has been the home of Lincoln City since 1895. Previously, Lincoln City had played at the nearby John O'Gaunts ground since the club's 1884 inception. Sincil Bank has an overall capacity of 10,120 and is colloquially known to fans as "The...
, scoring vital goals in victories over the clubs 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...
and 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...
. Toner made 17 appearances for The Imps, scoring twice, before being severely disciplined by the club for a "training ground incident" involving fellow team mate Marcus Richardson
Marcus Richardson
Marcus Glenroy Richardson is an English footballer who currently plays for Reading Town. He is a forward who usually plays in the target man role, and is much-travelled, having continually changed clubs in recent years.-Football career:Richardson began his career in non-league football...
. The pair were both fined by the club, made available for transfer, and loaned out too other clubs. An unexpected end to the season for the Irishman and he spent the remaining two months on loan with Cambridge United
Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
. Toner made eight appearances for United, and the club were eventually relegated from the Football League at the end of the season.
Grimsby Town
Following the end of his loan deal at Cambridge, Keith Alexander decided against renewing Toner's one year deal, and he was released from Lincoln a few weeks after the end of the 2004–05 season. During July 2005, Toner joined up with Grimsby TownGrimsby 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...
on an initial trial period he was one of many players on trial at the club that summer and was invited by the club to take part in there pre-season Royal Army boot camp. Shortly before the start of the season Town manager Russell Slade
Russell Slade
Russell Slade is an English football manager currently in charge of League One side Leyton Orient.-Notts County:Slade was assistant manager to Mick Walker at Notts County, and took over as caretaker manager when Walker was sacked in September 1994. When County appointed Howard Kendall as manager...
rewarded Toner with a one year contract, to which he accepted. In his first season with Grimsby Toner initially found it hard to break up Slade's favoured central midfield role of Paul Bolland
Paul Bolland
Paul Graham Bolland is an English professional footballer who plays for Conference National side Mansfield Town as a midfielder...
and Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala
Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala
Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala , often referred to as Jean-Paul Kalala or JP Kalala, is a Congolese footballer, who plays a midfielder for Southend United. He started his career in France playing for Nice before moving to Grimsby Town in 2005...
. It wasn't until Kalala joined up with the DR Congo
Congo DR national football team
The Congo DR national football team is the national team of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and is controlled by the Fédération Congolaise de Football-Association , and are nicknamed The Leopards.Congo have been ranked as high as 51 in the FIFA Rankings...
international side for the African Nations Cup midway through the 2005–06 season that Toner began to find his feet in the first team. Toner however would eventually lose his place again when Slade signed Curtis Woodhouse
Curtis Woodhouse
Curtis Woodhouse is an English professional footballer and boxer. Woodhouse plays football as a central midfielder for Conference North outfit Eastwood Town, and competes as a light-welterweight boxer. He is the reigning International Masters light-welterweight champion...
in the January transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
. Grimsby would go on to defeat former side Lincoln City in the Play-Off semi finals before finally losing out in the final 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...
to Cheltenham Town
Cheltenham Town F.C.
Cheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
, Toner however was an unused substitute in the final. In his second season at Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
, Toner finished joint top scorer with eight goals, as he played a large part in keeping Alan Buckley
Alan Buckley
Alan Peter Buckley is an English football manager. He was manager of League Two side Grimsby Town until his dismissal in September 2008...
's side in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
. Toner was rewarded and signed a new two-year deal in the summer of 2007. During the 2007–08 season, Toner struggled with fitness problems that curtailed his season, and eventually saw him play second fiddle to other players at the club, and at the end of the season Buckley decided to cancel his contract by mutual consent. Upon his departure from Blundell Park
Blundell Park
Blundell Park is a football ground in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, England and home to Grimsby Town Football Club. The stadium was built in 1898, but only one of the original stands remain. The current capacity of the ground is 9546, though with the introduction of all seating in the late...
, he gave an interview to the local press stating that he always gave 100% and did not see any reason why the fans would not acknowledge this upon his future return. On the 26 June 2008 it was confirmed that Toner would leave the club after agreeing with the club to cancel his contract, despite having one year remaining on the deal. While at Grimsby, Toner managed to score some important goals, two of them goals came against his former side Lincoln City, in the clubs local derbys. One of them came in a 3–0 home win for The Mariners in 2005, while the other came in a 2–1 away win for Grimsby in 2007. He had previously scored in 2004 for Lincoln in the same fixture.
Rochdale
Immediately after his release from Grimsby, he signed a deal with fellow League TwoFootball 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 Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
. He did not feature in Rochdale's first game of the season, against former club Grimsby Town at Blundell Park and instead, Toner made his debut against Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
and throughout the 2008–09 season he became a first team regular mainly featuring alongside veteran Gary Jones
Gary Jones (footballer born 1977)
Gary Roy Jones is an English association footballer currently playing for Rochdale in Football League One. He holds the record for the most appearances for Rochdale.-Career:...
in the centre of midfield. Toner became an integral part of the Dale side by making 37 appearances and scoring a wonder strike against Aldershot Town
Aldershot Town F.C.
Aldershot Town Football Club is an association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England, founded in the spring of 1992 just after the closure of debt-ridden Fourth Division club Aldershot Football Club...
. Rochdale went on to finish sixth in the league and claim a play off spot, but lost out in the final.
Toner had a race to be fit for the opening day of the 2009–10 football season after having problems with his ear drum in Rochdale's pre-season training camp in Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
before suffering from shin splints which made him miss the rest of Rochdale's pre season matches. Toner won his race by being named as an unused substitute for Rochdale's opening day fixture to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
. Dale were promoted to 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....
at the end of the season after finishing third in the table despite leading the league for a lengthy period of the season.
Harrogate Town
In August 2010 he signed for Conference NorthConference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
outfit Harrogate Town
Harrogate Town F.C.
Harrogate Town Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1914 and currently competes in the Conference North division of the Football Conference.-History:...
. He made his debut on 28 August 2010 in a 6–3 defeat to Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
. On 4 September 2010, he scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw at home to Hinckley United
Hinckley United F.C.
Hinckley United Football Club are an English football club, from Hinckley, Leicestershire currently playing in the Conference North. Formed only in 1997, the club has risen from the Southern League Midland/West Division to the Conference North in those 14 years...
.
International career
In 2003, Toner was called up to play for Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in two matches for his country, replacing Damien Johnson
Damien Johnson
Damien Michael Johnson is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Plymouth Argyle, but as of 19 July 2011 he is on loan at Huddersfield Town for a second consecutive season....
in a friendly against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, and Thomas Doherty
Tommy Doherty
Thomas Edward Doherty is a Northern Ireland international footballer, who plays for . He previously played for Bristol City, Queens Park Rangers and Wycombe Wanderers.-Club career:...
in a 0–0 draw with Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
.
Honours
with Grimsby Town- Football League TwoFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Play-off runner up: 2005–062005-06 in English footballThe 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether... - Football League TrophyFootball League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
runner up: 2007–082007-08 in English footballThe 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
with Lincoln City
- Football League TwoFootball League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Play-off runner up: 2004–052004-05 in English footballThe 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
External links
- Profile of Ciarán Toner at UpThePosh! The Peterborough United Database
- Profile of Ciarán Toner at codalmighty.com