Danny Griffin
Encyclopedia
Daniel Joseph "Danny" Griffin (born 10 August 1977 in Belfast
) is a Northern Irish
footballer
who is currently without a club. He is primarily a defender
, but he can play in midfield
.
with St. Johnstone in 1993
. It was while he was with the McDiarmid Park
club that Griffin made his international debut against Germany
in a 1–1 draw on 29 May 1996 in Belfast and scored his first international goal in a friendly against the Republic of Ireland
on 25 May 1999.
In the following months, English
club Derby County
offered St. Johnstone £1,000,000 for their 18-year-old centre-back. Griffin was beginning to develop a good relationship with St. Johnstone and he felt there was much more he could learn from Paul Sturrock
, so he turned down the move. In 1996, Griffin scored an own goal
, the only goal of the game, in the Scottish Challenge Cup Final loss to Stranraer
.
After seven years in Perth
, Griffin followed manager Paul Sturrock to Tayside
rivals Dundee United
, for whom he would eventually become captain. Following injury problems, Griffin lost his regular place and joined English side Stockport County
in 2004 as a free agent. After being released by Stockport, in December 2005 he signed for Aberdeen
. Just four months later, however, he was informed that the club would not renew his contract at the end of the season.
In June 2006, Griffin became one of new Dundee manager Alex Rae's first signings, agreeing a two-year contract. On 8 January 2007 he left the club by mutual consent and joined Ross County
a week later. Griffin was released by Ross County after suffering more injuries. He then joined Livingston
in January 2009. After winning the third division championship with Livingston, Griffin joined Arbroath in June 2010 on a one-year deal where he won the third division title for a second successive season.
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
) is a Northern Irish
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...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who is currently without a club. He is primarily a defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, but he can play in midfield
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Career
He started his club career in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
with St. Johnstone in 1993
1993-94 in Scottish football
The 1993–94 season was the 97th season of competitive football in Scotland. This season saw several teams relegated from the 1st and 2nd divisions in preparation for the introduction of a 3rd division the following season.-Notable events:...
. It was while he was with the McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park is a football stadium in Perth, Scotland, the home ground of St. Johnstone FC. It has an all-seated capacity of 10,673.-History:...
club that Griffin made his international debut against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in a 1–1 draw on 29 May 1996 in Belfast and scored his first international goal in a friendly against the 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....
on 25 May 1999.
In the following months, English
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...
club Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
offered St. Johnstone £1,000,000 for their 18-year-old centre-back. Griffin was beginning to develop a good relationship with St. Johnstone and he felt there was much more he could learn from Paul Sturrock
Paul Sturrock
Paul Whitehead Sturrock is a Scottish football manager who, since July 2010, is the manager of Southend United. Until this appointment, Sturrock had most recently been at English League 1 club Plymouth Argyle in a business support role, having been relieved of his managerial duties, until he quit...
, so he turned down the move. In 1996, Griffin scored an own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
, the only goal of the game, in the Scottish Challenge Cup Final loss to Stranraer
Stranraer F.C.
Stranraer Football Club is a Scottish semi-professional football team based in the town of Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway. They are members of the Scottish Football League, and currently play in the Third Division.-History:...
.
After seven years in Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
, Griffin followed manager Paul Sturrock to Tayside
Tayside
Tayside Region was a local government region of Scotland from 15 May 1975 to 31 March 1996. It was created by the 1973 Act following recommendations made by the 1969 Wheatley Report which attempted to replace the mishmash of counties, cities, burghs and districts, with a uniform two-tier system...
rivals Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
, for whom he would eventually become captain. Following injury problems, Griffin lost his regular place and joined English side Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
in 2004 as a free agent. After being released by Stockport, in December 2005 he signed for Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
. Just four months later, however, he was informed that the club would not renew his contract at the end of the season.
In June 2006, Griffin became one of new Dundee manager Alex Rae's first signings, agreeing a two-year contract. On 8 January 2007 he left the club by mutual consent and joined Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
a week later. Griffin was released by Ross County after suffering more injuries. He then joined Livingston
Livingston F.C.
Livingston Football Club is a Scottish association football club based in Livingston, West Lothian. The club currently plays in the Scottish Football League First Division.The club was founded in 1943 as Ferranti Thistle, a works team...
in January 2009. After winning the third division championship with Livingston, Griffin joined Arbroath in June 2010 on a one-year deal where he won the third division title for a second successive season.
Personal life
Griffin is married to Kirsty, with whom he has a daughter, Olivia, and a son, Jamie. http://www.bmdsonline.co.uk/?keywords=griffin&date_limit=&type=all_notices&_fstatus=search&s_source=tmsc_peInternational goals
Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first.| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 May 1999 | Dublin, Republic of Ireland 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,... |
1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly match |
Career statistics
| Club | |League | |Lg Cup | |Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| St Johnstone St Johnstone F.C. St. Johnstone F.C. is a professional football club based in Perth, Scotland. Although it is officially recorded as being formed in 1884, the club did not play its first game until February 1885. The club's home since 1989 has been McDiarmid Park.... |
1996–97 1996-97 in Scottish football The 1996–97 season was the 100th season of competitive football in Scotland. This season seen a playoff system introduced between the 2nd bottom club in the Premier Division and the 2nd top club in Division One.-Scottish Premier Division:... |
1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 1997–98 1997-98 in Scottish football The 1997–98 season was the 101st season of competitive football in Scotland. Celtic halted Rangers in their bid for a record 10-in-a-row.-Scottish Premier Division:-Top scorers:-Table:-Top scorers:-Table:-Top scorers:-Table:... |
13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | |
| 1998–99 1998-99 in Scottish football The 1998–99 season was the 102nd season of Scottish league football.-Summary:The 1998–99 SPL season was one that ended in success for Rangers. Dutchman Dick Advocaat was brought in to replace Walter Smith at Rangers and made major changes, bringing in many players.Rangers were... |
19 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 1999–00 1999-00 in Scottish football The 1999–2000 season was the 103rd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:-Scottish First Division:-Scottish Second Division:... |
30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| Total | 63 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 82 | 5 | |
| Dundee United Dundee United F.C. Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923... |
2000–01 2000-01 in Scottish football The 2000–01 season was the 104th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2000–01 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic, 15 points clear of Rangers who finished second. Both teams earned a place in the UEFA Champions League. Hibernian and Kilmarnock... |
18 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| 2001–02 2001-02 in Scottish football The 2001–02 season was the 105th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Key events:Celtic, domestic treble winners a year earlier, retain their Premier League title.... |
29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 3 | |
| 2002–03 2002-03 in Scottish football The 2002–03 season was the 106th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2002–03 Scottish Premier League was won on goal difference by Rangers by a single goal over Celtic. Both Rangers and Celtic qualified for the 2003–04 UEFA Champions League and... |
17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| 2003–04 2003-04 in Scottish football The 2003–04 season was the 107th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2003–04 Scottish Premier League season was won by Celtic with 98 points, 17 points ahead of closest challengers Rangers. Both Rangers and Celtic therefore gained the two UEFA... |
13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| Total | 76 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 5 | |
| Stockport County Stockport County F.C. Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport... |
2003–04 2003-04 in English football The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game.... |
15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| 2004–05 2004-05 in English football The 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... |
16 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
| 2005–06 2005-06 in English football The 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... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 2 | |
| Aberdeen Aberdeen F.C. Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen... |
2005–06 2005-06 in Scottish football The 2005–06 season was the 109th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2005:*1 June: Gordon Strachan officially takes charge of Celtic after the resignation of Martin O'Neill... |
10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Total | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| Dundee Dundee F.C. Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from... |
2006–07 2006-07 in Scottish football The 2006–07 season was the 110th season of competitive football in Scotland.-2006:*9 July: Rangers defender Fernando Ricksen is banned for the club's pre-season trip to South Africa, following an incident on the outbound flight. Manager Paul Le Guen cited "wholly inappropriate and... |
24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| 2007–08 2007-08 in Scottish football The 2007-08 season was the 111th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Gretna were competing in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first ever season in the top-flight, after being promoted as First Division champions the previous season.* Dunfermline Athletic... |
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| Ross County Ross County F.C. Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the... |
2008–09 2008-09 in Scottish football The 2008–09 season was the 112th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Hamilton Academical competed in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first season in the top-flight since the 1988–89 season, after being promoted as First Division champions the... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Career total | 221 | 8 | 19 | 1 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 260 | 12 | |
St Johnstone
- Scottish Challenge Cup runner-up: 1
-
- 1996-971996-97 in Scottish footballThe 1996–97 season was the 100th season of competitive football in Scotland. This season seen a playoff system introduced between the 2nd bottom club in the Premier Division and the 2nd top club in Division One.-Scottish Premier Division:...
- Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
runner-up: 1
- Scottish League Cup
- 1998-991998-99 in Scottish footballThe 1998–99 season was the 102nd season of Scottish league football.-Summary:The 1998–99 SPL season was one that ended in success for Rangers. Dutchman Dick Advocaat was brought in to replace Walter Smith at Rangers and made major changes, bringing in many players.Rangers were...
- 1996-97
Livingston
- Scottish Third Division winner: 1
-
- 2009-10
Arbroath
- Scottish Third Division winner: 1
-
- 2010-11