Eamonn Bannon
Encyclopedia
Eamonn John Bannon is a former Scottish
football player, who played in midfield for Hearts
, Chelsea
, Dundee United
and Scotland
.
before moving to Chelsea
in 1979. He was bought to replace the departing Ray Wilkins
and soon found himself a first team regular. He was seen as Chelsea's playmaker by manager Danny Blanchflower
. Blanchflower, however, was sacked after a poor run for the club and he was replaced by Geoff Hurst
. Although initially selected by Hurst, Bannon gradually slipped down the order at Chelsea and was sold in October 1979 to Dundee United
for £165,000, a then Scottish transfer record. He made his début for United against Raith Rovers in the League Cup in a 0–0 draw but scored in only his second game for the club and helped United win the Scottish League Cup
, their first national trophy, in season 1979–80, repeating the feat the following season.
Bannon was again present as United narrowly lost their third consecutive Scottish League Cup
final to Rangers and also lost the Scottish Cup
final in the same season. The following year United won the Scottish League
title for the first time, with Bannon, now the regular penalty taker, the midfield talisman. They maintained a regular top five placing in succeeding seasons. Bannon remained a key figure in a United side that went on to reach a European Cup
semi-final, the 1987 UEFA Cup Final
and the Scottish Cup
finals of 1981, 1985
, 1987
and 1988
. They lost in all of these finals, and the Scottish Cup
was the only domestic trophy Bannon failed to win in his career. The 1988 Scottish Cup Final
defeat to Celtic was Bannon's last match for Dundee United, as he then returned to Hearts.
At the end of his playing career he had a short spell with Hibs
, where his solitary match came in an Edinburgh derby
against Hearts. Bannon returned to Hearts for a spell as a coach, before a final playing spell with Stenhousemuir
. Now playing as a defender, Bannon helped them win the 1995 Scottish Challenge Cup Final
at McDiarmid Park
, as they defeated his old club Dundee United on a penalty shootout.
Bannon went on to manage Falkirk
for a few months before buying a guest house in Edinburgh, which he has run since 1997. Bannon played for Spartans
for a couple of years before retiring at the age of 40, although he continued to coach the side. Bannon also does matchday work for the Press Association
.
, making his international debut in 1979 and winning 11 caps
for his country. His final two games for Scotland came at the 1986 FIFA World Cup
in Mexico where he was a substitute in the defeat to Denmark
and played a large part of their next match against West Germany
. It was in this game he had an outstanding shot from the edge of the box spectacularly saved by German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher
. Scotland went on to lose the match 2–1, and Bannon was not included in the squad for the final group match against Uruguay
. His only international goal came in 1983 against East Germany
.
His nephew, Paul Telfer
, also played for Scotland.
Scotland
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...
football player, who played in midfield for Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, 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...
and Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
.
Career
Bannon began his career with HeartsHeart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
before moving to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in 1979. He was bought to replace the departing Ray Wilkins
Ray Wilkins
Raymond Colin Wilkins MBE , often known as "Butch" Wilkins, is an English former footballer and at present a television pundit...
and soon found himself a first team regular. He was seen as Chelsea's playmaker by manager Danny Blanchflower
Danny Blanchflower
Robert Dennis "Danny" Blanchflower was a former Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager, and journalist who captained Tottenham Hotspur F.C. during its double-winning season of 1961. He was ranked as the greatest player in Spurs history by The Times in 2009...
. Blanchflower, however, was sacked after a poor run for the club and he was replaced by Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
. Although initially selected by Hurst, Bannon gradually slipped down the order at Chelsea and was sold in October 1979 to 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 £165,000, a then Scottish transfer record. He made his début for United against Raith Rovers in the League Cup in a 0–0 draw but scored in only his second game for the club and helped United win the Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The 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...
, their first national trophy, in season 1979–80, repeating the feat the following season.
Bannon was again present as United narrowly lost their third consecutive Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The 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...
final to Rangers and also lost the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
final in the same season. The following year United won the Scottish League
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
title for the first time, with Bannon, now the regular penalty taker, the midfield talisman. They maintained a regular top five placing in succeeding seasons. Bannon remained a key figure in a United side that went on to reach a European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
semi-final, the 1987 UEFA Cup Final
1987 UEFA Cup Final
The 1987 UEFA Cup Final was a football tie played on 6 May 1987 between IFK Göteborg of Sweden and Dundee United F.C. of Scotland. Göteborg won 2–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:**...
and the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
finals of 1981, 1985
1985 Scottish Cup Final
The 1985 Scottish Cup Final was played on 18 May 1985 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 100th season of the Scottish Cup. The previous winners were Aberdeen, who had beaten Celtic in the 1984 final, but they were knocked out by Dundee United at the Semi-final stage. The Final was...
, 1987
1987 Scottish Cup Final
The 1987 Scottish Cup Final was played between St. Mirren and Dundee United at Hampden Park on 16 May 1987.Underdogs St Mirren won the game 1–0, with a goal by Ian Ferguson. It was their third Scottish Cup win in their 110 year history....
and 1988
1988 Scottish Cup Final
The 1988 Scottish Cup Final was played between Celtic and Dundee United at Hampden Park on 14 May 1988.Celtic won 2–1, with Frank McAvennie scoring both of their goals. Kevin Gallacher got Dundee United's goal.-Match details:...
. They lost in all of these finals, and the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
was the only domestic trophy Bannon failed to win in his career. The 1988 Scottish Cup Final
1988 Scottish Cup Final
The 1988 Scottish Cup Final was played between Celtic and Dundee United at Hampden Park on 14 May 1988.Celtic won 2–1, with Frank McAvennie scoring both of their goals. Kevin Gallacher got Dundee United's goal.-Match details:...
defeat to Celtic was Bannon's last match for Dundee United, as he then returned to Hearts.
At the end of his playing career he had a short spell with Hibs
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
, where his solitary match came in an Edinburgh derby
Edinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
against Hearts. Bannon returned to Hearts for a spell as a coach, before a final playing spell with Stenhousemuir
Stenhousemuir F.C.
Stenhousemuir FC is a Scottish football club located in Stenhousemuir. The club is a member of the Scottish Football League and currently plays in the Scottish Second Division....
. Now playing as a defender, Bannon helped them win the 1995 Scottish Challenge Cup Final
1995 Scottish Challenge Cup Final
The 1995 Scottish Challenge Cup Final was played on 5 November 1995, at McDiarmid Park in Perth and was the 6th staging of the final in the history of the tournament. It was played between of the First Division and of the Second Division. Stenhousemuir emerged winners by defeating Dundee United...
at 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:...
, as they defeated his old club Dundee United on a penalty shootout.
Bannon went on to manage Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
for a few months before buying a guest house in Edinburgh, which he has run since 1997. Bannon played for Spartans
Spartans F.C.
Spartans Football Club are a Scottish football club from Edinburgh. They are managed by Sam Lynch and Mickey Lawson. They were formed in 1951 by ex-players of Edinburgh University and the original intention was to field a team of graduates of the University, however they have players from...
for a couple of years before retiring at the age of 40, although he continued to coach the side. Bannon also does matchday work for the Press Association
Press Association
The Press Association is the national news agency of the United Kingdom and Ireland, supplying multimedia news content to almost all national and regional newspapers, television and radio news, as well as many websites with text, pictures, video and data content globally...
.
International
Bannon was also a Scotland internationalScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, making his international debut in 1979 and winning 11 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for his country. His final two games for Scotland came at the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
in Mexico where he was a substitute in the defeat to Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
and played a large part of their next match against West 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....
. It was in this game he had an outstanding shot from the edge of the box spectacularly saved by German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher
Harald Schumacher
Harald Anton Schumacher , commonly known as Toni Schumacher, is a German former football goalkeeper, and a member of the West German national team. He won the 1980 European Championship and lost two World Cup finals, in 1982 and 1986...
. Scotland went on to lose the match 2–1, and Bannon was not included in the squad for the final group match against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
. His only international goal came in 1983 against East Germany
East Germany national football team
The East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany....
.
His nephew, Paul Telfer
Paul Telfer (footballer)
Paul Norman Telfer is a retired Scottish footballer who played as a full-back for various clubs, including Luton Town, Coventry City, Southampton and Celtic. He also made one appearance for the Scotland national football team...
, also played for Scotland.