John Coyle
Encyclopedia
John C. Coyle is a former Scottish
footballer.
Coyle started his career with Dundee United
for whom he signed in 1950. His early years were interrupted by his National Service, while he also spent time on loan to Brechin City
. As a result, by the beginning of the 1955-56 season
he had made only 8 appearances for the Terrors 1st team. From that point onwards however, his form was a revelation, with 77 goals in 88 appearances in the following two and a half seasons.
Despite Coyle's goals, United could do no better than mid-table mediocrity in the Division Two and when Clyde
expressed interest in December 1957, Coyle expressed his desire to move to the Division One side. An £8,000 deal was concluded and Coyle moved to Glasgow
where he made an immediate impression with the Bully Wee, scoring frequently during the second half of the 1957-58 season
. He also scored the winning goal in the 1958 Scottish Cup
Final, as Clyde defeated Hibernian
1-0 at Hampden Park
.
Coyle's meteoric rise was confirmed when he was selected in the Scotland
squad for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
that summer. He did not make an appearance during the finals in Sweden
however and indeed never actually played for the Scottish national side.
Coyle's younger brother Jimmy was also a professional footballer, playing with Dundee United during the same period as John.
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...
footballer.
Coyle started his career with 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 signed in 1950. His early years were interrupted by his National Service, while he also spent time on loan to Brechin City
Brechin City F.C.
Brechin City Football Club is a Scottish football team based in Brechin, Angus. They are members of the Scottish Football League and play in the Second Division in the 2010–11 season...
. As a result, by the beginning of the 1955-56 season
1955-56 in Scottish football
The 1955–56 season was the 59th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:Following league reconstruction League Division One was expanded from 16 to 18 teams with Airdrieonians and Dunfermline Athletic being promoted...
he had made only 8 appearances for the Terrors 1st team. From that point onwards however, his form was a revelation, with 77 goals in 88 appearances in the following two and a half seasons.
Despite Coyle's goals, United could do no better than mid-table mediocrity in the Division Two and when Clyde
Clyde F.C.
Clyde Football Club are a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League. Although based for the last fifteen years in the new town of Cumbernauld, they are traditionally associated with an area that covers Rutherglen in South...
expressed interest in December 1957, Coyle expressed his desire to move to the Division One side. An £8,000 deal was concluded and Coyle moved to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
where he made an immediate impression with the Bully Wee, scoring frequently during the second half of the 1957-58 season
1957-58 in Scottish football
The 1957–58 season was the 61st season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: HeartsRelegated: East Fife, Queen's Park-Scottish League Division Two:...
. He also scored the winning goal in the 1958 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, as Clyde defeated Hibernian
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...
1-0 at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
.
Coyle's meteoric rise was confirmed when he was selected in the 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...
squad for the 1958 FIFA World Cup
1958 FIFA World Cup
The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
that summer. He did not make an appearance during the finals in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
however and indeed never actually played for the Scottish national side.
Coyle's younger brother Jimmy was also a professional footballer, playing with Dundee United during the same period as John.