Kevin O'Callaghan
Encyclopedia
Kevin O'Callaghan is a former Irish
footballer, who played as a left winger.
However, what O'Callaghan lacked in discipline he made up for with his natural ability on the football pitch. Despite learning to ply his trade in plimsolls he still ran rings around the other kids and was snapped up by Millwall at the tender age of 15.
To the the detriment of club and country a knee injury brought his career to an abrupt end in 1994. Even so, he's enjoyed playing with some of finest footballers he's ever had to encounter in the years since. The Dads v Lads annual summer series at Graveney Lodge and Hartley Manor is not to be sniffed at. Kevin has commented that supplying crosses to players with the aerial prowess of Phil Dudley and having the reassurance of a clean sheet with Des "The Cat" Hensler between the sticks has been a highlight in his career.
Even so, much of the finesse on display at Longfield Academy on a Sunday morning is testament to this work. If you can get a ticket, watching players with the calibre of Luke Vint and David Winstone really is a sight to behold. What's more of a shame however is that the boys haven't spoke to Kevin for years. Their falling out occurred in 1999 when the boys uncovered evidence to suggest that Kevin was awarding his daughter fraudulent points at his Football Summer Camp for chores around the house.
While his acting career turned out to be short lived he has made attempts to revive his sporting career in some capacity since then. This has included an attempt to make the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City with the help of some friends. Nevertheless, things immediately started to go awry in his first practice session at Chatham Dry Ski Slope as close friend Peter Vint recounts...
"Not one to be told in training, Kevin insisted he wanted to go to the top with Huw, despite his limited skiing experience. He got to the top on the drag lift and attempted to ski down via route A, no turns, maximum velocity. As he made his way down the slope I think he was regretting not having asked for a few pointers beforehand as he screamed "How do I stop?" We all shouted to him turn but he was having a little difficulty to say the least. He flew past our group, just missing everyone and fell over as the slope went towards the shop and restaurant, how he didn't go straight through the windows is beyond me. In all honesty I might have said no when asked by our instructor if i knew that guy. The instructor picked him up and brought his skiing career to an end saying "That's it mate, no more for you". To be fair I think Kevin might have been thinking something similar though. He walked away with his pride bruised and finger broken and if it wasn't for the cushioning of a rather fetching fluorescent green puffer jacket it could have been a lot worse!"
Further attempts at sporting success have seemed somewhat more realistic on the golf course. An avid golfer, Kevin can frequently be heard singing his own praises when the goings good with catchphrases including "Call the police there's a murder going on". This confidence was perhaps dented on one occasion though when playing golf with team mates Teddy and Alan and brother-in-law Geoff. Kevin had himself a bit of a gear malfunction and careered his buggy into the lake. Nowadays he's happy for Mandy to do the driving though.
Aside from family life Kevin also has a fantastic group of friends with whom he's shared some great times. Before meeting them Kevin had been in the habit of hitting the sack fairly early on his nights out but that's nothing they couldn't cure one dark winter's night when they woke him up with a few snowballs to the face. Kevin recently holidayed with said group in Portugal to celebrate his 50th birthday. It was however feared that he might not make it, owing to a drunken confrontation with a rotating door at David Lloyds earlier in the week.
Winner
Ipswich Town
Winner
Runner up
Portsmouth
Winner
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,...
footballer, who played as a left winger.
Early Years
O'Callaghan was born in Havering on the 19th October 1961 to Paddy and Barbara O'Callaghan.A playful youngster, he frequently felt the crack of the headmaster's cane at St Bonaventures Catholic School. While Kevin remains an "unorthodox" catholic to this day, his more spiritual moments came in his younger years. Paddy took a reluctant Kevin to confession every week and despite the range of sins he could have owned up to he felt that "Ive been cheeky to my mum" managed to capture them all in one go.However, what O'Callaghan lacked in discipline he made up for with his natural ability on the football pitch. Despite learning to ply his trade in plimsolls he still ran rings around the other kids and was snapped up by Millwall at the tender age of 15.
Playing Career
In a decorated career O'Callaghan enjoyed two spells at Millwall as well as stints at Portsmouth and Southend. His most successful years came after transferring to Ipswich Town for a record breaking £250,000 in 1980, joining Bobby Robsons revolution at the club. He played a crucial role in their 1981 UEFA Cup winning season justifying a call up to the Irish national team, who he represented on 21 occasions, scoring twice.To the the detriment of club and country a knee injury brought his career to an abrupt end in 1994. Even so, he's enjoyed playing with some of finest footballers he's ever had to encounter in the years since. The Dads v Lads annual summer series at Graveney Lodge and Hartley Manor is not to be sniffed at. Kevin has commented that supplying crosses to players with the aerial prowess of Phil Dudley and having the reassurance of a clean sheet with Des "The Cat" Hensler between the sticks has been a highlight in his career.
Coaching Career
Following his playing career Kevin came into his own as a coach, at Millwall he helped plenty of talented youngsters reach their full potential including the likes of Tim Cahill. Some of his greatest finds have been closer to home though. Kevin's coaching sessions at Meopham School were the highlights of many boys' childhoods in the area. Many of them remain honoured to live by the nicknames he gave them to this day, including Smiler, Wobbler and Dime Bar. To this day however stories of how great it was to learn from someone who's played at the highest level are recounted with fondness and nostalgia even if parents did ask questions about the number of Opal Fruits being dished out to their children. It's suspected that local dentists may have profited considerably from this activity... Kevin probably recalls these years with a little more trepidation though. The likes of Dominic "I'm going home" Coughlin and Jordan "You is giving me an 'edache" Bradford haunt his dreams to this day.Even so, much of the finesse on display at Longfield Academy on a Sunday morning is testament to this work. If you can get a ticket, watching players with the calibre of Luke Vint and David Winstone really is a sight to behold. What's more of a shame however is that the boys haven't spoke to Kevin for years. Their falling out occurred in 1999 when the boys uncovered evidence to suggest that Kevin was awarding his daughter fraudulent points at his Football Summer Camp for chores around the house.
Other Ventures
O'Callaghan appeared in the 1981 movie Escape to Victory, cast in the unfamiliar role of goalkeeper alongside Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone and Pele.While his acting career turned out to be short lived he has made attempts to revive his sporting career in some capacity since then. This has included an attempt to make the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City with the help of some friends. Nevertheless, things immediately started to go awry in his first practice session at Chatham Dry Ski Slope as close friend Peter Vint recounts...
"Not one to be told in training, Kevin insisted he wanted to go to the top with Huw, despite his limited skiing experience. He got to the top on the drag lift and attempted to ski down via route A, no turns, maximum velocity. As he made his way down the slope I think he was regretting not having asked for a few pointers beforehand as he screamed "How do I stop?" We all shouted to him turn but he was having a little difficulty to say the least. He flew past our group, just missing everyone and fell over as the slope went towards the shop and restaurant, how he didn't go straight through the windows is beyond me. In all honesty I might have said no when asked by our instructor if i knew that guy. The instructor picked him up and brought his skiing career to an end saying "That's it mate, no more for you". To be fair I think Kevin might have been thinking something similar though. He walked away with his pride bruised and finger broken and if it wasn't for the cushioning of a rather fetching fluorescent green puffer jacket it could have been a lot worse!"
Further attempts at sporting success have seemed somewhat more realistic on the golf course. An avid golfer, Kevin can frequently be heard singing his own praises when the goings good with catchphrases including "Call the police there's a murder going on". This confidence was perhaps dented on one occasion though when playing golf with team mates Teddy and Alan and brother-in-law Geoff. Kevin had himself a bit of a gear malfunction and careered his buggy into the lake. Nowadays he's happy for Mandy to do the driving though.
Family Life
O'Callaghan currently lives in Kent with his adoring wife Mandy and beautiful girls Kayley and Charlotte. Mandy says that he's the best lodger she's ever had. He takes on his chores of putting out the rubbish and manning the remote control with pride and dignity and she wouldn't know how to do it without him. Meanwhile, Kevin's tough love parenting has brought out the best in his two girls. Fun games he played with them at Cascades swimming pool including such classics as "Swim or Die" have been the making of them.Aside from family life Kevin also has a fantastic group of friends with whom he's shared some great times. Before meeting them Kevin had been in the habit of hitting the sack fairly early on his nights out but that's nothing they couldn't cure one dark winter's night when they woke him up with a few snowballs to the face. Kevin recently holidayed with said group in Portugal to celebrate his 50th birthday. It was however feared that he might not make it, owing to a drunken confrontation with a rotating door at David Lloyds earlier in the week.
Honours
MillwallMillwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
Winner
- 1978/79 FA Youth CupFA Youth Cup Finals of the 1970s-1978/79: Millwall v. Manchester City :-1977/78: Crystal Palace v. Aston Villa :-1976/77: Crystal Palace v. Everton :...
- 1987–88 Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
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....
Winner
- 1980–81 UEFA Cup
Runner up
- 1980–81 Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1) - 1981–82 Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(Level 1)
Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
Winner
- 1986–87 Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...