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Martin O'Connor (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Martin O'Connor is a retired football player and former assistant manager of League One side Walsall
.
Born in Walsall in 1967, O'Connor started his career at Bromsgrove Rovers
in the early 1990s before moving to Crystal Palace
. He then spent the first of three spells at Walsall
, joining on loan in March 1993 before signing permanently the following year. His most prominent role at the Saddlers was winning promotion to Division Two in 1995.
He then joined Peterborough United
, followed by Birmingham City
, whom O'Connor represented in the 2001 Football League Cup Final
against Liverpool
, which Birmingham lost in a penalty shootout
.
O'Connor re-joined Walsall in 2002, but his contract was not renewed at the end of the 2002–03 season. He then signed for Shrewsbury Town
in July 2003, before ending his playing career with Kidderminster Harriers
.
O'Connor was also called up to the Cayman Islands national football team
in 2000, but FIFA
soon ruled that he could not play for them. The Cayman Islands had been attempting to exploit their status as a British Overseas Territory by picking British passport holders who would not ordinarily be eligible to play for them.
On 20 January 2009, he was named assistant manager to Chris Hutchings
at Walsall
, but the pair were sacked on 3 January 2011 after a series of poor results left Walsall bottom of Football League One
.
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
.
Born in Walsall in 1967, O'Connor started his career at Bromsgrove Rovers
Bromsgrove Rovers F.C.
Bromsgrove Rovers F.C. were a non-League football club from the town of Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. The peak of the club's success was in 1993 when Rovers finished runner-up in the Football Conference...
in the early 1990s before moving to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
. He then spent the first of three spells at Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
, joining on loan in March 1993 before signing permanently the following year. His most prominent role at the Saddlers was winning promotion to Division Two in 1995.
He then joined 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...
, followed by Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, whom O'Connor represented in the 2001 Football League Cup Final
2001 Football League Cup Final
The 2001 Worthington Cup Final was a football match played between Liverpool and Birmingham City at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Sunday 25 February 2001...
against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, which Birmingham lost in a penalty shootout
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
.
O'Connor re-joined Walsall in 2002, but his contract was not renewed at the end of the 2002–03 season. He then signed for Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
in July 2003, before ending his playing career with Kidderminster Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers F.C.
Kidderminster Harriers F.C. are an English football club based in Kidderminster, Worcestershire formed in 1886 They currently play in the Conference National and have played at Aggborough Stadium since they were formed...
.
O'Connor was also called up to the Cayman Islands national football team
Cayman Islands national football team
The Cayman Islands national football team is the national team of the Cayman Islands and is controlled by the Cayman Islands Football Association. It is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF. Cayman Islands' home ground is Truman Bodden Stadium in George Town and their head coach is Mark Campbell...
in 2000, but FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
soon ruled that he could not play for them. The Cayman Islands had been attempting to exploit their status as a British Overseas Territory by picking British passport holders who would not ordinarily be eligible to play for them.
On 20 January 2009, he was named assistant manager to Chris Hutchings
Chris Hutchings
Christopher "Chris" Hutchings is an English former footballer and former manager of Walsall. He played for a number of clubs including Chelsea and played more than 100 games for Brighton & Hove Albion and Huddersfield Town...
at Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
, but the pair were sacked on 3 January 2011 after a series of poor results left Walsall bottom of Football 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....
.
External links
- Martin O'Connor, Neil Brown