Sean Connor
Encyclopedia
Sean Connor is a former footballer and manager
currently without a club.
in the Irish League
where he played for one full season before moving to Port Vale
. He struggled to gain a regular first team place and went out on loan to Macclesfield Town
before returning home and signing for Ards
.
He was involved in a car accident soon after signing, breaking his chest bone, some ribs, puncturing his lung
and damaging his left leg.
He made his playing comeback with Cliftonville
but was unable to reach the same level and eventually retired.
, Connor moved to America where he coached in the USL First Division
under John McGinlay
for Cincinnati Riverhawks
, Boston Bulldogs
and in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League
with the Lafayette Swamp Cats
. He also spent time coaching non-league clubs in England and scouting for Stoke City
and Lincoln
.
.
on 17 November 2006. Amongst his first acts as manager were the signing of a number of promising players; Harpal Singh
, Brian Murphy
, and Mark Rossiter
, and established performers Owen Heary
and Glen Crowe
. His first pre-season games in charge of Bohemians' included wins against Lisburn Distillery
and Donegal Celtic
, and a draw with Scottish Premier Division side Aberdeen
.
His first league game in charge of Bohs came on the 9 March 2007, in a scoreless draw against Drogheda United
. At first, he showed signs of turning Bohs into genuine contenders for honours with the wins against St Patricks Athletic
in the league and Drogheda United in the FAI Cup
the most notable victories. However some inconsistent and dour performances saw their league challenge fade away and Bohs finish without a Setanta Sports Cup
place. Under his management, Bohs finished a very disappointing 3rd in the league, lost the League of Ireland Cup Final and also lost a FAI Cup
semi-final.
On 19 December 2007 his contract as manager at Bohs was terminated for undisclosed reasons. He settled a high court dispute with Bohs over this dismissal in December 2008, for an undisclosed six figure sum.
. During the course of the 2009 season, his team collected an incredible 19 red cards. They ultimately finished 5th in the League, departing the club on 7 November 2009, by mutual consent.
In October 2009, Connor was interviewed for the vacant managers position at Greenock Morton
.
Manager (association football)
In association football, a manager is responsible for running a football club or a national team. The manager of a professional club is responsible directly to the club president. The position of manager is almost exclusively used in British football...
currently without a club.
Playing career
Connor began his career at DistilleryLisburn Distillery F.C.
Lisburn Distillery is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1880, originated in west Belfast, where it was based at Grosvenor Park at Distillery Street off the Grosvenor Road until 1971...
in the Irish League
IFA Premiership
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
where he played for one full season before moving to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
. He struggled to gain a regular first team place and went out on loan to Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
before returning home and signing for Ards
Ards F.C.
Ards F.C. is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1900, is from Newtownards, but plays its home matches at Dixon Park in Ballyclare, which it shares with Ballyclare Comrades...
.
He was involved in a car accident soon after signing, breaking his chest bone, some ribs, puncturing his lung
Lung
The lung is the essential respiration organ in many air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart...
and damaging his left leg.
He made his playing comeback with Cliftonville
Cliftonville F.C.
Cliftonville Football & Athletic Club is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. Founded on 20 September 1879 by John McCredy McAlery in the suburb of Cliftonville in north Belfast, it is the oldest football club in Ireland and celebrated its 130th...
but was unable to reach the same level and eventually retired.
Coaching experience
After spending some time as press officer for Birmingham CityBirmingham 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...
, Connor moved to America where he coached in the USL First Division
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
under John McGinlay
John McGinlay
John McGinlay is a Scottish former footballer who is perhaps best known for his spell at Bolton Wanderers in the mid to late 1990s.-Early Career:...
for Cincinnati Riverhawks
Cincinnati Riverhawks
The Cincinnati Riverhawks were a professional soccer team that debuted in the USISL Premier Development League in 1997 and joined the A-League from 1998 to 2003...
, Boston Bulldogs
Boston Bulldogs (soccer)
The Boston Bulldogs were a soccer club originally founded in 1996 as the Worcester Wildfire. The team debuted in the USISL and would play in the A-League from 1997 to 2000...
and in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League
Eastern Indoor Soccer League
The Eastern Indoor Soccer League was an attempt to create a regional minor indoor soccer league. The league featured teams from the Southeastern United States...
with the Lafayette Swamp Cats
Lafayette Swamp Cats
Lafayette Swamp Cats were an American soccer team, founded in 2000. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2004, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.They were given “provisional...
. He also spent time coaching non-league clubs in England and scouting for Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
and Lincoln
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
.
Sligo Rovers
He was appointed Sligo Rovers manager in September 2004 http://www.irishfootballonline.com/news/2160.html and in November 2005 he won the League of Ireland First Division in his first season of senior management with Sligo Rovers. They then finished 5th in the Premier Division and reached the semi-final of the FAI CupFAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
.
Bohemians
Connor left Sligo Rovers on 2 November 2006 and was unveiled as the manager of BohemiansBohemian F.C.
Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11...
on 17 November 2006. Amongst his first acts as manager were the signing of a number of promising players; Harpal Singh
Harpal Singh
Harpal Singh , more commonly known as Pala , is an Sikh Hockeysportsman. He is currently in Indian Hockeyteam.He is a Sabat Sikh as appears in the sikhism articles.-Career:...
, Brian Murphy
Brian Murphy (footballer)
Brian Murphy is an Irish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Queens Park Rangers. Murphy previously played for Bohemians, Swansea City, Manchester City and Ipswich Town.-Club career:...
, and Mark Rossiter
Mark Rossiter
Mark Rossiter is an Irish footballer currently playing for Bohemians in the League of Ireland Premier Division.-Career:Rossiter began his career at Sunderland and made his senior debut away to Arsenal in November 2002...
, and established performers Owen Heary
Owen Heary
Owen Heary is an Irish professional football defender and currently captain of Bohemians .-Playing career:He made his League of Ireland debut for Kilkenny City at Bray Wanderers on 21 November 1993...
and Glen Crowe
Glen Crowe
Glen Crowe is an Irish professional football forward who currently plays for Malahide United in the Leinster Senior League....
. His first pre-season games in charge of Bohemians' included wins against Lisburn Distillery
Lisburn Distillery F.C.
Lisburn Distillery is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1880, originated in west Belfast, where it was based at Grosvenor Park at Distillery Street off the Grosvenor Road until 1971...
and Donegal Celtic
Donegal Celtic
Donegal Celtic is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1970, hails from Belfast and plays its home matches at Donegal Celtic Park. Club colours are green and white in Celtic-style hoops...
, and a draw with Scottish Premier Division side Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
.
His first league game in charge of Bohs came on the 9 March 2007, in a scoreless draw against Drogheda United
Drogheda United
Drogheda United Football Club is an Irish football club currently playing in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. The club hails from Drogheda, Ireland and, since 1979, plays its home matches at Hunky Dorys Park....
. At first, he showed signs of turning Bohs into genuine contenders for honours with the wins against St Patricks Athletic
St Patrick's Athletic F.C.
St Patrick's Athletic Football Club is a football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Founded in 1929, they are based in the Dublin suburb of Inchicore and play their home matches at Richmond Park. They have won the League of Ireland title 7 times and...
in the league and Drogheda United in the FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
the most notable victories. However some inconsistent and dour performances saw their league challenge fade away and Bohs finish without a Setanta Sports Cup
Setanta Sports Cup
The Setanta Sports Cup, commonly known as just the Setanta Cup, is a club football competition featuring teams from both football associations on the island of Ireland...
place. Under his management, Bohs finished a very disappointing 3rd in the league, lost the League of Ireland Cup Final and also lost a FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
semi-final.
On 19 December 2007 his contract as manager at Bohs was terminated for undisclosed reasons. He settled a high court dispute with Bohs over this dismissal in December 2008, for an undisclosed six figure sum.
Dundalk
On 8 December 2008 he was announced as the new manager of DundalkDundalk F.C.
Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
. During the course of the 2009 season, his team collected an incredible 19 red cards. They ultimately finished 5th in the League, departing the club on 7 November 2009, by mutual consent.
In October 2009, Connor was interviewed for the vacant managers position at Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
.
Galway United
On 10 January 2010, Sean Connor returned to management, signing a 3-year contract with Galway United, citing it as the biggest challenge of his managerial career so far. He began his reign with a 2–0 defeat to St Patrick's Athletic in Dublin. He managed to keep United in the Premier Division thanks to a play-off win over Bray Wanderers in November. In 2011, he led the club through a League of Ireland record run of 23 consecutive defeats, ending with a draw against his former club Dundalk on September 9, 2011.Managerial stats
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Sligo Rovers |  |
2004 | 2006 | 70 | 28 | 22 | 20 | 40.00 |
| Bohemians Bohemian F.C. Bohemian F.C. , more commonly referred to as Bohemians, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the third most successful club in League of Ireland football history, having won the League of Ireland title 11... |
|
2006 | 2007 | 33 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 48.48 |
| Dundalk Dundalk F.C. Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The... |
|
2009 | 2009 | 36 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 33.33 |
| Galway United | |
2010 | 2011 | 66 | 11 | 14 | 41 | 16.66 |
- Stats for Sligo Rovers compiled for league games & exclude all other competitions.