John Boyle (footballer)

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Personal information
John Boyle
Date of birth	December 25, 1946 (1946-12-25) (age 61)
Place of birth	Motherwell, Scotland
Playing position	Midfielder
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1964–1973 1973–1974 1974–1975	Chelsea Brighton Orient	198 (10) 010 0(0) 018 0(0)
Teams managed
1977	Tampa Bay Rowdies
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

John Boyle (born 25 December 1946) is a retired Scottish footballer who played during the 1960s and 1970s.

Born in Motherwell, he signed for London side Chelsea as a 15-year-old whilst on holiday in the city. Boyle was one of the lesser-known, but nevertheless important, members of the successful Chelsea side of the period, usually playing in the midfield ball-winner role. He made his Chelsea debut in a League Cup semi-final against Aston Villa and ultimately picked up a winners medal in that competition the same year after also playing in Chelsea's two-legged final victory over Leicester City.

He played in Chelsea's FA Cup final loss to Tottenham Hotspur two years later but missed out when they won their FA Cup final against Leeds United in 1970 due to an injury. He made amends the following season, playing in both matches of Chelsea's successful UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final against Real Madrid in Athens.

He left Chelsea in September 1973 and briefly played for both Brighton & Hove Albion and Orient before retiring in 1975. He later had a spell coaching North American Soccer League side Tampa Bay Rowdies in 1977.

After football, Boyle studied at the University of Edinburgh. Earning professorship and lecturing in Edinburgh for several years, Boyle grew tired of the climate and moved to Sevilla, Spain. Presently, he is married with three children and a professor of International Relations at the Mendendez-Pelayo International University.