Personal information | |||
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Full name | Alfred Hale | ||
Date of birth | 28 August 1939 | ||
Place of birth | Waterford, Ireland | ||
Playing position | Inside forward | ||
Youth career | |||
195x–1957 | St. Joseph's Juniors | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
1956–1957 | Waterford United | 5 | (5) |
1957–1958 | Cork Hibernians | ? | (1) |
1958–1960 | Waterford United | 34 | (21) |
1960–1962 | Aston Villa | 5 | (1) |
1962–1965 | Doncaster Rovers | 119 | (42) |
1965–1966 | Newport County | 34 | (21) |
1966–1974 | Waterford United | ? | (111) |
1974–1975 | Cork Celtic | ? | (9) |
1975–1976 | St Patrick's Athletic | ? | (3) |
1976–1977 | Limerick | 7 | (2) |
1981–1982 | Thurles Town | 27 | (1) |
National team | |||
1962–1973 | Republic of Ireland | 14 | (2) |
Teams managed | |||
1969–1970 | Waterford United | ||
1974–1975 | Cork Celtic | ||
1981–1982 | Thurles Town | ||
1982–1988 | Waterford United | ||
1988–1989 | Cobh Ramblers | ||
1991–1993 | Waterford United | ||
1995–1999 | Kilkenny City | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
Alfred "Alfie" Hale (born 28 August 1939 in Waterford, Ireland) is a former Irish footballer and manager who played for several clubs in both the League of Ireland and the English League, most notably, Waterford United, Aston Villa, Doncaster Rovers and Cork Celtic. During his career Hale scored 153 goals in the League of Ireland and a further 66 with English League clubs. As an international, Hale also played for the Republic of Ireland.
After retiring as a player Hale managed several teams in the League of Ireland, most notably, Cork Celtic, Waterford United and Kilkenny City. In June 2003, Hale and such other notable Waterford footballers as Davy Walsh, Paddy Coad, Peter Thomas, Jim Beglin and John O'Shea were honoured by the city council and presented with a Waterford Crystal vase.
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Hale spent much of his playing and coaching career at Waterford United. His father three brothers and two uncles had all played for the club in the 1930s. In 1930 the trio even formed an all-Hale half-back line in a league game at home to Bohemians. Hale junior made his debut for the club in 1957 at the age of 17. He left Waterford in 1960 but after seven seasons in the English League, he returned in 1966. Then together with Johnny Matthews, he became a central figure in a Waterford team that dominated the League of Ireland. In 1971–72 Hale was player-manager of the side when they beat Cork Hibernians in dramatic circumstances at Flower Lodge to claim his fifth league title in six seasons. In both 1971–72 and 1972–73 he also finished as joint top goalscorer in the league, scoring 22 and 20 goals respectively.[1] He is also the 7th highest League of Ireland goalscorer of all time with 153 league goals.[1] He was awarded a benefit game in August 1971.[2]
In June 1960, aged 19, Hale was sold by Waterford United to Aston Villa for a fee of £4,500. However, Hale failed to establish himself in the Villa first team and went onto make just 7 first team appearances, scoring 2 goals. Despite this Hale won his first international cap for the Republic of Ireland while at Villa.[3]
Hale signed for Doncaster Rovers in July 1962 and made his debut for the club on August 18 in a 2–0 defeat to Brentford in the English Fourth Division. In January 1964 he scored four goals in a single game as he helped Rovers to a record league win when they beat Darlington 10–0. In three seasons with Rovers, Hale made 119 league appearances and scored 42 goals. He also made 7 appearances for Rovers in the League Cup and 9 in the FA Cup, scoring 2 further goals.
Between 1962 and 1973, Hale made 14 appearances and scored 2 goals for the Republic of Ireland. In 1957 Hale had won the first of two caps at schoolboy level against West Germany. He also represented the Republic of Ireland at amateur level before making his senior international debut on April 8, 1962 in a 3–2 home defeat against Austria. Hale went onto score twice for the Republic of Ireland. Both goals came in 1968 and both were late equalisers which earned the Republic a 2–2 draw on each occasion. The first came on May 15 against Poland at Dalymount Park. It was set up by Eamon Dunphy, who in the 89th minute, beat four defenders before crossing to Hale, a late substitute, who then headed it past the goalkeeper. His second goal came on November 11 in another home game against Austria, when in the 86th minute, Hale finished off the rebound from a Johnny Giles shot that had hit the post. He made his last appearance for the Republic of Ireland on October 21, 1973 in a 1–0 home win against Poland.
As a manager Hale would return to Waterford United for two further spells. During the first of these, between 1982 until 1986, he guided the club to victory in the League of Ireland Cup in 1985 and to the FAI Cup final in 1986. He returned to manage the club again between 1991 and 1993 and helped them achieve promotion from the First Division in 1992. In 2005 he briefly returned to Waterford United once again, this time acting as special advisor.
Aside from Waterford, Hale has also coached several other teams in the League of Ireland. He was appointed manager of Thurles Town in May 1981[4] and as manager of Cobh Ramblers, Hale gave Roy Keane his debut in 1990. Between 1995 and 1999 he was manager of Kilkenny City and in 1997, with a team which included the likes of Brendan Rea, Paul Cashin and Pascal Keane, he guided them to the First Division title. After leaving Kilkenny, Hale remained active in junior football working with Waterford Crystal F.C. and Tramore F.C, winning the first league in 50 years with Tramore in 2000/01.
At the same time as managing various League of Ireland clubs, Hale also established himself as a prominent businessman in the Waterford area. In 1978 he opened a sports shop, currently trading under the name Alfie Hale’s Intersport and located at Arundal Square.[5] He also owns a chain of pubs including Alfie Hale’s Bar in Ballybricken[6] and Alfie Hale’s Sports Bar on Lombard Street.[7]
In December 2008 he settled with the Revenue Commissioners for over €100,000 [1].
Kilkenny City
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