Fran O'Brien (footballer)

Fran O'Brien
Personal information
Date of birth April 7, 1955 (1955-04-07) (age 56)
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Playing position Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1974-1978 Bohemians 62 (1)
1978-1980 Philadelphia Fury 70 (12)
1981-1982 Montreal Manic 56 (9)
1983-1984 Vancouver Whitecaps 49 (11)
1984-1985 Dallas Sidekicks (indoor) 43 (13)
1985-1987 Tacoma Stars (indoor) 71 (12)
1988-1990 Seattle Storm
National team
1978 Ireland 4 (0)
Teams managed
2007 Tacoma Tide
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Fran O'Brien was an Irish soccer player during the 1970s and 1980s. He was the first player to be capped for the Republic of Ireland playing in U.S., earning a total of four caps.

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Player

He won a league winners medal with Bohemians in 1974/75. During his career with Bohs, Fran made 62 league appearances with 1 goal and 8 appearances in European competition scoring 1 goal. In 1978, O'Brien moved along with Pat Byrne and Eddie Byrne (footballer) to the Philadelphia Fury of the North American Soccer League (NASL). When the Fury moved to Montreal after the 1980 season, O'Brien went with the team and spent the next two seasons with the renamed Montreal Manic. In 1983, he signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps and spent the next two season with them. In 1984, he was a second team NASL All Star with the Whitecaps. When the NASL folded at the end of the 1984 season, O'Brien signed with the Dallas Sidekicks of Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The Sidekicks released him on September 10, 1985 and he moved to the Tacoma Stars. He spent two seasons with the Stars before retiring and settling in Washington State.

Coach

He is the current head coach of Tacoma Tide of the amateur USL Premier Development League in the U.S.[1]

He is the father of Leighton O'Brien and Ciaran O'Brien, brother of Derek O'Brien and the uncle of Mark O'Brien.

Honours

Coach of U15 GRFC 94 Blue

References

External links