Paddy Connolly

Paddy Connolly
Personal information
Full name Patrick Connolly
Date of birth 25 June 1970 (1970-06-25) (age 41)
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position Striker
Youth career
Hamilton Thistle
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1986–96 Dundee United 112 (29)
1996–98 Airdrie 64 (19)
1998–04 St. Johnstone 109 (13)
1999 → Morton (loan) 5 (5)
2000 → Ayr United (loan) 6 (2)
2004–05 Ayr United 34 (7)
2005–06 Stirling Albion 36 (12)
2006–2008 Brechin City 22 (4)
2008– Albion Rovers 0 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Patrick 'Paddy' Connolly (born 25 June 1970 in Glasgow) is a Scottish former footballer, who spent over twenty years with a number of Scottish clubs. Now a scout for Fulham, Connolly also recently worked in an assistant manager role for Albion Rovers. On 18 May 2011 it was announced that he had been appointed Assistant Manager to new Manager Paul Hartley at Alloa Athletic.

Contents

Career

Connolly started his career with Dundee United. He spent ten years at Tannadice, after which he joined Airdrie for a short time, before moving to St. Johnstone in 1998. Connolly spent six years with the Saints, including short loan spells at Morton and Ayr United. Despite being sent out on loan, Connolly agreed a new three-year contract in May 2001, amidst interest from former manager and Plymouth Argyle manager Paul Sturrock.[1] Connolly missed the final year of his contract due to a cruciate ligament injury,[2] and upon leaving McDiarmid Park in 2004, returned to Ayr, where he spent a season before playing the following season with Stirling Albion. Connolly joined former Dundee United colleague Michael O'Neill at Brechin City in May 2006[3] before becoming assistant to brother-in-law Paul Martin at Albion Rovers in July 2008.[4] Nine months later, Connolly left the club due to work commitments elsewhere, joining Fulham as a scout around November 2009.[5]

Disallowed goal

Connolly was involved in one of Scottish football's more bizarre moments when he was denied a hat-trick during his time at Dundee United, when referee Les Mottram failed to notice his shot had come back from the inside stanchion in a February 1993 match against Partick Thistle.[6] Despite Partick defender Martin Clark handing the ball back to goalkeeper Andy Murdoch to restart, Mottram missed the goal and handball to wave play on, with Connolly scoring twice in the match in a 4-0 win. Mottram went on to referee in the 1994 World Cup the following year.

Career statistics

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Scotland League Scottish Cup League Cup Europe Total
1988-89 Dundee United Scottish Premier Division 2 0 - - - 2 0
1989-90 15 5 4 1 - - 19 6
1990-91 10 2 2 1 1 0 3 1 16 4
1991-92 5 0 1 0 - - 6 0
1992-93 42 16 2 0 3 3 - 47 19
1993-94 27 5 2 0 2 1 2 0 33 6
1994-95 6 0 - 2 0 - 8 0
1995-96 Scottish First Division 5 1 - 2 2 - 7 3
Airdrieonians 6 3 N/A N/A - 6 3
1996-97 35 8 N/A - N/A 35 8
1997-98 23 8 N/A - N/A 23 8
St Johnstone Scottish Premier Division 4 0 - - - 4 0
1998-99 Scottish Premier League 9 1 1 0 1 1 - 11 2
1999-00 Morton (loan) Scottish First Division 5 5 - - - 5 5
St Johnstone Scottish Premier League 11 1 - - - 11 1
2000-01 21 4 1 0 - - 22 4
Ayr United (loan) Scottish First Division 6 2 - - - 6 2
2001-02 St Johnstone Scottish Premier League 29 2 1 0 2 0 - 32 2
2002-03 Scottish First Division 35 5 3 1 1 0 - 39 6
2003-04 - - - - 0 0
2004-05 Ayr United Scottish Second Division 34 7 3 0 2 0 - 39 7
2005-06 Stirling Albion 36 12 2 1 1 2 - 39 15
2006-07 Brechin City 30 5 5 1 2 0 - 37 6
Career total 396 92 27 5 19 9 5 1 447 107

References

  1. ^ "Connolly boost for Saints". BBC Sport. 2001-05-25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/st_johnstone/1351512.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 
  2. ^ "Connolly blow for Saints". BBC Sport. 2003-08-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/st_johnstone/3163333.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 
  3. ^ "Connolly joins O'Neill at Brechin". BBC Sport. 2006-05-30. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/brechin_city/5031978.stm. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 
  4. ^ "Connolly becomes Albion assistant". BBC Sport. 2008-07-17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/7512123.stm. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
  5. ^ "Soccer Shorts". American Chronicle. 3 November 2009. http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/137247734. Retrieved 3 November 2009. 
  6. ^ "Dundee United A-Z (P): Partick Thistle". Dundee United FC. http://www.dundeeunitedfc.co.uk/index.asp?pg=298. 

External links