Stephen Cluxton
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Stiofán Cluxton | ||
| Sport | Gaelic Football | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Born | 17 December 1981 Coolock, Dublin | ||
| Height | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Nickname | Clucko | ||
| Occupation | Teacher | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
| 2000 - present | Parnells | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
| 2001 – present | Dublin | 66 (0-43) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Leinster titles | 8 | ||
| All Irelands | 2 | ||
| All Stars | 5 | ||
Stephen "Clucko" Cluxton (born 17 December 1981 in Coolock, Dublin) is a Gaelic football goalkeeper. Dublin inter-county captain,[1] he plays his club football for Parnells. Cluxton is unusual for a goalkeeper as he often opts to take frees during games. An intensely private individual, he is known for his great mental ability in front of goal and is regarded as the most influential goalkeeper of his generation.[2]
After years of failure to reach the promised land, Cluxton won an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 2011. He played an important role in securing Dublin's first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title since 1995 when he scored the winning point in stoppage time at the end of the 2011 final. He is the only goalkeeper in the history of the game to have done so.[3] Cluxton was also part of the Dublin side that won the Leinster Senior Football Championship title in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Cluxton has received five All Star Awards; these came in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2013.
Early life
Cluxton was born into a soccer background. His father Pat Cluxton won a lot of medals with Postal Celtic. Cluxton played soccer at St David's primary school in Artane, County Dublin, and played at left back or on the left wing with Tolka Rovers. It wasn't until he went to St David's secondary school that he began to play Gaelic football. He played at corner forward for St Davids until the school goalkeeper Robert O'Connor was suspended. Cluxton was asked to stand in for him in that position and he has remained in that position ever since.[4]
Playing career
Club
Inter-county
Cluxton was an All Star winner in 2002, and he received the Young Personality of the Year Award at the 2002 RTÉ/Hibernian Sports Ceremony held in the Burlington Hotel, on Saturday 4 January 2003. Following Cluxton's sending off in the third round of the All-Ireland qualifiers in 2003 against Armagh, then manager Tommy Lyons blamed him for Dublin's defeat.[5] After this incident, Cluxton seriously considered quitting the Dublin panel to play professional soccer with League of Ireland side St Patrick's Athletic.
Cluxton was part of the Dublin City University team which won the 2006 Sigerson Cup, winning a place on the Third Level Hotshots Team. He was an All Star winner that year.
Cluxton won the 2007 O'Byrne Cup with Dublin against Laois at O'Connor Park in Offaly. The game finished on a scoreline of 1–18 to 2–13. Cluxton to this day remains the best shot-stopper in Ireland with bags of skill and fast reflexes. Overall, he has been described as "arguably...the best shot-stopper at inter-county level".
Cluxton played an important role in Dublin's 2011 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship winning season.[6] He scored the winning point in the 2011 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final. He is the only goalkeeper in the history of the game to have done so.[3] After the final whistle he slowly walked off the pitch down the tunnel beneath the Hogan Stand in keeping with his famously private persona and desire to shy away from the spotlight. It is believed Cluxton actually exited the pitch straight away as his beloved Manchester United were playing Chelsea in the premier league, and the second half was about to start.[2] Dublin teammate Paul Flynn paid tribute afterwards: "He [Cluxton] is out training an hour before everybody else and he kicks them over with his eyes closed. I didn't even look at the kick. I looked at him and he just kicked it and ran back. He is a phenomenal man, I am delighted for him."[7]
On 28 April 2013, Cluxton captained Dublin to win the 2013 National Football League after a 0-18 to 0-17 win against Tyrone at Croke Park.[8] His free kicks have attracted criticism - in the 2013 Leinster final he spent eight minutes of the match trotting up the field to kick the ball over the bar.[9]
On 22 September, Cluxton captained Dublin to win the 2013 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final against Mayo, and scoring the point from a free that was the deciding winning point in the game.[10]
International rules
Cluxton made his debut appearance for Ireland in the International Rules Series during the 2002 test series won by Australia. He was part of the victorious Irish team during the 2004 International Rules Series, winning the Irish player of the tournament award.[11]
Cluxton kept a clean sheet when he played in goal for Ireland in the 2010 International Rules Series in Limerick.[12]
Cluxton captained Ireland during the 2011 International Rules Series in Australia. Ireland went on to win the Series.
Injury ruled him out of the 2013 International Rules Series so Paddy O'Rourke filled his gloves.[13][14][15]
Personal life
Cluxton is currently studying for a BSc in Science Education part-time, and is also a secondary school teacher at St Vincents CBS in Glasnevin where he teaches Biology. He became a member of the faculty at the beginning of the September 2006 term. He is usually viewed as the school celebrity and is held in high regard by many students. Stephen has also served as a member of the school football team coaching staff.
He does not participate in media work and regards “not speaking to the media” as the best advice he has been given.[2]
Charity work
In April 2011, while participating in a charity soccer match between Darndale F.C. and Liverpool/Manchester United Legends in aid of Autism Ireland, Cluxton clashed with former Republic of Ireland soccer team player Jason McAteer. Cluxton and McAteer were both sent off.[16]
Career statistics
National League appearances
Cluxton has played 52 senior inter-county league games for Dublin. He has kept 22 clean sheets in those 52 appearances.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 February 2002 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Donegal | – | 2–10 : 0–14 | National Football League Round 1 |
| 2 | 17 February 2002 | Healy Park, Omagh | Tyrone | – | 2–10 : 0–18 | National Football League Round 2 |
| 3 | 3 March 2002 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Westmeath | – | 3–13 : 1–16 | National Football League Round 4 |
| 4 | 24 March 2002 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Roscommon | – | 0–16 : 2–12 | National Football League Round 6 |
| 5 | 31 March 2002 | Tuam Stadium, Galway | Galway | – | 1–12 : 1–12 | National Football League Round 7 |
| 6 | 2 February 2003 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Armagh | – | 0–7 : 1–15 | National Football League Round 1 |
| 7 | 16 February 2003 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Tyrone | – | 0–12 : 0–11 | National Football League Round 3 |
| 8 | 2 March 2003 | Fitzgerald Stadium, Kerry | Kerry | – | 0–14 : 2–11 | National Football League Round 4 |
| 9 | 23 March 2003 | Dr. Hyde Park, Roscommon | Roscommon | – | 0–17 : 0–14 | National Football League Round 6 |
| 10 | 6 April 2003 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Galway | – | 0–12 : 1–9 | National Football League Round 7 |
| 11 | 1 February 2004 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Tyrone | – | 0–9 : 0–8 | National Football League Round 1 |
| 12 | 8 February 2004 | McHale Park, Castlebar | Mayo | – | 0–3 : 1–10 | National Football League Round 2 |
| 13 | 15 February 2004 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Kerry | – | 0–12 : 1–12 | National Football League Round 3 |
| 14 | 7 March 2004 | Cusack Park, Mullingar | Westmeath | – | 0–15 : 0–10 | National Football League Round 4 |
| 15 | 21 March 2004 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Cork | – | 0–9 : 0–9 | National Football League Round 6 |
| 16 | 5 February 2005 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Mayo | – | 2–13 : 1–15 | National Football League Round 1 |
| 17 | 13 February 2005 | Healy Park, Omagh | Tyrone | – | 0–9 : 1–10 | National Football League Round 2 |
| 18 | 5 March 2005 | Austin Stack Park, Tralee | Kerry | – | 2–11 : 2–13 | National Football League Round 3 |
| 19 | 12 March 2005 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Westmeath | – | 0–11 : 0–9 | National Football League Round 4 |
| 20 | 20 March 2005 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Donegal | – | 1–11 : 0–13 | National Football League Round 5 |
| 21 | 26 March 2005 | Pairc Ui Rinn, Cork | Cork | – | 1–6 : 0–18 | National Football League Round 6 |
| 22 | 3 April 2005 | O'Connor Park, Tullamore | Offaly | – | 1–13 : 2–6 | National Football League Round 7 |
| 23 | 12 February 2006 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Monaghan | – | 0–7 : 1–11 | National Football League Round 2 |
| 24 | 4 March 2006 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Offaly | – | 1–10 : 3–2 | National Football League Round 3 |
| 25 | 11 March 2006 | Pairc Ui Rinn, Cork | Cork | – | 1–10 : 1–11 | National Football League Round 4 |
| 26 | 19 March 2006 | Brewster Park, Fermanagh | Fermanagh | – | 0–8 : 0–9 | National Football League Round 5 |
| 27 | 25 March 2006 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Mayo | – | 4–10 : 1–10 | National Football League Round 6 |
| 28 | 9 April 2006 | Fitzgerald Stadium, Kerry | Kerry | – | 0–13 : 0–13 | National Football League Round 7 |
| 29 | 3 February 2007 | Croke Park, Dublin | Tyrone | – | 0–10 : 0–11 | National Football League Round 1 |
| 30 | 10 February 2007 | Gaelic Grounds, Limerick | Limerick | – | 0–14 : 1–10 | National Football League Round 2 |
| 31 | 25 February 2007 | Ballyshannon, Donegal | Donegal | – | 0–5 : 0–9 | National Football League Round 3 |
| 32 | 10 March 2007 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Cork | – | 1–13 : 0–7 | National Football League Round 4 |
| 33 | 24 March 2007 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Fermanagh | – | 3–15 : 0–7 | National Football League Round 5 |
| 34 | 1 April 2007 | McHale Park, Castlebar | Mayo | – | 0–9 : 0–10 | National Football League Round 6 |
| 35 | 8 April 2007 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Kerry | – | 2–7 : 1–12 | National Football League Round 7 |
| 36 | 2 February 2008 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Westmeath | – | 1–7 : 1–5 | National Football League Round 1 |
| 37 | 1 March 2008 | Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan | Cavan | – | 1–9 : 0–7 | National Football League Round 3 |
| 38 | 23 March 2008 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Monaghan | – | 1–10 : 0–13 | National Football League Round 4 |
| 39 | 13 April 2008 | Crossmaglen, Armagh | Armagh | – | 1–10 : 3–13 | National Football League Round 5 |
| 40 | 20 April 2008 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Meath | – | 0–13 : 2–6 | National Football League Round 7 |
| 41 | 26 April 2008 | Pairc Tailteann, Meath | Westmeath | – | 0–10 : 0–15 | National Football League Division 2 Final |
| 42 | 31 January 2009 | Croke Park, Dublin | Tyrone | – | 1–16 : 1–18 | National Football League Round 1 |
| 43 | 15 February 2009 | Pearse Stadium, Salthill | Galway | – | 0–13 : 3–12 | National Football League Round 2 |
| 44 | 8 March 2009 | Ballyshannon, Donegal | Donegal | – | 0–13 : 1–8 | National Football League Round 3 |
| 45 | 14 March 2009 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Derry | – | 1–12 : 0–20 | National Football League Round 4 |
| 46 | 29 March 2009 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Kerry | – | 1–15 : 1–15 | National Football League Round 6 |
| 47 | 12 April 2009 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Westmeath | – | 5–22 : 0–10 | National Football League Round 7 |
| 48 | 7 February 2010 | Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney | Kerry | – | 1–12 : 1–10 | National Football League Round 1 |
| 49 | 7 March 2010 | McHale Park, Castlebar | Mayo | – | 1–9 : 1–8 | National Football League Round 3 |
| 50 | 13 March 2010 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Monaghan | – | 2–11 : 1–9 | National Football League Round 4 |
| 51 | 20 March 2010 | Pairc Ui Rinn, Cork | Cork | – | 2–6 : 2–13 | National Football League Round 5 |
| 52 | 27 March 2010 | Parnell Park, Dublin | Galway | – | 0–14 : 1–14 | National Football League Round 6 |
Championship appearances
Cluxton has played 50 senior inter-county championship games for Dublin. He has kept 31 clean sheets in those 50 appearances.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 May 2001 | Croke Park, Dublin | Longford | – | 2–19 : 1–13 | Leinster Championship Quarter final |
| 2 | 17 June 2001 | Croke Park, Dublin | Offaly | – | 1–12 : 0–13 | Leinster Championship Semi final |
| 3 | 1 June 2002 | Dr. Cullen Park, Wexford | Wexford | – | 0–15 : 1–10 | Leinster Championship Quarter final |
| 4 | 23 June 2002 | Croke Park, Dublin | Meath | – | 2–11 : 0–10 | Leinster Championship Semi final |
| 5 | 14 July 2002 | Croke Park, Dublin | Kildare | – | 2–13 : 2–11 | Leinster Championship Final |
| 6 | 5 August 2002 | Croke Park, Dublin | Donegal | – | 2–8 : 0–14 | All-Ireland Quarter final |
| 7 | 17 August 2002 | Croke Park, Dublin | Donegal | – | 1–14 : 0–7 | All-Ireland Quarter final replay |
| 8 | 1 September 2002 | Croke Park, Dublin | Armagh | – | 1–13 : 1–14 | All-Ireland Semi final |
| 9 | 1 June 2003 | Croke Park, Dublin | Louth | – | 1–19 : 0–9 | Leinster Championship Quarter final |
| 10 | 15 June 2003 | Croke Park, Dublin | Laois | – | 0–14 : 0–16 | Leinster Championship Semi final |
| 11 | 28 June 2003 | St. Tiernach's Park, Derry | Derry | – | 3–9 : 1–9 | Qualifiers Round 2 |
| 12 | 5 July 2003 | Croke Park, Dublin | Armagh | – | 0–11 : 0–15 | Qualifiers Round 3 |
| 13 | 12 June 2004 | Parnell Park, Dublin | London | – | 3–24 : 0–6 | Qualifiers Round 1 |
| 14 | 3 July 2004 | Carrick on Shannon, Leitrim | Leitrim | – | 1–13 : 0–4 | Qualifiers Round 2 |
| 15 | 10 July 2004 | O'Moore Park, Portlaoise | Longford | – | 1–17 : 0–11 | Qualifiers Round 3 |
| 16 | 1 August 2004 | Croke Park, Dublin | Roscommon | – | 1–14 : 0–13 | Qualifiers Round 4 |
| 17 | 14 August 2004 | Croke Park, Dublin | Kerry | – | 1–8 : 1–15 | All Ireland Quarter final |
| 18 | 15 May 2005 | Croke Park, Dublin | Longford | – | 2–23 : 0–10 | Leinster Championship Preliminary Quarter final |
| 19 | 5 June 2005 | Croke Park, Dublin | Meath | – | 1–12 : 1–10 | Leinster Championship Quarter final |
| 20 | 19 June 2005 | Croke Park, Dublin | Wexford | – | 1–17 : 2–10 | Leinster Championship Semi final |
| 21 | 17 July 2005 | Croke Park, Dublin | Laois | – | 0–14 : 0–13 | Leinster Championship Final |
| 22 | 13 August 2005 | Croke Park, Dublin | Tyrone | – | 1–14 : 1–14 | All Ireland Quarter final |
| 23 | 27 August 2005 | Croke Park, Dublin | Tyrone | – | 1–14 : 2–18 | All Ireland Quarter final replay |
| 24 | 4 June 2006 | Pearse Park, Longford | Longford | – | 1–12 : 0–13 | Leinster Championship Quarter final |
| 25 | 25 June 2006 | Croke Park, Dublin | Laois | – | 3–17 : 0–12 | Leinster Championship Semi final |
| 26 | 16 July 2006 | Croke Park, Dublin | Offaly | – | 1–15 : 0–9 | Leinster Championship Final |
| 27 | 13 August 2006 | Croke Park, Dublin | Westmeath | – | 1–12 : 0–5 | All Ireland Quarter final |
| 28 | 27 August 2006 | Croke Park, Dublin | Mayo | – | 2–12 : 1–16 | All-Ireland Semi final |
| 29 | 3 June 2007 | Croke Park, Dublin | Meath | – | 1–11 : 0–14 | Leinster Championship Quarter final |
| 30 | 17 June 2007 | Croke Park, Dublin | Meath | – | 0–16 : 0–12 | Leinster Championship Quarter final replay |
| 31 | 24 June 2007 | Croke Park, Dublin | Offaly | – | 1–12 : 0–10 | Leinster Championship Semi final |
| 32 | 15 July 2007 | Croke Park, Dublin | Laois | – | 3–14 : 1–14 | Leinster Championship Final |
| 33 | 11 August 2007 | Croke Park, Dublin | Derry | – | 0–18 : 0–15 | All Ireland Quarter final |
| 34 | 26 August 2007 | Croke Park, Dublin | Kerry | – | 0–16 : 1–15 | All-Ireland Semi final |
| 35 | 8 June 2008 | Croke Park, Dublin | Louth | – | 1–22 : 0–12 | Leinster Championship Quarter final |
| 36 | 29 June 2008 | Croke Park, Dublin | Westmeath | – | 0–13 : 1–8 | Leinster Championship Semi final |
| 37 | 20 July 2008 | Croke Park, Dublin | Wexford | – | 3–23 : 0–9 | Leinster Championship Final |
| 38 | 16 August 2008 | Croke Park, Dublin | Tyrone | – | 1–8 : 3–14 | All Ireland Quarter final |
| 39 | 7 June 2009 | Croke Park, Dublin | Meath | – | 0–14 : 0–12 | Leinster Championship Quarter final |
| 40 | 28 June 2009 | Croke Park, Dublin | Westmeath | – | 4–26 : 0–11 | Leinster Championship Semi final |
| 41 | 12 July 2009 | Croke Park, Dublin | Kildare | – | 2–15 : 0–18 | Leinster Championship Final |
| 42 | 3 August 2009 | Croke Park, Dublin | Kerry | – | 1–7 : 1–24 | All Ireland Quarter final |
| 43 | 13 June 2010 | Croke Park, Dublin | Wexford | – | 2–16 : 0–15 | Leinster Championship Quarter final |
| 44 | 27 June 2010 | Croke Park, Dublin | Meath | – | 0–13 : 5–9 | Leinster Championship Semi final |
| 45 | 10 July 2010 | Croke Park, Dublin | Tipperary | 0-1 | 1-21 : 1-13 | Qualifiers Round 2 |
| 46 | 17 July 2010 | Croke Park, Dublin | Armagh | 0-1 | 0-14 : 0-11 | Qualifiers Round 3 |
| 47 | 24 July 2010 | Croke Park, Dublin | Louth | 0-2 | 2-14 : 0-13 | Qualifiers Round 4 |
| 48 | 31 July 2010 | Croke Park, Dublin | Tyrone | 0-1 | 1-15 : 0-13 | All Ireland Quarter final |
| 49 | 22 August 2010 | Croke Park, Dublin | Cork | - | 1-14 : 1-15 | All Ireland Semi final |
| 50 | 18 September 2011 | Croke Park, Dublin | Kerry | 0-2 | 1-12 : 1-11 | All Ireland Final |
See also
- For more details of the GAA in Dublin, see Dublin GAA, Dublin GAA Honours and Dublin Senior Football Championship.
References
- ↑ "Stephen Cluxton confirmed as new Dublin captain after defeat of Cork at Croke Park: The Hill 16 favourite takes over from Bryan Cullen". The Score. 2 February 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "All-Ireland Championship: Cluxton just so cool". The Belfast Telegraph. 2011-09-19. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Cluxton the hero as Dublin win All-Ireland". RTÉ Sport. 2011-09-18. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
- ↑ http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=95&si=&issue_id=13092 Irish Independent story
- ↑ http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=95&si=&issue_id=9492 Irish Independent story
- ↑ Clerkin, Malachy (2011-09-18). "Cluxton stays cool to claim Sam". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2011-09-18. "In the end, it came down to one man. Or, if you prefer, a number one man. Stephen Cluxton, the Dublin goalkeeper who has been so crucial to their year, trotted forward with a minute of injury time left to drill an All-Ireland winning score into the Hill at last, after a breathless day in Croke Park."
- ↑ Houston, Rory (2011-09-19). "Flynn pays tribute to Gilroy's 'team'". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
- ↑ "Dublin 0-18 Tyrone 0-17". RTE Sport. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
- ↑ "Cluxton frees took eight minutes". Hogan Stand. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ↑ "Cluxton never lets Dubs down – he was outstanding". Irish Independent. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
- ↑ HILL 16
- ↑ "Ireland 40-47 Australia". RTÉ News. 23 October 2010.
- ↑ "Injury worry set to rule Cluxton out for Irish duty". Herald. 2 October 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ↑ "O'Rourke following the Cluxton template". Independent. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ↑ "Cluxton the template for O'Rourke". Hogan Stand. 25 October 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
- ↑ Ellis, Fiona; O'Connell, Edel (2011-04-05). "McAteer calls on Cluxton to apologise over punch". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
External links
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bryan Cullen |
Dublin Senior Football Captain 2013 – present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Achievements | ||
| Preceded by Michael Murphy (Donegal) |
All-Ireland Senior Football Final winning captain 2013 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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