George O'Boyle

George O'Boyle
Personal information
Full name George O'Boyle
Date of birth (1967-12-14) 14 December 1967
Place of birth Belfast, Northern Ireland
Playing position Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1984–1985 Manchester City 0 (0)
1985–1986 Distillery 24 (4)
1986–1987 Linfield 22 (12)
1987–1989 Bordeaux 3 (0)
1988–1989 → Linfield (loan) 24 (9)
1989–1994 Dunfermline Athletic 95 (29)
1994–2001 St Johnstone 146 (64)
2001 Raith Rovers 5 (0)
2001 Brechin City 5 (2)
2001–2002 Queen of the South 7 (3)
2002–2003 Glenavon 33 (9)
2003–2004 Ards 9 (0)
2004–2006 Bo'ness United 64 (24)
2006 Kelty Hearts
2006–2008 Carnoustie Panmure 4 (0)
Total 441 (156)
National team
1994–1998 Northern Ireland 13 (1)
1998 Northern Ireland B 1 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

George O'Boyle (born 14 December 1967 in Belfast) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer.

Playing career

Club football

O'Boyle, a striker, began his Irish league career with Distillery before moving to Linfield. He left Northern Ireland in 1988 to join French club Bordeaux. The following year, he joined Dunfermline Athletic for £250,000. In 1994, he was signed by St Johnstone manager Paul Sturrock for a £200,000. He reached both the high and low points of his career during his seven years at McDiarmid Park. He played in the 1998 Scottish League Cup Final defeat by Rangers.

On 5 January 2001, O'Boyle and St Johnstone teammate Kevin Thomas were sacked following drug-taking allegations. The two players, it was alleged, were found using an unidentified white powder (allegedly cocaine) at the club's Christmas 2000 party in Perth's That Bar.[1] The Scottish Premier League attempted to overturn the sacking but it was over-ruled by the Scottish FA.[2][3]

After leaving the Perth club, O'Boyle joined Raith Rovers for a short spell, before moving on to Brechin City and Queen of the South, with whom he finished his professional career.

He returned to Northern Ireland to play for Glenavon[4] and Ards, only to return to Scotland in 2004 to play for junior clubs Bo'ness and Kelty Hearts.

International football

O'Boyle's international career spanned four years. In 1996, he scored his only Northern Ireland goal in a 1–1 draw with Germany in his hometown of Belfast.

Coaching career

O'Boyle managed Carnoustie Panmure, the final club for which he played.

He would leave football altogether and return to his native Shankill Road until in 2015 taking up the role of assistant to manager Colin McIlwaine at Northern Amateur Football League club Albert Foundry.[5] In the summer of 2016 O'Boyle followed McIlwaine to Lisburn Distillery, again taking up the role of assistant.[6]

References

  1. ↑ O'Boyle sacked by St Johnstone – BBC Sport
  2. ↑ O'Boyle and Thomas lodge court appeal – BBC Sport
  3. ↑ Sacked pair talk of drug scandal – BBC Sport
  4. ↑ BBC Sport's Northern Ireland page
  5. ↑ GEORGE O'BOYLE: SHANKILL MAN A DUNFERMLINE AND ST JOHNSTONE LEGEND.
  6. ↑ DISTILLERY: New management set out to let the good times roll
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