| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Patrick Joseph Healy[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1955-09-27)27 September 1955 (age 70) | ||
| Place of birth | Derry, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder;forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1974–1976 | Sligo Rovers | 24 | (2) |
| 1976–1977 | Distillery | ||
| 1977–1978 | Finn Harps | 33 | (5) |
| 1978–1980 | Port Vale | 41 | (2) |
| 1980–1987 | Coleraine | ||
| 1987–1991 | Derry City | 114 | (23) |
| 1991–1992 | Coleraine | 26 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 1982 | Northern Ireland | 4 | (0) |
| 1982–1986 | Irish League XI | 3 | (1) |
| 1989 | League of Ireland XI | 1 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1993–1994 | Coleraine | ||
| 1994–1998 | Derry City | ||
| 2004–2005 | Finn Harps | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Felix Healy (born 27 September 1955 asPatrick Joseph Healy) is a Northern Irish former internationalfootballer and singer who played forColeraine and then became a footballmanager. He has also worked as a media pundit.
Starting his career atSligo Rovers, he signed withDistillery in 1976. In 1978, hetransferred toFinn Harps, before moving to England to play forPort Vale later that year. Two years later, he returned to his homeland to play forColeraine. After seven years with the club, he moved on toDerry City. In 1993, he returned to Coleraine asplayer-manager before leaving his post and ending his playing career in 1994. He then spent four years in charge at Derry City. In 1982, he won fourcaps forNorthern Ireland. Healy settled into a quiet retirement, becoming a popular local musician around Derry City andInishowen.
Healy began his career in theSligo Rovers first-team as a teenager before hetransferred toDistillery in 1976. The club were suffering and without a ground, and Healy did not even spend a full season with the club as results continually went against them. In March 1977, he was back in theLeague of Ireland withFinn Harps. He matured as a player with Harps; his impressive performances helped to bring home runners-up medals in the League of Ireland and Tyler All-Ireland Cup.
In October 1978, EnglishFourth Division clubPort Vale paid £8,000 for his services.[3] He was signed by managerDennis Butler and dropped by Butler's successor,Alan Bloor.[4]Les Shannon had been an adviser at the club, and quit from his position after Bloor dropped Healy against his advice.[4] Bloor then tried to play Healy in a free role as a number ten, but resigned after three months in charge.[4] His replacement,John McGrath did not get along with Healy, though he was still keen to keep him on atVale Park.[4] His brother had died and his mother was ill, so Healy returned across theIrish Sea, after being signed byColerainemanagerVictor Hunter in July 1980.[4]
His form with the "Bannsiders" during the 1981–82 campaign brought the club to the verge of anIrish League andCup double before they lost out toLinfield on both fronts. The disappointment was eased by anUlster Footballer of the Year award and a call-up to theNorthern Ireland squad.[5] His continued good form with Coleraine over the following seasons brought Healy anUlster Cup winner's medal and anotherIrish Cup final appearance. However, his successfulpenalty proved not to be enough to preventGlentoran winning the 1986 final by a 2–1 scoreline. During his time at Coleraine, he played in eight European ties, scoring on two separate occasions in theUEFA Cup in September 1983 and September 1986 againstSparta Rotterdam andFC Stahl Brandenburg.
In 1987, Healy moved to his hometown club,Derry City, where he won a clean sweep ofLeague Championship,FAI Cup (where he scored the only goal in the final) andLeague of Ireland Cup, (a domestictreble) in 1988–89; the club's first major honours since their days in the Irish League, over twenty years earlier. He also scored Derry's first-ever goal in the Premier Division on 20 September 1987. He scored 38 goals in 162 total appearances for his home town club.
Healy made his international debut in an experimental line-up which drew withScotland in theBritish Home Championship and won his secondcap the following month as Northern Ireland finished theirWorld Cup preparations in the worst of fashions, with a 3–0 defeat byWales. Healy did enough to impressBilly Bingham, who included him in the1982 World Cup squad for Spain. He played once at the finals, coming on assubstitute forMartin O'Neill in a 1–1 draw withHonduras. He became the first and only Irish League player to play in a World Cup Finals match. He won his fourth and finalcap in the first post-World Cup game, Northern Ireland losing 2–0 inAustria.
He was a regular choice for theIrish League. He won three caps – in a 3–3 draw withOFK Beograd (representing theYugoslav League) in 1982, and twice against theLeague of Ireland, a 4–0 win (in which he scored) in 1984 and a 2–1 defeat in 1986.
In October 1993, Healy returned to Coleraine asplayer-manager, taking over fromWillie McFaul and back to Derry as manager in December 1994. In under four seasons in charge at theBrandywell Stadium, Healy led Derry to League and FAI Cup successes before resigning in 1998. Healy remained outside football until becoming a surprise appointment as Finn Harps boss in May 2004. Lifting the club out of the doldrums, his first season atFinn Park saw the clubpromoted as champions of the First Division. However, the club struggled to make an impact in the Premier League the following season, and he was sacked in July 2005.
Whilst playing in Northern Ireland, Healy served a four-year apprenticeship as a butcher and spent nights as a club singer.[6] He appeared as a football pundit onSetanta Sports and as Station Manager for Drive105.3FM, also acting as a sports reporter for local network, Channel 9. He once starred in a local production ofGrease and sang numerous club songs for Derry during his time there.
Healy has three children: Alan, Georgina and Patrick. Patrick was amascot for Derry City in the 1989FAI Cup final when Felix scored the winning goal.
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sligo Rovers[7] | 1974–75 | League of Ireland | 20 | 1 | ||||||
| 1975–76 | League of Ireland | 4 | 1 | |||||||
| Total | 24 | 1 | ||||||||
| Finn Harps[7] | 1978–79 | League of Ireland | 4 | 0 | ||||||
| Port Vale[8] | 1978–79 | Fourth Division | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 |
| 1979–80 | Fourth Division | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| Total | 41 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 2 | ||
| Derry City[7] | 1987–88 | League of Ireland Premier Division | 29 | 3 | ||||||
| 1988–89 | League of Ireland Premier Division | |||||||||
| 1989–90 | League of Ireland Premier Division | |||||||||
| 1990–91 | League of Ireland Premier Division | 25 | 4 | |||||||
| Coleraine[7] | 1991–92 | Irish League | 26 | 1 | ||||||
Individual
Coleraine
Derry City
Derry City
Finn Harps
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