| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gerard Patrick Keenan[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1954-07-25)25 July 1954 (age 70)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Liverpool | |||
| Skelmersdale United | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1975–1978 | Bury | 71 | (3) |
| 1978–1982 | Port Vale | 106 | (7) |
| 1982–1984 | Rochdale | 35 | (1) |
| 1984–1986 | Accrington Stanley | ||
| Ashton United | |||
| Rossendale United | |||
| Bacup Borough | |||
| St. Joseph's | |||
| Total | 212+ | (11+) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1984–1985 | Accrington Stanley (player-manager) | ||
| Ashton United | |||
| Rossendale United | |||
| Bacup Borough | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gerard Patrick Keenan (born 25 July 1954) is an English formerfootballer who played 240 league and cup games in theEnglish Football League forBury,Port Vale, andRochdale from 1975 to 1984. He servedAccrington Stanley asplayer-manager from 1984 to 1986. He later worked as player-manager atAshton United,Rossendale United andBacup Borough.
Keenan was ayouth team player withBill Shankly'sLiverpool, but never played a first-team game atAnfield as his father refusedRoy Evans's offer of joining the club on apprentice terms.[3] He instead became an apprentice gas fitter and played semi-professionalnon-League football forSkelmersdale United, before joiningBobby Smith'sBury in April 1975.[4] The "Shakers" finished 13th in theThird Division in1975–76, before finishing seventh in1976–77 and then 15th in1977–78 underBob Stokoe's stewardship. In his three years atGigg Lane, Keenan scored three goals in 71 league games.West Ham United made a bid for him but backed out of the deal after he suffered a knee injury.[5]
Keenan signed withDennis Butler'sPort Vale in September 1978 for a £15,000 fee.[1] His first goal for the "Valiants" came in a 1–0 victory overRochdale atSpotland on 11 November, and his second goal came on Boxing day in a 6–2 defeat toBarnsley atOakwell.[1] He ended the1978–79 season with 32Fourth Division appearances to his name.[1] He played 44 league and cup games in the1979–80 campaign, as Vale ended the season in 20th place underJohn McGrath's stewardship; he scored one goal againstTorquay United atPlainmoor.[1] He began suffering with knee injuries from September 1980, and was limited to 13 appearances in the1980–81 season, claiming two goals in a 4–2 win overDarlington atVale Park on 20 September, and one goal in a 2–1 defeat at former club Bury seven days later.[1] He played 24 games in the1981–82 season and scored one goal in a 2–1 win at Rochdale on 19 September. Due to his knee troubles, he was given afree transfer in May 1982.[1]
Keenan moved on toRochdale on a week-to-week basis as he had received an insurance pay-off upon leaving Port Vale.[3] He ended up staying with the club for two years.[3]
Keenan became theplayer-manager atNorth West Counties League Division One sideAccrington Stanley.[1] After leaving this position he became player-assistantmanager and then player-manager withAshton United and had two spells as player-manager ofRossendale United before moving on toBacup Borough and St. Joseph's (also inRossendale).[1]
Keenan worked as a gas fitter after ending his playing career.[4] He worked as a matchday ambassador atVale Park from 2002 to 2011 but quit the club in a row over access to parking.[6] He later returned to the club, before leaving for the final time in September 2019 after relocating toMorecambe.[4]
Source:[7]
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other[A] | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Bury | 1974–75 | Third Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1975–76 | Third Division | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 1976–77 | Third Division | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 1977–78 | Third Division | 37 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 46 | 2 | |
| 1978–79 | Third Division | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | |
| Total | 71 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 88 | 3 | ||
| Port Vale | 1978–79 | Fourth Division | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 1979–80 | Fourth Division | 41 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 1 | |
| 1980–81 | Fourth Division | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | |
| 1981–82 | Fourth Division | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| Total | 106 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 114 | 7 | ||
| Rochdale | 1982–83 | Fourth Division | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| 1983–84 | Fourth Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 212 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 240 | 11 | ||