| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1950-06-13)13 June 1950 (age 75) | ||
| Place of birth | Barrhead, Scotland | ||
| Position | Outside left | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1966–1968 | Glasgow United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1968–1972 | St Johnstone | 96 | (41) |
| 1972–1976 | Everton | 108 | (16) |
| 1976–1978 | Birmingham City | 57 | (9) |
| 1978–1980 | Newcastle United | 49 | (10) |
| 1980–1982 | Hibernian | 34 | (8) |
| 1982–1983 | Gateshead | ? | (?) |
| 1982–1983 | Blyth Spartans | ? | (?) |
| 1983–1984 | Gateshead | ? | (?) |
| Total | 344 | (84) | |
| International career | |||
| 1973 | Scotland | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1982–1983 | Blyth Spartans | ||
| 1984 | Whitley Bay | ||
| 2000–2004 | Queen of the South | ||
| 2004–2005 | St Johnstone | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Connolly (born 13 June 1950) is a Scottish formerfootball player andmanager who played as anoutside left.
Connolly played forSt Johnstone,Everton,Birmingham City,Newcastle United,Hibernian,Gateshead andBlyth Spartans during an 18-year playing career. Connolly earned one full internationalcap forScotland. Connolly became aplayer-manager with Blyth Spartans and then managedWhitley Bay,Queen of the South and St Johnstone.
Connolly was born inBarrhead, Scotland and began his football career as a junior with Glasgow United before turning professional withSt Johnstone in January 1968.[1] Connolly played in the 1969Scottish League Cup Final atHampden Park versusCeltic, who were on their way to their second European Cup Final in four seasons. ThePerth club lost narrowly 1–0 with Connolly later commenting, "We gave them the fright of their lives". The Perth Saints plundered league wins atIbrox Park andCeltic Park with Connolly in their ranks.[2]
John Connolly's only experience of playing European football was when he was at theMuirton Park club, after they finished third in Scotland's highest division and they had managed to knock outHamburg.
FormerQueens playerNobby Clark stated in an interview that Connolly was the best player he had ever played against directly.[3]
Everton managerHarry Catterick paid £75,000 to sign Connolly for theGoodison Park club in March 1972 and such was Catterick's determination to conclude the signing that he forced himself from his sick bed.[2]
Whilst at theToffees, Connolly earned a full international cap playing for Scotland versusSwitzerland inBern and he had already earned four Under-23 caps.[2]
Connolly had to recover from leg breaks on two occasions with Everton and when their manager, Catterick was replaced byBilly Bingham, the two didn't really get on, so eventually Connolly asked for a transfer and signed forBirmingham City in September 1976 for a fee of £90,000.[2]
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Connolly spent two seasons with theBlues and his second one was disrupted by injury. Connolly then signed forNewcastle United and later played atHibernian besideGeorge Best, before playing forGateshead andBlyth Spartans, where he acted asplayer-manager.[1]
Connolly was appointed manager ofDumfries clubQueen of the South in July 2000 and he appointed Iain Scott as his assistant. With the club's captainJim Thomson and his fellow centre-backAndy Aitken, Connolly led the club to the Scottish Second Division Championship in the2001–02 season, as they clinched the title atStation Park, Forfar with a 3–0 win versus theLoons. Connolly was the firstDoonhamers manager to win a title sinceJimmy McKinnell, Jr. won the Second Division in the1950–51 season.[4]
In the following season, theDoonhamers won theScottish Challenge Cup after defeatingBrechin City 2–0 in the Final atBroadwood Stadium, withAndy Goram andRobbie Neilson in the starting eleven.[4][5]
Connolly departedPalmerston Park at the end of the2003–04 season and the club replaced him with his assistant, Iain Scott.
Connolly replacedBilly Stark as the manager of his former clubSt Johnstone in the 2004 close season.[4] After a disappointing first season in-charge atMcDiarmid Park, Connolly was relieved of his contract on 4 April 2005,[6] as the club finished in eighth position in the2004–05 Scottish First Division. Connolly was then replaced byOwen Coyle.