| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Joseph Carey | ||
| Date of birth | (1919-02-23)23 February 1919 | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 22 August 1995(1995-08-22) (aged 76) | ||
| Place of death | Macclesfield, England | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Right-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 193? | Home Farm | ||
| 193? | Dublin county team(Gaelic football) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1936 | St James's Gate | ||
| 1936–1953 | Manchester United | 304 | (17) |
| →Manchester United (wartime) | 112 | (47) | |
| 1941–1942 | →Cardiff City (guest) | 1 | (0) |
| 1941–1942 | →Manchester City (guest) | 1 | (0) |
| 1941–1945 | →Shamrock Rovers (guest) | 2 | (3) |
| 1942–1943 | →Middlesbrough (guest) | 1 | (0) |
| 1942–1943 | →Everton (guest) | 2 | (0) |
| 194? | →Liverpool (guest) | ||
| 194? | →Played in Italy (guest) | ||
| International career | |||
| 1937–1953 | Ireland (FAI) | 29 | (3) |
| 1940 | League of Ireland XI | 1 | (0) |
| 1946–1949 | Ireland (IFA) | 9 | (0) |
| 1947 | Europe XI | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1953–1958 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 1955–1967 | Republic of Ireland | ||
| 1958–1961 | Everton | ||
| 1961–1963 | Leyton Orient | ||
| 1963–1968 | Nottingham Forest | ||
| 1970–1971 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Joseph Carey (23 February 1919 – 22 August 1995[2]) was an Irish professionalfootballer and manager. As a player, Carey spent most of his career atManchester United, where he was team captain from 1946 until he retired as a player in 1953. He was also adual internationalist, playing for and captaining both Ireland teams – theFAI XI and theIFA XI. In 1947 he also captained aEurope XI which played aGreat Britain XI atHampden Park. In 1949 he was voted theFootball Writers' Association Footballer of the Year and in the same year captained the FAI XI that defeatedEngland2–0 atGoodison Park, becoming the first non-UK team to beat England at home. Carey was also the first non-UK player and the first Irishman to captain a winning team in both anFA Cup Final and theFirst Division. Like his contemporaryCon Martin, Carey was an extremely versatile footballer and played in nine different positions throughout his career. He even played in goal for United on one occasion.
As a schoolboy, Carey played football forHome Farm. As a youth, he also playedGaelic football and was selected for theDublin county team at minor level before he signed forSt James's Gate at the start of the1936–37 season. After just two months ofLeague of Ireland football, he was spotted byBilly Behan, aDublin-basedManchester United scout. Behan convinced the United chief scout, Louis Rocca, to check him out and in November 1936 United signed him for a then League of Ireland record fee of £250. He made his debut as an inside-left for United on 23 September 1937 againstSouthampton. During his first season with United, Carey, together withHarry Baird,Jack Rowley,Tommy Bamford,Tommy Breen andStan Pearson, helped United gain promotion to theFirst Division.[3][4][5]
During theSecond World War, Carey continued to play forManchester United and between 1939 and 1943 he played 112 games and scored 47 goals in the wartime regional leagues. He also played as a guest for several other clubs includingCardiff City,Manchester City,Everton,Liverpool andMiddlesbrough[6][7][8]On 28 April 1940, Carey guested for aLeague of Ireland XI against aScottish Football League XI in a 3–2 defeat atDalymount Park. His teammates on the day includedJimmy Dunne,Paddy Bradshaw andJohn Feenan.[9] He also guested forShamrock Rovers in aLeague of Ireland game againstLimerick on 6 April 1941. He gave a good performance at inside left, scoring in a 5–0 win. He guested again for Rovers in April 1942 and scored twice in a 7–1 win againstShelbourne. He also played and scored again for Rovers in aLeague of Ireland Shield game atMilltown againstWaterford United on 11 November 1945.[10] Carey also served with theBritish Army in both Italy and theMiddle East and while in Italy, he also played part-time for several different clubs using the nicknameCario. When the war ended Carey received several offers to stay on in Italy.
On his return toManchester United, Carey began playing as a midfielder and defender. He was also appointed team captain byMatt Busby. He captained United to victory in the1948 FA Cup final and to second place in theFirst Division four times before eventually winning the title in 1952. His teammates at United during this era included among others,Jack Rowley,Charlie Mitten andJohn Aston. During his career with United, Carey played 304 league games, scoring 17 goals. He played a further 38 games in theFA Cup and scored one further goal. Carey also played twice for United in theFA Charity Shield.[3][4][5]
He also gained the distinction of being the first player from Ireland to win a major trophy with Manchester United.[11]
When Carey began his international career in 1937 there were, in effect, two Ireland teams, chosen by two rival associations. Both associations, the Northern Ireland-basedIFA and the Ireland-basedFAI claimed jurisdiction over the whole of Ireland and selected players from the whole island. As a result, several notable Irish players from this era, including Carey played for both teams. In September 1946 Carey, along withBill Gorman, even played for both teams within three days of each other, both times againstEngland. On 28 September atWindsor Park he played for the IFA XI in a 7–2 defeat. Then on 30 September atDalymount Park he played for the FAI XI in a 1–0 defeat.[12]
Between 1937 and 1953 Carey made 29 appearances and scored 3 goals for theFAI XI, making his debut againstNorway on 7 November 1937 in a team that also includedJimmy Dunne and fellow debutant,Kevin O'Flanagan. The game which was a qualifier for the1938 FIFA World Cup finished as a 3–3 draw.[13] He scored his first goal for the FAI XI in a 3–2 win againstPoland on 13 November 1938 and scored his second in the very next game, a 2–2 draw withHungary on 19 March 1939. Carey captained the XI on 19 occasions. On 21 September 1949, he was captain when an FAI XI defeatedEngland2–0 atGoodison Park, becoming the first non-UK team to beat England at home. Carey scored his third goal, a penalty, for the FAI XI in a 2–2 draw withNorway on 26 November 1950. He played his last game for the FAI XI on 25 March 1953 in a 4–0 win overAustria.[14][15]
Carey also made 9 appearances for theIFA XI between 1946 and 1949. In 1946 he played in theVictory Internationals againstScotland andWales[8] On 27 November 1946 he played for the IFA XI in a 0–0 draw withScotland. Together withPeter Farrell,Con Martin,Bill Gorman,Tommy Eglington,Alex Stevenson andDavy Walsh, he was one of seven players born in theIrish Free State to play for the IFA XI that day. The draw helped the team finish as runners-up in the1947 British Home Championship.
One of Carey's earliest experiences as a coach came when he was still an active player; he took charge of theIreland team at the1948 Olympics. Ireland lost 3–1 to theNetherlands in the opening round in a game played atFratton Park. Carey retired as a player in 1953 and almost immediately accepted the position as manager ofBlackburn Rovers. In 1958 he guided Rovers intoFirst Division. He then became manager atEverton but, despite leading them to fifth place in the1960–61 season, their highest post-war position, he was sacked in the back of a taxi by directorJohn Moores.[6][16] As a result, the jibe, 'Taxi for ...!' has become a staple insult offered to any manager facing the threat of the sack. He next managedLeyton Orient and took them into the First Division in 1962, their only season in the top division. However his greatest success as a manager came withNottingham Forest. In 1967, he guided them to theFA Cup semi-finals and to second place in the First Division behind his former club Manchester United.[17] Between 1955 and 1967 Carey also served as team manager of theRepublic of Ireland. However Carey had very little power as the team itself was chosen by a selection committee.[14] In October 1970, Carey returned to the manager's role at Blackburn, after a spell as administrative manager. He was sacked on 7 June 1971.[18]
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