This tall, lanky Irishman with an eye for goals hit the headlines in 1964–65 by scoring a record 35 goals in 42 League games for Crewe Alexandra and joined Cardiff City. Signed by Billy Bingham—with whom he had played at Port Vale—for £2,000, he scored 21 goals in his first season at Haig Avenue and, when selected for Northern Ireland v. Turkey and Wales, became the first Southport player to be capped internationally since Paddy McConnell thirty-seven years earlier. He was transferred to Shrewsbury Town for £10,000 shortly after being remorselessly barracked by the Haig Avenue crowd in a Northern Floodlit game, renewing his association with George Andrews for the third time. In 1971 he went to play for Finn Harps in the League of Ireland and became manager of a shoe shop in Derry. He maintained his interest in the game and was appointed a director of Derry City after he had resurrected the club and secured its admission to the League of Ireland. He left Derry’s Board two years ago. He still keeps fit playing indoor football each Friday night.

Profile reproduced with Permission from:
The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F. C., by Michael Braham and Geoff Wilde (Palatine Books, 1995). ISBN 978-1-874181-14-9


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