John Connelly 1807286 218929288 2008-06-12T20:24:16Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other {{otherpeople}} {{Football player infobox | playername= John Connelly | image = | fullname = John Michael Connelly | height = | nickname = | dateofbirth = {{birth date and age|1938|7|18}} | cityofbirth = [[St Helens, Merseyside]] | countryofbirth = [[England]] | currentclub = | position = [[Winger (sport)|Winger]] | youthyears = | youthclubs = | years = 1956-1964<br />1964-1966<br />1966-1970<br />1970-1973 | clubs = [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]]<br />[[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]<br />[[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]]<br />[[Bury F.C.|Bury]] | caps(goals) = 265 (105)<br />{{0}}113 {{0}}(35)<br />{{0}}? {{0}}(?)<br />{{0}}? {{0}}(?) | nationalyears = 1959-1966 | nationalteam = [[England national football team|England]] | nationalcaps(goals) = {{0}}{{0}}20 {{0}}(7) }} '''John Michael Connelly''' (born [[July 18]], [[1938]] in [[St Helens, Merseyside|St. Helens]]), is an [[England|English]] former [[football (soccer)|football player]]. He played as a [[Winger (sport)|wing-forward]] and was capped 20 times for his country. ==Career with Burnley== Connelly began his playing career with [[St Helens Town F.C.|St Helens]] in the [[Lancashire]] Combination. In November 1956 [[Scout (sport)|scouts]] from [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]] came to watch another player, but were so impressed by Connelly that he was offered a trial with Burnley, and subsequently a permanent move to the club, who were then playing in the English top division. He made his debut away from home against Leeds United on 11 March 1957. It took two seasons for Connelly to gain a permanent place in the Burnley first team, which he did in the 1958/59 season, scoring 12 goals from 37 appearances, and ending the season as the team’s second top scorer. He was predominantly a right-winger who could also play on the left. He had the ball control and speed to beat the [[Fullback (football)|full-back]] on the outside and deliver accurate crosses, but was also able to cut inside and score goals with either foot. For a winger, he was always a prolific goal scorer, scoring 105 goals for Burnley in 265 appearances. In the 1959/60 season, Connelly played a crucial part in helping Burnley to end as league champions for only the second time. He scored 20 goals in 34 league appearances. Unfortunately for him, he missed the vital last game against [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] that gave Burnley the title. He was in hospital having a cartilage operation, and it was his replacement, Trevor Meredith, who scored the final winning goal. However, he still received a Championship winner's medal. In the following three seasons, Connelly played a full part and scored plenty of goals to help Burnley finish fourth, second and third, respectively, in the league. In addition to finishing second in the 1961/62 season, Burnley reached the [[FA Cup]] final where they were beaten 3-1 by [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]. Connelly played on the right wing and received a runners-up medal. In the 1963/64 season, the emergence of a talented young Scottish winger, [[Willie Morgan]], meant that Connelly was forced to play on the left wing. In April 1964 he was transferred to [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] for £56,000. <ref>[http://www.claretsmad.co.uk/news/loadsngl.asp?cid=ED95&id=144583 John Connelly - Burnley FC - Clarets MAD<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Career with Manchester United== Connelly stayed at Manchester United for just over two seasons, making 113 appearances and scoring 35 goals. In that first season his new club finished second, but the next season, 1964/65, they finished as league champions and Connelly received a second championship medal to go with the one he won with Burnley. The following season, 1965/66, the team finished fourth in the league and were knocked out of the European Cup in the semi-finals. At the start of the 1966/67 season, Connelly was transferred to newly relegated [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] for £40,000. In doing so he missed out on another championship medal as United won the league title again in the following season. ==Subsequent career and retirement== He played for Blackburn Rovers for four years, but was unable to help get them back into the top division. He was released by Blackburn in May 1973 and signed for [[Bury F.C.]] He stayed with Bury for three years and retired in May 1973. In recent years he owned a [[fish and chip]] shop in [[Brierfield]], known as "Connelly’s Plaice". Connelly was chosen amongst 25 former Burnley players for a "Wall of Legends" at [[Turf Moor]]. ==International career== Connelly made his England international debut whilst still a Burnley player, on 17 October 1959, against [[Wales national football team|Wales]] at [[Ninian Park]]. He played twenty games for England in all and scored seven goals. He was a member of the England squad that was sent out to [[Chile]] to take part in the [[1962 FIFA World Cup]], but he was not selected to play during England’s participation in the tournament. Four years later he was a member of the England squad which won the [[1966 FIFA World Cup]]. He played in the opening game against Uruguay at [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|Wembley Stadium]], but the match was a goalless draw and England were disappointing. For subsequent games [[Alf Ramsey]], the England manager, decided to drop Connelly and later do without wingers. This proved to be his last international game. On 27 November 2007 it was reported<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7112824.stm BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | England squad set for 1966 medals<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> that John Connelly, along with the other members of the 1966 winning squad who didn't play in the final ([[Jimmy Greaves]] ([[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham]]), [[Jimmy Armfield]] ([[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]]), [[Peter Bonetti]] ([[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]), [[Ron Springett]] ([[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]]), [[Gerry Byrne (footballer)|Gerry Byrne]] ([[Liverpool F.C.| Liverpool]]), [[Ron Flowers]] ([[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolves]]), [[Norman Hunter]] ([[Leeds United A.F.C.| Leeds]]), [[Terry Paine]] ([[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]), [[Ian Callaghan]] ([[Liverpool F.C.| LIverpool]]) and [[George Eastham]] ([[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]])) would receive [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] Winners' Medals. ==Honours== '''[[Burnley F.C.]]''' *[[Football League First Division|League Title]]: 1960 *[[FA Cup]] finalists: [[1962 FA Cup Final|1962]] '''[[Manchester United F.C.]]''' *[[Football League First Division|League Title]]: 1965 '''International''' *England Squad [[1962 FIFA World Cup]] *England Squad [[1966 FIFA World Cup]] ==References== {{reflist}} * [[List of Manchester United F.C. players]] * [[History of Manchester United F.C. (1945-1969)]] {{England Squad 1962 World Cup}} {{England Squad 1966 World Cup}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Connelly, John}} [[Category:1938 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from St Helens]] [[Category:English footballers]] [[Category:England international footballers]] [[Category:Burnley F.C. players]] [[Category:Manchester United F.C. players]] [[Category:Blackburn Rovers F.C. players]] [[Category:Bury F.C. players]] [[Category:1962 FIFA World Cup players]] [[Category:1966 FIFA World Cup players]] [[Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players]] [[Category:Football (soccer) wingers]] [[Category:The Football League players]] [[de:John Connelly]] [[fr:John Connelly]] [[it:John Connelly]] [[pl:John Connelly]] [[fi:John Connelly]]