Eamon O'Keefe
Encyclopedia
Eamonn Gerard O'Keefe is an English
-born Irish
former professional footballer. He played as a forward, but in later years was moved into a midfield
role.
He moved from non-league Stalybridge Celtic
to Plymouth Argyle
, and back into the non-league scene with Hyde United
in 1974. The next year he moved to Saudi Arabia
to play for Al-Hilal, before returning to England in 1976 to sign with Mossley
. His 1978–79 Northern Premier League
success at the club won him a move to Everton
in 1979, before he was sold on to Wigan Athletic
in 1982, who were on the verge of promotion into the Third Division
. He switched to Port Vale
the next year, before penning a deal with Blackpool
in 1985. His goals took the club out of the Fourth Division
in 1984–85. In 1987 he was appointed player-manager at Cork City
, where he won the Munster Senior Cup and League of Ireland Cup in 1988. He moved to Welsh club Chester City
in 1989, after a spell with St Patrick's Athletic
. He joined Bangor City
the next year, before retiring in 1991.
An England Semi-Pro international, he also won four under-21s
caps for the Republic of Ireland. He also went on to win five senior
caps between 1981 and 1985, scoring one goal at full international level.
, in the city of Manchester
. He went to school with Mike Pickering
, who later found fame as a musician. As a youth he was a ball boy
at Old Trafford
, and was on course to join the Manchester United
youth team when he broke his leg in a collision with David Allison, son of Malcolm Allison
, in a regional schoolboy game. Upon his recovery he joined Stalybridge Celtic
of the Cheshire County League
, and playing as a right-back he won the club's Player of the Year award. This won him a chance in the Football League
, and he turned down Crystal Palace
to instead sign with Third Division
club Plymouth Argyle
in February 1974. He was told by manager Tony Waiters
that he would never be anything more than a fringe player in the professional game, who then allowed him to leave Home Park
on a free transfer. He returned to Manchester and signed with Hyde United
for the 1974–75 Cheshire County League season.
In November 1975 he flew out to Saudi Arabia
for a trial at top-flight Al-Hilal, as manager George Smith, the man who had signed him at Stalybridge, offered him the chance to earn a tax-free contract in the oil-rich nation. He impressed on the trial and was offered a contract, this made him the first European to play professionally in Saudi Arabia. Club president Prince Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Abdullaziz Al Saud bought O'Keefe a Pontiac Ventura
, before taking the young player on a luxurious tour of Europe, visiting five star hotels in London
, Paris
, Cannes
, and Rome
, before returning to Riyadh
for the start of the new Saudi season of football. However on the trip he asked a heterosexual
O'Keefe to give up his football career to become his lover, and was refused. As Prince Abdullah was such as a wealthy and powerful man in Saudi Arabia (a relative of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia
, he was a member of the House of Saud
), O'Keefe fled the country, fearing for his safety. The Prince was an uncle to Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Nasir al Saud
, who coincidentally was sentenced to twenty years in prison in October 2010 for killing his gay lover. As he needed Prince Abdullah's permission to leave the country, O'Keefe had to convince him that he was only going to stay in England tor one week so as to visit his ill father (who was in fact in good health). Upon his return he informed The Football Association
, who gave him advice after forming an emergency meeting.
As the Saudi affair was being resolved, Mossley
manager Bob Murphy offered O’Keefe a contract at the Northern Premier League
club. In December 1976, he duly signed for Mossley after the Saudi club eventually agreed to release him from his contract. Howard Wilkinson
was appointed as Mossley's manager in 1976, only for Murphy to return the following year. Wilkindon used O'Keefe as a left-back, though Murphy decided to play him an attacking midfielder due to his 'pace, power and eye for goal'. Under Murphy, the club won the Northern Premier League
and Premier League Cup double in 1978–79 – this was the club's first significant success in seventy years. A part-time player, he also worked as a van driver for the Manchester Evening News
.
O’Keefe was snapped up by Gordon Lee
at First Division
Everton
for a £25,000 fee. He received a red card in the Merseyside derby
, after a late challenge on Liverpool
's Ronnie Whelan
. He played in the derby again on 24 January 1981, in an FA Cup
Third Round clash, and unwittingly set up Imre Varadi
for the "Toffees" second goal of a 2–1 win. He went on to score the only goal of the Fourth Round Replay against Southampton
at Goodison Park
. However Manchester City
knocked Everton out at the quarter-final stage, whilst O'Keefe broke his leg in a game against Manchester United.
O'Keefe managed to recover in time for the club's pre-season tour of Japan
and the United States
, and was rewarded with a new two year contract. However he found himself on the bench in the 1981–82 season under new manager Howard Kendall
, and put in a transfer request. He was then transferred to Wigan Athletic
for a £65,000 fee in January 1982, signing a four year contract. Under manager Larry Lloyd
the "Latics" won promotion out of the Fourth Division
in third place in 1981–82. He helped Wigan to consolidate their Third Division status in 1982–83, but was transfer-listed after the club went into liquidation, his wages being too high for the club to sustain.
In July 1983, John McGrath's Port Vale
paid £10,000 for his services. With eleven goals in 43 games, he was the club's top scorer and Player of the Year
in his debut season
. The day after picking up his award he put in a transfer request because Vale had been relegated
. O'Keefe had also taken a dislike towards new manager John Rudge
, as well as the lengthy daily commute from his home to Vale Park
. During the following season
he played less regularly, but carried two children to safety when a perimeter fence collapsed during an FA Cup
2–1 win at Macclesfield Town
on 17 November 1984. On 25 March 1985, he refused to play for the "Vale" against Wrexham because he was due to play for his country the following night.
Three days later, on 28 March, he joined Sam Ellis
's Blackpool
for £17,500; having decided to turn down a move to Preston North End
. He made his debut for the "Seasiders" two days later, in a 4–2 victory over Peterborough United
at Bloomfield Road
, scoring Blackpool's fourth goal. With Blackpool second in the table, he then scored against leaders Chesterfield
in his second appearance for the club. He went on to score four more goals in ten games before the end of the campaign, at which point Blackpool won promotion to Third Division.
The following season, 1985–86, O'Keefe scored seventeen goals in nineteen league starts (including a hat-trick in a 4–0 home win over Doncaster Rovers
on 1 October 1985). With seventeen goals, he finished the season as the club's top scorer. After only two games in 1986–87, O'Keefe announced his retirement from professional football due to injury. His final game for Blackpool came on 6 September 1986, in a 2–1 home defeat by Carlisle United
. He was awarded a testimonial match
as the summer wound down, with First Division champions Everton visiting Bloomfield Road. He repaid the favour in August 1987, when O'Keefe organized a fun run in order to raise £15,000 for Blackpool F.C. – the club were in great financial trouble at the time.
Upon the recommendation of Harry McNally
, O'Keefe was appointed as manager of Cork City
, a club in the League of Ireland Premier Division. He appointed former Blackpool coach Billy Haydock as his assistant, and signed Blackpool goalkeeper Phil Harrington
for a small fee. Also coming out of retirement as a player, his team won the pre-season Munster Senior Cup. He then signed former Stoke City
defender Alan Dodd
on a month long deal. O'Keefe also doubled up as the club's commercial manager, and he arranged four Sportsman's Dinner events, with special guests as Jack Charlton
, Sir Alex Ferguson
, Tommy Docherty
, and Emlyn Hughes
. The club finished in seventh place in 1987–88 and lifted the League of Ireland Cup. Cork were heading to another mid-table place finish in 1988–89 when O'Keefe was sacked. Cork terminated his contract to cut costs, as the directors were forced to subsidize the club out of their own pockets. Following his dismissal he turned out for Brian Kerr's St Patrick's Athletic
in a handful of games.
In March 1989 he came out of professional retirement to sign for Chester City
, then managed by friend and former colleague Harry McNally. The signing was delayed due to lengthy negotiations with the Football League over his insurance payout from two years earlier. He was also appointed as the club's commercial manager, and attempted to form a football pool for the entire Football League, in conjunction with the FA and the Daily Mirror; however he could not break the Littlewoods
monopoly
due to a law that specifically banned newspapers from becoming involved in a pools game – O'Keefe believed that this arrangement "reeked of corruption". On the playing side, his Chester debut came at his former club, Blackpool, on 18 March 1989; he came off the bench to score in a 1–1 draw, denying Blackpool two points in their battle against relegation. Although he appeared in every game until the end of the season and became the club's penalty
taker, O'Keefe only featured in three more matches in 1989–90 and drifted out of professional football circles, signing for Bangor City
.
In January 1981, the FAI
arranged for him to be given an Irish passport; he qualified for the Republic of Ireland
due to the fact that his father was born in Ireland
. He made his debut in a 3–1 defeat to Wales
at Tolka Park
in Dublin. After the game he was informed by FIFA
that he would not be permitted to play another international games as he had voided himself from the Ireland team due to his England semi-pro appearances, and that he had voided himself from the England team due to his appearance for Ireland.
In summer 1983, FIFA agreed to grant him permission to play for Ireland again, so he travelled to Toulouse
in France
, to play as over-age player with the Republic of Ireland under-21
s in a friendly tournament. His four goals against the Chinese
made him the competition's leading scorer, and his performances in his three other games impressed the management team of Eoin Hand
and Terry Conroy
enough to win him a place in the senior team.
He was selected to play for the Ireland senior team in the 1984 Kirin Cup
, and scored the only goal of the semi-final tie with the People's Republic of China. However the Irish lost 2–1 to Brazilian side Internacional
in the final thanks to some extremely biased refereeing. He also played in a 1–0 win over the Soviet Union in a World Cup qualifier
at Lansdowne Road
on 12 September 1984, as he came on for Mickey Walsh
as an 80th minute substitute. On 26 March 1985, he played for Ireland in a friendly against England
at Wembley; the English won 2–1, with Gary Lineker
scoring his first international goal. This would be the last of his five senior caps.
in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; O'Keefe is in the 1980s.
After retiring from football he became a social work
er, helping adults with disabilities and special needs, as well as children in care. O'Keefe now lives in the Portuguese town of Vilamoura
, where he works for Monarch Property Group, with his wife, Lorna.
, his manager at Stalybridge Celtic
. He decided to write the book under persuasion by wife Lorna, who also edited it.
with Mossley
with Wigan Athletic
with Blackpool
with Cork City
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
former professional footballer. He played as a forward, but in later years was moved into a midfield
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
role.
He moved from non-league Stalybridge Celtic
Stalybridge Celtic F.C.
Stalybridge Celtic are an English full time professional football club from Stalybridge, Greater Manchester in North West England. The club, which plays its home matches at Bower Fold, is currently in the Conference North in the sixth tier of the English football league system...
to Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
, and back into the non-league scene with Hyde United
Hyde F.C.
Hyde F.C. are an English semi-professional football club from Hyde, Greater Manchester, who are nicknamed The Tigers. Formed in 1885 the club changed its name to Hyde United in 1919, before reverting to Hyde F.C. in June 2010...
in 1974. The next year he moved to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
to play for Al-Hilal, before returning to England in 1976 to sign with Mossley
Mossley A.F.C.
Mossley Association Football Club are an English football club from the town of Mossley, Greater Manchester, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were founded in 1903 and are nicknamed the Lilywhites, owing to their colours...
. His 1978–79 Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
success at the club won him a move to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in 1979, before he was sold on to Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
in 1982, who were on the verge of promotion into the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
. He switched to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
the next year, before penning a deal with Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
in 1985. His goals took the club out of the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
in 1984–85. In 1987 he was appointed player-manager at Cork City
Cork City F.C.
Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
, where he won the Munster Senior Cup and League of Ireland Cup in 1988. He moved to Welsh club Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
in 1989, after a spell with St Patrick's Athletic
St Patrick's Athletic F.C.
St Patrick's Athletic Football Club is a football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Founded in 1929, they are based in the Dublin suburb of Inchicore and play their home matches at Richmond Park. They have won the League of Ireland title 7 times and...
. He joined Bangor City
Bangor City F.C.
Bangor City Football Club are a semi-professional Welsh football club from the City of Bangor. The club compete in the Welsh Premier League, being ever present since the league was founded in 1992....
the next year, before retiring in 1991.
An England Semi-Pro international, he also won four under-21s
Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team
The Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of the Republic of Ireland and is controlled by the Football Association of Ireland and competes in the biennial European Under-21 Football Championship and has competed since 1978.-Competition...
caps for the Republic of Ireland. He also went on to win five senior
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
caps between 1981 and 1985, scoring one goal at full international level.
Club career
O'Keefe was born and raised in the town of BlackleyBlackley
Blackley is an area of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of Manchester city centre, by a meander of the River Irk. Further north is Middleton...
, in the city of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. He went to school with Mike Pickering
Mike Pickering
Michael "Duncan" Pickering has DJed at The Haçienda's infamous "Nude" and "Hot" nights and later "Shine". He worked for Factory Records where he signed Happy Mondays, To Hell With Burgundy and James amongst others...
, who later found fame as a musician. As a youth he was a ball boy
Ball Boy
Ball Boy is a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano and also the name of the main character. It first appeared in issue 1735, dated 18 October 1975. It features a five-a-side football team that includes:* Ball Boy - the captain of the team, Ball Boy bears resemblances to The Dandy's Owen Goal...
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
, and was on course to join the Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
youth team when he broke his leg in a collision with David Allison, son of Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...
, in a regional schoolboy game. Upon his recovery he joined Stalybridge Celtic
Stalybridge Celtic F.C.
Stalybridge Celtic are an English full time professional football club from Stalybridge, Greater Manchester in North West England. The club, which plays its home matches at Bower Fold, is currently in the Conference North in the sixth tier of the English football league system...
of the Cheshire County League
Cheshire County League
The Cheshire County League was a football league founded in the north west of England in 1919, drawing its teams largely from Cheshire, surrounding English counties and North Wales....
, and playing as a right-back he won the club's Player of the Year award. This won him a chance in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, and he turned down Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
to instead sign with Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
club Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
in February 1974. He was told by manager Tony Waiters
Tony Waiters
Anthony Keith "Tony" Waiters is a former England international football goalkeeper and Canadian national football team head coach...
that he would never be anything more than a fringe player in the professional game, who then allowed him to leave Home Park
Home Park
Home Park is an all-seater football stadium in the Central Park area of Plymouth, England, and is the home of Football League Two club Plymouth Argyle. The ground, given the nickname the Theatre of Greens by the club's supporters, has been Argyle's permanent residence since 1901...
on a free transfer. He returned to Manchester and signed with Hyde United
Hyde F.C.
Hyde F.C. are an English semi-professional football club from Hyde, Greater Manchester, who are nicknamed The Tigers. Formed in 1885 the club changed its name to Hyde United in 1919, before reverting to Hyde F.C. in June 2010...
for the 1974–75 Cheshire County League season.
In November 1975 he flew out to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
for a trial at top-flight Al-Hilal, as manager George Smith, the man who had signed him at Stalybridge, offered him the chance to earn a tax-free contract in the oil-rich nation. He impressed on the trial and was offered a contract, this made him the first European to play professionally in Saudi Arabia. Club president Prince Abdullah Bin Nasser Bin Abdullaziz Al Saud bought O'Keefe a Pontiac Ventura
Pontiac Ventura
The Pontiac Ventura was an automobile produced by the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors. The word "ventura" is a derivitave of the word "bonaventure" which is Italian for "good fortune". It also shares its name with the locations of Ventura, California and Ventura, Iowa...
, before taking the young player on a luxurious tour of Europe, visiting five star hotels in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, before returning to Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
for the start of the new Saudi season of football. However on the trip he asked a heterosexual
Heterosexuality
Heterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
O'Keefe to give up his football career to become his lover, and was refused. As Prince Abdullah was such as a wealthy and powerful man in Saudi Arabia (a relative of King Fahd of Saudi Arabia
Fahd of Saudi Arabia
Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, was King of Saudi Arabia from 1982 to 2005...
, he was a member of the House of Saud
House of Saud
The House of Saud , also called the Al Saud, is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia and one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world. The family holds thousands of members...
), O'Keefe fled the country, fearing for his safety. The Prince was an uncle to Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Nasir al Saud
Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Nasir al Saud
Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz bin Nasir al Saud is a member of the Saudi royal family who brutally murdered his servant Bandar Abdulaziz in their suite at the Landmark Hotel in London in November 2010. He told police his father is a nephew of Saudi King Abdullah and his mother is a daughter of the King...
, who coincidentally was sentenced to twenty years in prison in October 2010 for killing his gay lover. As he needed Prince Abdullah's permission to leave the country, O'Keefe had to convince him that he was only going to stay in England tor one week so as to visit his ill father (who was in fact in good health). Upon his return he informed The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
, who gave him advice after forming an emergency meeting.
As the Saudi affair was being resolved, Mossley
Mossley A.F.C.
Mossley Association Football Club are an English football club from the town of Mossley, Greater Manchester, currently playing in the Northern Premier League Division One North. They were founded in 1903 and are nicknamed the Lilywhites, owing to their colours...
manager Bob Murphy offered O’Keefe a contract at the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
club. In December 1976, he duly signed for Mossley after the Saudi club eventually agreed to release him from his contract. Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric...
was appointed as Mossley's manager in 1976, only for Murphy to return the following year. Wilkindon used O'Keefe as a left-back, though Murphy decided to play him an attacking midfielder due to his 'pace, power and eye for goal'. Under Murphy, the club won the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
and Premier League Cup double in 1978–79 – this was the club's first significant success in seventy years. A part-time player, he also worked as a van driver for the Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
The Manchester Evening News is a regional daily newspaper covering Greater Manchester in the United Kingdom. It is published every day except Sunday and is owned by Trinity Mirror plc following its sale by Guardian Media Group in early 2010. It has an average daily circulation of 90,973 copies...
.
O’Keefe was snapped up by Gordon Lee
Gordon Lee (footballer)
Gordon Francis Lee is a former English footballer and football manager.A right-back during his playing days, he moved from Hednesford Town to Aston Villa in 1955...
at First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
for a £25,000 fee. He received a red card in the Merseyside derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
, after a late challenge on Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
's Ronnie Whelan
Ronnie Whelan
Ronald Andrew "Ronnie" Whelan is a former Irish football midfielder, and sometimes defender, who was an integral part of the dominant Liverpool side of the 1980s...
. He played in the derby again on 24 January 1981, in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
Third Round clash, and unwittingly set up Imre Varadi
Imre Varadi
Imre Varadi is an English former professional footballer of Hungarian origin, known as a journeyman forward who appeared for 16 different clubs at all levels of professional football in England.-Playing career:...
for the "Toffees" second goal of a 2–1 win. He went on to score the only goal of the Fourth Round Replay against Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
at Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
. However Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
knocked Everton out at the quarter-final stage, whilst O'Keefe broke his leg in a game against Manchester United.
O'Keefe managed to recover in time for the club's pre-season tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and was rewarded with a new two year contract. However he found himself on the bench in the 1981–82 season under new manager Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s....
, and put in a transfer request. He was then transferred to Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
for a £65,000 fee in January 1982, signing a four year contract. Under manager Larry Lloyd
Larry Lloyd
Laurence Valentine Lloyd was a footballer, a burly and tough central defender who won honours for both Bill Shankly's Liverpool and Brian Clough's all-conquering Nottingham Forest side of the late 1970s....
the "Latics" won promotion out of the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
in third place in 1981–82. He helped Wigan to consolidate their Third Division status in 1982–83, but was transfer-listed after the club went into liquidation, his wages being too high for the club to sustain.
In July 1983, John McGrath's Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
paid £10,000 for his services. With eleven goals in 43 games, he was the club's top scorer and Player of the Year
Port Vale F.C. Player of the Year
The Port Vale Player of the Year award is voted for annually by Port Vale's supporters in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. Towards the end of each season, fans are invited to cast their votes for this award.The inaugural award was...
in his debut season
1983–84 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1983–84 season was Port Vale's seventy-second season of football in the Football League, and first back in the Third Division following their promotion from the Fourth Division. The club suffered a horrendous start, and John McGrath lost his job before Christmas; he was replaced by his...
. The day after picking up his award he put in a transfer request because Vale had been relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
. O'Keefe had also taken a dislike towards new manager John Rudge
John Rudge
John Robert Rudge is an English former football player and football manager. He is currently working as the director of football at Stoke City....
, as well as the lengthy daily commute from his home to Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
. During the following season
1984–85 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1984–85 season was Port Vale's seventy-third season of football in the Football League, and first back in the Fourth Division following their relegation from the Third Division. John Rudge's first full season in charge, the Vale finished in mid-table following a season of rebuilding the squad...
he played less regularly, but carried two children to safety when a perimeter fence collapsed during an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
2–1 win at Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
on 17 November 1984. On 25 March 1985, he refused to play for the "Vale" against Wrexham because he was due to play for his country the following night.
Three days later, on 28 March, he joined Sam Ellis
Sam Ellis
Samuel "Sam" Ellis is an English football coach and former player. He left his post as assistant manager of on December 30, 2010.-Career:...
's Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
for £17,500; having decided to turn down a move to Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
. He made his debut for the "Seasiders" two days later, in a 4–2 victory over Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
, scoring Blackpool's fourth goal. With Blackpool second in the table, he then scored against leaders Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
in his second appearance for the club. He went on to score four more goals in ten games before the end of the campaign, at which point Blackpool won promotion to Third Division.
The following season, 1985–86, O'Keefe scored seventeen goals in nineteen league starts (including a hat-trick in a 4–0 home win over Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
on 1 October 1985). With seventeen goals, he finished the season as the club's top scorer. After only two games in 1986–87, O'Keefe announced his retirement from professional football due to injury. His final game for Blackpool came on 6 September 1986, in a 2–1 home defeat by Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
. He was awarded a testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
as the summer wound down, with First Division champions Everton visiting Bloomfield Road. He repaid the favour in August 1987, when O'Keefe organized a fun run in order to raise £15,000 for Blackpool F.C. – the club were in great financial trouble at the time.
Upon the recommendation of Harry McNally
Harry McNally
Harry McNally was a football player, coach and manager, noted for his spells as manager of Wigan Athletic and Chester City.-The Non-League Background:...
, O'Keefe was appointed as manager of Cork City
Cork City F.C.
Cork City Football Club is an Irish football team that plays in the League of Ireland. Founded and elected to the league in 1984 to continue the long tradition of Association Football in Cork, City's traditional colours are green and white with red trim, and the crest is a variant of the Cork...
, a club in the League of Ireland Premier Division. He appointed former Blackpool coach Billy Haydock as his assistant, and signed Blackpool goalkeeper Phil Harrington
Phil Harrington
Philip "Phil" Harrington is a Welsh goalkeeper and current manager of Douglas Hall in the Munster Senior League....
for a small fee. Also coming out of retirement as a player, his team won the pre-season Munster Senior Cup. He then signed former Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
defender Alan Dodd
Alan Dodd (English footballer)
Alan Dodd is an English former footballer who played in England, Sweden, and the Republic of Ireland. He is a strict vegan.-Playing career:...
on a month long deal. O'Keefe also doubled up as the club's commercial manager, and he arranged four Sportsman's Dinner events, with special guests as Jack Charlton
Jack Charlton
John "Jack" Charlton, OBE, DL is a former footballer and manager who played for Leeds United in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup...
, Sir Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
, Tommy Docherty
Tommy Docherty
Thomas Henderson "Tommy" Docherty , commonly known as "The Doc", is a Scottish former footballer and football manager.-Playing career:...
, and Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Hughes
Emlyn Walter Hughes, OBE was an English footballer who captained both the England national team and the much-decorated Liverpool F.C. team of the 1970s.- From Blackpool to Liverpool :...
. The club finished in seventh place in 1987–88 and lifted the League of Ireland Cup. Cork were heading to another mid-table place finish in 1988–89 when O'Keefe was sacked. Cork terminated his contract to cut costs, as the directors were forced to subsidize the club out of their own pockets. Following his dismissal he turned out for Brian Kerr's St Patrick's Athletic
St Patrick's Athletic F.C.
St Patrick's Athletic Football Club is a football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the League of Ireland Premier Division. Founded in 1929, they are based in the Dublin suburb of Inchicore and play their home matches at Richmond Park. They have won the League of Ireland title 7 times and...
in a handful of games.
In March 1989 he came out of professional retirement to sign for Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
, then managed by friend and former colleague Harry McNally. The signing was delayed due to lengthy negotiations with the Football League over his insurance payout from two years earlier. He was also appointed as the club's commercial manager, and attempted to form a football pool for the entire Football League, in conjunction with the FA and the Daily Mirror; however he could not break the Littlewoods
Littlewoods
Littlewoods is the name of a former retail and gambling company founded in Liverpool, Merseyside, England by John Moores in 1923.It started as a shopping catalogue company, processing orders by post in the early 1970s. In 1981, it expanded to a call centre, processing orders via telephone. At its...
monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
due to a law that specifically banned newspapers from becoming involved in a pools game – O'Keefe believed that this arrangement "reeked of corruption". On the playing side, his Chester debut came at his former club, Blackpool, on 18 March 1989; he came off the bench to score in a 1–1 draw, denying Blackpool two points in their battle against relegation. Although he appeared in every game until the end of the season and became the club's penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
taker, O'Keefe only featured in three more matches in 1989–90 and drifted out of professional football circles, signing for Bangor City
Bangor City F.C.
Bangor City Football Club are a semi-professional Welsh football club from the City of Bangor. The club compete in the Welsh Premier League, being ever present since the league was founded in 1992....
.
International career
O'Keefe became an England semi-pro international, playing against Scotland and the Netherlands in a tournament in May 1979, scoring the winning goal against the Dutch in the final.In January 1981, the FAI
Football Association of Ireland
The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for the sport of association football in the Republic of Ireland. It should not to be confused with the Irish Football Association , which is the organising body for the sport in Northern Ireland.For the full history, statistics and records...
arranged for him to be given an Irish passport; he qualified for the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
due to the fact that his father was born in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He made his debut in a 3–1 defeat to Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
at Tolka Park
Tolka Park
Tolka Park is an Irish football ground located in the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, on the northern banks of the River Tolka. It is currently the home ground of League of Ireland club Shelbourne...
in Dublin. After the game he was informed by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
that he would not be permitted to play another international games as he had voided himself from the Ireland team due to his England semi-pro appearances, and that he had voided himself from the England team due to his appearance for Ireland.
In summer 1983, FIFA agreed to grant him permission to play for Ireland again, so he travelled to Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, to play as over-age player with the Republic of Ireland under-21
Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team
The Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of the Republic of Ireland and is controlled by the Football Association of Ireland and competes in the biennial European Under-21 Football Championship and has competed since 1978.-Competition...
s in a friendly tournament. His four goals against the Chinese
China national under-20 football team
The China national under-20 football team, also known as the China Youth Team , represents the People's Republic of China in international football competitions in the FIFA U-20 World Cup and the AFC Youth Championship, as well as any other under-20 international football tournaments...
made him the competition's leading scorer, and his performances in his three other games impressed the management team of Eoin Hand
Eoin Hand
Eoin Kevin Joseph Colin Hand is a former footballer and football manager. As a player, his normal position was centre-half. He works as a television and radio football commentator for RTÉ in Ireland.-Playing career:...
and Terry Conroy
Terry Conroy
Terry Conroy is a former professional footballer, who spent most of his career with Stoke City.-Stoke City:He joined the Potters from the Irish club, Glentoran for £10,000 in March 1967. He went on to make 333 Cup and League appearances for Stoke, scoring 66 goals...
enough to win him a place in the senior team.
He was selected to play for the Ireland senior team in the 1984 Kirin Cup
Kirin Cup
The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national...
, and scored the only goal of the semi-final tie with the People's Republic of China. However the Irish lost 2–1 to Brazilian side Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...
in the final thanks to some extremely biased refereeing. He also played in a 1–0 win over the Soviet Union in a World Cup qualifier
1986 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 6
The 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification UEFA Group 6 was a UEFA qualifying group for the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The group comprised Denmark, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Soviet Union and Switzerland....
at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
on 12 September 1984, as he came on for Mickey Walsh
Mickey Walsh
Michael Anthony "Mickey" Walsh is an English-born Irish former professional footballer and current football agent.-Club career:...
as an 80th minute substitute. On 26 March 1985, he played for Ireland in a friendly against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at Wembley; the English won 2–1, with Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
scoring his first international goal. This would be the last of his five senior caps.
Legacy and personal life
O'Keefe was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy ArmfieldJimmy Armfield
James Christopher "Jimmy" Armfield, CBE, DL is an English former professional football player and manager who currently works as a football pundit for BBC Radio Five Live. He played the whole of his Football League career at Blackpool, usually at right back...
in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; O'Keefe is in the 1980s.
After retiring from football he became a social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
er, helping adults with disabilities and special needs, as well as children in care. O'Keefe now lives in the Portuguese town of Vilamoura
Vilamoura
Vilamoura is in the municipality of Loulé, in the Algarve, Portugal. Its boundaries lie within the parish of Quarteira. Vilamoura is a purpose built resort and Marina which was started from scratch by a wealthy banker from Porto, Cupertino de Miranda. The resort was started in 1974 and is still...
, where he works for Monarch Property Group, with his wife, Lorna.
Autobiography
In 2010, he released his autobiography, entitled ...I Only Wanted to Play Football. The foreword is written by Fred EyreFred Eyre
Frederick "Fred" Eyre is an English former professional football player and coach. After retiring from the sport, Eyre became a successful businessman, author, after-dinner speaker and radio pundit. He is the father of Rochdale A.F.C...
, his manager at Stalybridge Celtic
Stalybridge Celtic F.C.
Stalybridge Celtic are an English full time professional football club from Stalybridge, Greater Manchester in North West England. The club, which plays its home matches at Bower Fold, is currently in the Conference North in the sixth tier of the English football league system...
. He decided to write the book under persuasion by wife Lorna, who also edited it.
Honours
Individual- Stalybridge Celtic F.C.Stalybridge Celtic F.C.Stalybridge Celtic are an English full time professional football club from Stalybridge, Greater Manchester in North West England. The club, which plays its home matches at Bower Fold, is currently in the Conference North in the sixth tier of the English football league system...
Player of the Year: 1974 - Port Vale F.C. Player of the YearPort Vale F.C. Player of the YearThe Port Vale Player of the Year award is voted for annually by Port Vale's supporters in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. Towards the end of each season, fans are invited to cast their votes for this award.The inaugural award was...
: 19841983–84 Port Vale F.C. seasonThe 1983–84 season was Port Vale's seventy-second season of football in the Football League, and first back in the Third Division following their promotion from the Fourth Division. The club suffered a horrendous start, and John McGrath lost his job before Christmas; he was replaced by his...
with Mossley
- Northern Premier LeagueNorthern Premier LeagueThe Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
champion: 1978–79 - Premier League Cup winner: 1979
with Wigan Athletic
- Football League Fourth DivisionFootball League Fourth DivisionThe Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
promotion (in third place): 1981–82
with Blackpool
- Football League Fourth DivisionFootball League Fourth DivisionThe Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
promotion (as runners-up): 1984–85
with Cork City
- Munster Senior Cup winner: 1988
- League of Ireland Cup winner: 1988