Paddy Fagan
Encyclopedia
Fionan "Paddy" Fagan was an Irish
footballer who played as a winger.
The son of Irish international and Shamrock Rovers outside-left John Fagan
, Fionan Fagan started his career with Shamrock Rovers schoolboys and then Transport F.C.
, before signing for English
Second Division
club Hull City
after Raich Carter
brought him to England. He played 26 times for Hull, scoring 2 goals. He signed for First Division
Manchester City
on Christmas Eve 1953 for £15,000, playing a reserve game on Christmas Day and making his first team debut on St Stephen's Day, a 2-1 win against Sheffield United
at Maine Road
.
In his first season at Manchester City Fagan made only seven appearances, but in the 1954-55
season he became a first team regular, playing under the tactical system known as the Revie Plan
. The 1954-55 season proved to be Fagan's most successful for Manchester City, playing 42 times and scoring 11 goals, including at hat-trick
against Manchester United
at Old Trafford
, as City reached the 1955 FA Cup
final. However, his Wembley
appearance ended in a 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United
. Manchester City reached the final again the following season, but Fagan did not play in the final, and missed out on a winners' medal. After continuing to play regularly for a further three seasons, Fagan lost his first team place to Colin Barlow
in the 1959-60
season, and was transferred to Derby County
for £8,000 in March 1960, after a total of 165 appearances and 35 goals for the Manchester club. Fagan was capped twice by the Irish national team
while at City. The first of these international caps came on 7 November 1954 against Norway
.
Fagan's played for Derby 24 times, scoring six goals, and while at Derby made a further six international appearances, in which he scored five goals. He subsequently played for a number of non-league clubs, including Northwich Victoria
, Ashton United
and Altrincham
, where he was player manager. After a knee ligament injury forced him to retire from football he became a driving instructor, and was a founder of the Manchester City Former Players Association in the early 1990s.
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,...
footballer who played as a winger.
The son of Irish international and Shamrock Rovers outside-left John Fagan
John Fagan
John "Kruger" Fagan is a former Irish football player who played as a forward.He joined Shamrock Rovers F.C. in 1922 and won the title in the club's first season in the League of Ireland. He rejoined the Hoops in the 1924/25 season and together with Bob Fullam, John Joe Flood and Billy Farrell...
, Fionan Fagan started his career with Shamrock Rovers schoolboys and then Transport F.C.
Transport F.C.
Transport F.C. were a football club in Ireland who played in the League of Ireland for fourteen seasons from 1948/49 to 1961/62.During their time in the League of Ireland, Transport played their home matches for the first three seasons in the Carlisle Grounds in Bray, Co...
, before signing for English
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...
Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
club Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
after Raich Carter
Raich Carter
Horatio Stratton "Raich" Carter was one of the greatest English footballers of the pre-war era...
brought him to England. He played 26 times for Hull, scoring 2 goals. He signed for 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....
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...
on Christmas Eve 1953 for £15,000, playing a reserve game on Christmas Day and making his first team debut on St Stephen's Day, a 2-1 win against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
.
In his first season at Manchester City Fagan made only seven appearances, but in the 1954-55
1954-55 in English football
The 1954–1955 season was the 75th season of competitive football in England, from August 1954 to May 1955:-Overview:* Chelsea win the League Championship for the first time.* Newcastle United win the FA Cup....
season he became a first team regular, playing under the tactical system known as the Revie Plan
Revie Plan
The Revie Plan was a tactical system in association football used by Manchester City in the 1950s. The system was named after Manchester City player Don Revie, who had the most important role in it....
. The 1954-55 season proved to be Fagan's most successful for Manchester City, playing 42 times and scoring 11 goals, including at hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
against 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...
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford (football)
Old Trafford is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 75,811, Old Trafford is the second-largest football stadium in England after Wembley, the third-largest in the United Kingdom and the eleventh-largest in Europe...
, as City reached the 1955 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...
final. However, his Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
appearance ended in a 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. Manchester City reached the final again the following season, but Fagan did not play in the final, and missed out on a winners' medal. After continuing to play regularly for a further three seasons, Fagan lost his first team place to Colin Barlow
Colin Barlow
Colin Barlow is an English former professional footballer who played as a winger for Manchester City, Oldham Athletic and Doncaster Rovers.Barlow joined Manchester City as a schoolboy, turning professional in 1956...
in the 1959-60
1959-60 in English football
The 1959–60 season was the 80th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:17 November 1959: Phil Taylor resigns as manager of Liverpool after three years as manager, with all three of his seasons in charge ending with a narrow failure to win promotion to the First...
season, and was transferred to Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
for £8,000 in March 1960, after a total of 165 appearances and 35 goals for the Manchester club. Fagan was capped twice by the Irish national team
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....
while at City. The first of these international caps came on 7 November 1954 against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
.
Fagan's played for Derby 24 times, scoring six goals, and while at Derby made a further six international appearances, in which he scored five goals. He subsequently played for a number of non-league clubs, including Northwich Victoria
Northwich Victoria F.C.
Northwich Victoria Football Club are an English football club who play at the Victoria Stadium in Wincham, Northwich, Cheshire in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the seventh tier of the English football league system.Northwich are an old club, founded in 1874 and named in honour of...
, Ashton United
Ashton United F.C.
Ashton United Football Club is an English football club, based in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.-History:The club was originally founded in 1878 as Hurst F.C. and the earliest known match report dates back to March 1879. By 1880 the club were playing at Hurst Cross, their current ground....
and Altrincham
Altrincham F.C.
Altrincham Football Club is an English association football club from Altrincham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Conference North, having been relegated from the Conference National at the end of the 2010–11 season.-History:...
, where he was player manager. After a knee ligament injury forced him to retire from football he became a driving instructor, and was a founder of the Manchester City Former Players Association in the early 1990s.