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Sean O'Connor (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Sean O'Connor is an English professional Association footballer, who currently plays for Annan Athletic
.
, working their way through the youth system at Keys Park
before making their first team debuts during the 1998-99 season. His close control and ability on the ball and Barhams leadership and passion immediately endeared them to the Hednesford fans, culminating in O'Connor scoring a fine individual goal against Southport
towards the end of that season.Injuries and indisipline on and off the field ended Barhams stay at the club who then moved on and joined Boston Utd on a free transfer.
His form attracted the attention of a number of clubs, with Dundee United
paying £30,000 for him in January 2000, despite O'Connor only playing in 14 matches for the Pitmen. His chances at Tannadice
were limited to only a handful of appearances and he was sent out on loan to gain first team experience elsewhere. After a short spell in Ireland playing for Portadown
, he came back to Scotland to have a similar spell with Morton
.
While O'Connor was on loan at Morton, he played in a remarkable match against his future club Queen of the South, at Palmerston
on 26 February 2002. This game alerted O'Connor to Queens attention, so much so that the club signed him the following month.
On an extremely wet and windy night and with an attendance of only 1242, Queen of the South defeated Morton 6-5 in an 11 goal thriller. Queens raced to a 4-1 lead and by half time were 6-3 ahead. Morton scored two goals in the last few minutes and almost equalised with a great chance in the last moment of the match. O'Connor scored Morton's third goal that night in 37 minutes.
Championship at Station Park
versus Forfar Athletic. He was an instant hit with the Queens faithful as he ended his first full season in Dumfries as top goalscorer. Injuries took their toll during his second full season at the club and O'Connor reluctantly rejected the offer of a new contract from Queens due to family reasons, at the end of 2003-04
.
O'Connor decided to return to England at the start of the 2004-05 season and signed a two year contract with Morecambe
at Christie Park, where injuries again restricted his time on the playing field. O'Connor scored three league goals in only 16 appearances.
In 2006, he made a surprise return to Queen of the South, joining on a short-term deal, originally to prove his fitness. O'Connor played in all six of Queen of the South's games in their run to the 2008 Scottish Cup
Final. O'Connor scored the third Queens goal in the 2007-08 Scottish Cup 4-3 semi final victory over Aberdeen
at Hampden Park
to take Queens to their first ever Scottish Cup Final in their 89-year history. Barry Nicholson
of Aberdeen later said that he felt O'Connor was Queens best player on the day.
In the 2008 Scottish Cup Final, as Queens trailed Rangers
2-0 at half time through goals by Kris Boyd
and DaMarcus Beasley
, O'Connor crossed the ball for Steve Tosh
to score Queen of the South's first goal of the match in 50 minutes. The Doonhamers equalised in 52 minutes through club captain Jim Thomson. Kris Boyd scored his 2nd goal of the final and Rangers 3rd in 71 minutes to secure the Scottish Cup for Rangers.
O'Connor scored in the home leg of Queen of the South's UEFA Cup 2nd qualification round match against FC Nordsjaelland after 28 minutes. This made O'Connor the first player to score for Queens in a UEFA Cup Competition.
injuries, having initially been advised by medical staff to retire several months
previously.
After retiring from the game at the end of the 2008-09
season, O'Connor decided to visit his surgeon and got the green light to relaunch his football career. O'Connor said "I had a rest from the end of the season last year to November before having the operation. I went into it thinking that my career was over because the damage to the knee was so bad. But when the surgeon opened it up it wasn't as serious as he first thought. When I woke up he told me that it wasn't as bad as I'd been told. That was a huge relief but I still didn't ever think I'd be playing football again. I spent a few months on crutches over Christmas before going to see him again in January. When I went back to see him I asked if I could start playing again with my mates. Maybe a game of five-a-side, just to get a kickabout for a bit of fun. That was all I was hoping for, but he said to me that he felt I could play again at any level I wanted as long as I do the work building up my muscles. So me being me took that as a challenge and I've spent the last while working hard to get myself fit. Realistically, I didn't think I would be back playing at this level again. But once I started running I've felt better and better so I've just kept pushing it to see how far I go. It's still just a case of taking it one day at a time."
After training with Queen of the South during February 2010, O'Connor returned as a trialist for Annan Athletic versus Elgin City on 6 March 2010. O'Connor played 81 minutes of the 3-3 draw at Galabank
.
On 13 March 2010, O'Connor had a second match as a trialist for Annan Athletic versus Forfar Athletic and scored the opening goal in the 5-1 victory at Station Park. O'Connor played 63 minutes of this match.
O'Connor returned to the first team squad at Queen of the South on 18 March 2010. Manager at the time, Gordon Chisholm
said, "The 'big man' actually hung up his boots at the end of last season but came out of retirement a month ago and has turned out twice as a trialist for Annan Athletic. Sean's been training with us for the past month and we all know what an asset he can be. He'll be in the squad for Saturday as a trialist but we'll be taking it one match at a time."
The first game of his return was at Somerset Park
for Queens on 20 March 2010 versus Ayr United in a 3-0 defeat. O'Connor came on as a second half substitute after 73 minutes and was immediately handed the captain's armband.
The second game of his return was at Dens Park
for Queens on 23 March 2010 versus Dundee
in a 1-1 draw. O'Connor came on as a second half substitute after 67 minutes.
.
He signed a one year contract with the club on 7 May 2010. However the club announced on 13 January 2011 that O'Connor had left Queens again.
club on 13 January 2011, immediately after leaving Queens.
O'Connor is still contracted to Annan Athletic for the 2011-12 season.
, in mid-2008. Jennifer's father Keith Houliston, just like his father Billy, served Queen of the South as both player and director. After O'Connor's first retirement in May 2009 Sean said, "Like Jim Thomson I now consider myself to be a naturalised 'Doonhamer' and treat Dumfries (or should I say Glencaple
) as my home".
Annan Athletic F.C.
Annan Athletic Football Club are an association football club who compete in the Scottish Third Division. They are based in the town of Annan, Dumfries and Galloway...
.
Early career
O'Connor started his career at non-league club along with then club captain Anthony Barham both of Hednesford TownHednesford Town F.C.
Hednesford Town Football Club are an association football team based in Hednesford, Staffordshire, England. They play at Keys Park.-History:...
, working their way through the youth system at Keys Park
Keys Park
Keys Park is home of Hednesford Town Football Club, and is situated on Keys Park Road in the town of Hednesford, Staffordshire. The club previously played at the Cross Keys, a ground situated behind the pub of the same name....
before making their first team debuts during the 1998-99 season. His close control and ability on the ball and Barhams leadership and passion immediately endeared them to the Hednesford fans, culminating in O'Connor scoring a fine individual goal against Southport
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
towards the end of that season.Injuries and indisipline on and off the field ended Barhams stay at the club who then moved on and joined Boston Utd on a free transfer.
His form attracted the attention of a number of clubs, with Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
paying £30,000 for him in January 2000, despite O'Connor only playing in 14 matches for the Pitmen. His chances at Tannadice
Tannadice Park
Tannadice Park, usually referred to as Tannadice, is a football stadium located on Tannadice Street in the Scottish city of Dundee. The stadium is home of Dundee United F.C. and has a capacity of 14,209.-Early days :...
were limited to only a handful of appearances and he was sent out on loan to gain first team experience elsewhere. After a short spell in Ireland playing for Portadown
Portadown F.C.
Portadown F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club which plays in the IFA Premiership.The club was founded in the late 1880s and joined the Irish League in 1924. It is based in Portadown in County Armagh and plays its home games at Shamrock Park...
, he came back to Scotland to have a similar spell with Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
.
While O'Connor was on loan at Morton, he played in a remarkable match against his future club Queen of the South, at Palmerston
Palmerston Park
Palmerston Park is a multi-purpose stadium on Terregles Street in Dumfries, south west Scotland. The site of the ground was formerly a farm called Palmers Toun. This is on the Maxwelltown side of the River Nith in Dumfries. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of...
on 26 February 2002. This game alerted O'Connor to Queens attention, so much so that the club signed him the following month.
On an extremely wet and windy night and with an attendance of only 1242, Queen of the South defeated Morton 6-5 in an 11 goal thriller. Queens raced to a 4-1 lead and by half time were 6-3 ahead. Morton scored two goals in the last few minutes and almost equalised with a great chance in the last moment of the match. O'Connor scored Morton's third goal that night in 37 minutes.
Queen of the South (1st & 2nd spells)
In March 2002, O'Connor joined Queen of the South from Dundee United on a permanent contract. On 20 April 2002 he scored the third goal in the 3-0 victory that clinched the 2001-02 Scottish Second DivisionScottish Second Division 2001-02
The 2001-02 Scottish Second Division was won by Queen of the South who, along with second placed Alloa Athletic, were promoted to the First Division. Greenock Morton were relegated to the Third Division. Stenhousemuir avoided relegation due to First Division Airdrieonians becoming insolvent,...
Championship at Station Park
Station Park, Forfar
Station Park is a football ground in Forfar, Angus, Scotland. It is home to Scottish Football League side Forfar Athletic F.C..Station Park is one of the few old fashioned football grounds left in the Scottish League. It has a capacity of 4,600, although this has previously been much higher, the...
versus Forfar Athletic. He was an instant hit with the Queens faithful as he ended his first full season in Dumfries as top goalscorer. Injuries took their toll during his second full season at the club and O'Connor reluctantly rejected the offer of a new contract from Queens due to family reasons, at the end of 2003-04
2003-04 in Scottish football
The 2003–04 season was the 107th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:The 2003–04 Scottish Premier League season was won by Celtic with 98 points, 17 points ahead of closest challengers Rangers. Both Rangers and Celtic therefore gained the two UEFA...
.
O'Connor decided to return to England at the start of the 2004-05 season and signed a two year contract with Morecambe
Morecambe F.C.
Morecambe Football Club is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire. It plays its football in League Two, the fourth division of English football, having been promoted in 2007 for the first time in their history to the Football League. They played their home matches at Christie Park...
at Christie Park, where injuries again restricted his time on the playing field. O'Connor scored three league goals in only 16 appearances.
In 2006, he made a surprise return to Queen of the South, joining on a short-term deal, originally to prove his fitness. O'Connor played in all six of Queen of the South's games in their run to the 2008 Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
Final. O'Connor scored the third Queens goal in the 2007-08 Scottish Cup 4-3 semi final victory over Aberdeen
Aberdeen F.C.
Aberdeen Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Aberdeen...
at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
to take Queens to their first ever Scottish Cup Final in their 89-year history. Barry Nicholson
Barry Nicholson
Barry Nicholson is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Preston North End.-Early years:...
of Aberdeen later said that he felt O'Connor was Queens best player on the day.
In the 2008 Scottish Cup Final, as Queens trailed Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
2-0 at half time through goals by Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Turkish side Eskişehirspor.Boyd grew up in the Ayrshire village of Tarbolton and started his senior career with Kilmarnock. He transferred to Rangers in January 2006, and was Rangers' top goalscorer in each of his...
and DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Lamont Beasley is an American soccer player who plays for Puebla of the Mexican Primera División. He plays mainly as a winger on the left side of the midfield, but has also been used as a forward and fullback...
, O'Connor crossed the ball for Steve Tosh
Steve Tosh
Steven William Tosh is a professional association footballer. A midfielder journeyman of many clubs, Tosh is currently with Cove Rangers.-Early career:...
to score Queen of the South's first goal of the match in 50 minutes. The Doonhamers equalised in 52 minutes through club captain Jim Thomson. Kris Boyd scored his 2nd goal of the final and Rangers 3rd in 71 minutes to secure the Scottish Cup for Rangers.
O'Connor scored in the home leg of Queen of the South's UEFA Cup 2nd qualification round match against FC Nordsjaelland after 28 minutes. This made O'Connor the first player to score for Queens in a UEFA Cup Competition.
Retirement & His Return To Football
In April 2009 O'Connor announced he would retire the following month after a series of kneeKnee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injuries, having initially been advised by medical staff to retire several months
previously.
After retiring from the game at the end of the 2008-09
2008-09 in Scottish football
The 2008–09 season was the 112th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Overview:* Hamilton Academical competed in the Scottish Premier League for the first time, their first season in the top-flight since the 1988–89 season, after being promoted as First Division champions the...
season, O'Connor decided to visit his surgeon and got the green light to relaunch his football career. O'Connor said "I had a rest from the end of the season last year to November before having the operation. I went into it thinking that my career was over because the damage to the knee was so bad. But when the surgeon opened it up it wasn't as serious as he first thought. When I woke up he told me that it wasn't as bad as I'd been told. That was a huge relief but I still didn't ever think I'd be playing football again. I spent a few months on crutches over Christmas before going to see him again in January. When I went back to see him I asked if I could start playing again with my mates. Maybe a game of five-a-side, just to get a kickabout for a bit of fun. That was all I was hoping for, but he said to me that he felt I could play again at any level I wanted as long as I do the work building up my muscles. So me being me took that as a challenge and I've spent the last while working hard to get myself fit. Realistically, I didn't think I would be back playing at this level again. But once I started running I've felt better and better so I've just kept pushing it to see how far I go. It's still just a case of taking it one day at a time."
After training with Queen of the South during February 2010, O'Connor returned as a trialist for Annan Athletic versus Elgin City on 6 March 2010. O'Connor played 81 minutes of the 3-3 draw at Galabank
Galabank
Galabank is a football stadium in the town of Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is the home stadium of Annan Athletic F.C.-Overview:...
.
On 13 March 2010, O'Connor had a second match as a trialist for Annan Athletic versus Forfar Athletic and scored the opening goal in the 5-1 victory at Station Park. O'Connor played 63 minutes of this match.
O'Connor returned to the first team squad at Queen of the South on 18 March 2010. Manager at the time, Gordon Chisholm
Gordon Chisholm
Gordon Chisholm is a Scottish professional football former player and manager. Chisholm played as a central defender for Sunderland, Hibernian, Dundee and Partick Thistle....
said, "The 'big man' actually hung up his boots at the end of last season but came out of retirement a month ago and has turned out twice as a trialist for Annan Athletic. Sean's been training with us for the past month and we all know what an asset he can be. He'll be in the squad for Saturday as a trialist but we'll be taking it one match at a time."
The first game of his return was at Somerset Park
Somerset Park
Somerset Park is a football stadium located in Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland.It has been the home of Ayr United since they were founded in 1910. Prior to that, it was the home ground of Ayr F.C.. It currently has a capacity of 10,185 of which 1,597 is seated, making it one of the largest capacity...
for Queens on 20 March 2010 versus Ayr United in a 3-0 defeat. O'Connor came on as a second half substitute after 73 minutes and was immediately handed the captain's armband.
The second game of his return was at Dens Park
Dens Park
Dens Park is a football stadium located on Dens Road in Dundee, Scotland. The stadium is the home of Dundee F.C. and has a capacity of 12,085...
for Queens on 23 March 2010 versus Dundee
Dundee F.C.
Dundee Football Club, founded in 1893, are a football club based in the city of Dundee, Scotland. They are nicknamed The Dee or The Dark Blues and play their home matches at Dens Park. Their shirt colour is dark blue. Dundee currently play in the Scottish First Division, having been relegated from...
in a 1-1 draw. O'Connor came on as a second half substitute after 67 minutes.
Queen of the South (3rd spell)
O'Connor signed for Queen of the South until the end of season 2009-10 on 25 March 2010 after impressing the new Queens caretaker manager Kenny BranniganKenny Brannigan
Kenny Brannigan is a former Scottish association footballer.- Playing career :Kenny Brannigan was a journeyman professional with a career spanning 21 seasons. A centre back, he played for 14 senior clubs in his career, making over 100 appearances for each of Queens Park F.C., and...
.
He signed a one year contract with the club on 7 May 2010. However the club announced on 13 January 2011 that O'Connor had left Queens again.
Annan Athletic
O'Connor signed for the GalabankGalabank
Galabank is a football stadium in the town of Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It is the home stadium of Annan Athletic F.C.-Overview:...
club on 13 January 2011, immediately after leaving Queens.
O'Connor is still contracted to Annan Athletic for the 2011-12 season.
Off the pitch
Sean O'Connor married Jennifer Houliston, the granddaughter of Queen of the South's former Scotland internationalist Billy HoulistonBilly Houliston
William "Billy" Houliston was a Scottish footballer who played for Crichton, Queen of the South, Berwick Rangers, Third Lanark and the Scotland national team.-Early years:...
, in mid-2008. Jennifer's father Keith Houliston, just like his father Billy, served Queen of the South as both player and director. After O'Connor's first retirement in May 2009 Sean said, "Like Jim Thomson I now consider myself to be a naturalised 'Doonhamer' and treat Dumfries (or should I say Glencaple
Glencaple
Glencaple is a small settlement in the Dumfries and Galloway area of Scotland. Situated on the banks of the River Nith, it once served as a port for nearby Dumfries. Dumfries F.C. play their home matches at Norfolk Park in Glencaple....
) as my home".