Terry Conroy
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Gerard Anthony Francis Conroy[1] | ||
Date of birth | 2 October 1946 | ||
Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Winger, Forward | ||
Youth career | |||
1956–1964 | Home Farm | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1964 | Home Farm | ||
1965–1967 | Glentoran | ||
1967–1979 | Stoke City | 271 | (49) |
1967 | → Cleveland Stokers (loan) | ||
1968 | → Cleveland Stokers (loan) | 0 | (0) |
1979 | Bulova | ||
1980–1981 | Crewe Alexandra | 37 | (5) |
1981–1982 |
Waterford | ||
1982–1983 | Limerick United | ||
Total | 308 | (54) | |
International career | |||
1969–1977 | Republic of Ireland | 27 | (2) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Gerard Anthony Francis Conroy (born 2 October 1946) is an Irish former professional footballer. A winger and forward, he scored 74 goals in 372 league and cup appearances in a 14-year career in the English Football League from 1967 to 1981. He also scored two goals and won 27 caps for the Republic of Ireland in a seven-year international career from 1969 to 1977.
Raised in
He moved to
Club career
Ireland
Gerard Anthony Francis Conroy was born in
Conroy began his career with Home Farm, where he won four Irish youth caps.[12] He played for the Home Farm under-13s at the age of ten, at a time when Home Farm were considered the best youth team in the country.[13] The club held the registration of much of the country's top young players, and future Ireland international Billy Newman played in the same age group as Conroy, though Conroy was determined to go beyond playing in the League of Ireland and was determined to play as a professional in the English Football League.[14] However he was frequently told that he was too short to be taken on as an apprentice by an English club.[15] However a late growth spurt saw him grow an extra six inches to reach the height of 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) at age 17.[16] By this time he also began playing for the Home Farm senior team in the League of Ireland B Division.[16]
In 1964, Conroy was offered a contract at Shelbourne and
Stoke City
Conroy had played for Home Farm in a
After taking the place of winger
He scored 14 goals in the
Stoke's League Cup success won them qualification into the UEFA Cup for the first time in the club's history in 1972–73, and Conroy scored Stoke's first goal in Europe on 13 September, a 3–1 victory over German side 1. FC Kaiserslautern at the Victoria Ground.[40] However Kaiserslautern won the return leg 4–0 to eliminate Stoke at the First Round.[40] Stoke went on to finish 15th in the league, with Conroy claiming five goals in 39 appearances.[41] The club then finished fifth in the 1973–74 campaign, but Conroy missed much of the season with recurring cartilage problems and featured in just eleven games.[42] He underwent surgery to remove more cartilage from his knees, and as a result lost some of his natural pace and strength, making him a less effective player for the remainder of his career.[43]
Stoke qualified for Europe again in 1974–75, and managed to draw both legs with Dutch side Ajax, only to exit the competition on the away goals rule.[44] However Conroy again struggled with injuries, and was limited to just 16 league appearances.[45] He played most of these games as a centre-forward, as regular striker John Ritchie missed much of the season with a broken leg and Geoff Hurst was nearing the end of his career and was unable to play every game.[45] Conroy scored his two career hat-tricks during the campaign, against Halifax Town in the League Cup on 11 September, and then against Carlisle United in a 5–2 league win on 22 March.[45] At the end of the season Stoke had three games to play against mid-table sides and needed to win all three in order to win the league, however they lost at Sheffield United and had goalless draws with Newcastle United and Burnley, leaving the club with another fifth-place finish.[46] Conroy was again limited to just 16 league appearances as he continued to suffer injury problems in the 1975–76 season, and underwent an operation to remove all the remaining cartilage from his knees.[47] The club also suffered a disaster, as a strong gale blew a section of the roof off the Victoria Ground's Butler Street Stand on 2 January, and as the correct insurance was not in place the club were forced to sell key players such as Jimmy Greenhoff, Mike Pejic, Alan Hudson, John Mahoney and Geoff Salmons in order to finance stadium repairs.[48]
Stoke were relegated at the end of the 1976–77 season after winning just one of their final 15 games, with new manager George Eastham proving unable to turn around the club's slump after he replaced Waddington as manager in March.[49] Conroy later blamed complacency on the part of the players, admitting that he "never conceived" that Stoke could be relegated after their successes earlier in the decade.[50] Eastham was sacked after a poor start to life in the Second Division in 1977–78, and though his replacement, Alan Durban, managed to improve results, Conroy was not suited to Durban's new playing style.[51] Durban asked Conroy to play as a midfield player rather than as a winger, and told Conroy he was free to look for a new club at the expiry of his contract.[51] Stoke won promotion at the end of the 1978–79 campaign, though Conroy was limited to just seven league appearances.[51]
Later career
Conroy was offered a contract by Worcester City and spoke with Tranmere Rovers manager John King, but instead joined Hong Kong club Bulova on a free transfer in 1979.[52] His two-year contract was cancelled by mutual consent after he pushed the head coach in a dressing room incident.[53] In his autobiography, You Don't Remember Me Do You?, Conroy stated that "the five months we [his family] were there seemed like five years".[54]
He signed with
International career
Conroy won his first international cap under manager Mick Meagan on 7 October 1969, playing in a 3–0 World Cup qualification defeat to Czechoslovakia in Prague.[57] He scored his first goal for the Republic of Ireland in a 2–1 defeat to the Soviet Union at Lansdowne Road on 18 October 1972.[58] He scored in Ireland's next game, a 2–1 win over France at Dalymount Park on 15 November.[59] Both of these games were qualification games for the 1974 FIFA World Cup; Ireland failed to qualify after finishing second in 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification for UEFA Group 9, the Soviet Union qualified as group winners whilst France finished third.[60]
On 3 July 1973, he appeared for a Shamrock Rovers XI in a friendly match against the Brazil national team at Lansdowne Road; he scored a goal in what ended as a 4–3 defeat.[61] He played his final game for Ireland on 24 April 1977, a 0–0 draw with Poland at Dalymount Park.[62] He returned to the international fold though in 1981, when he was appointed as assistant to manager Eoin Hand.[63] Hand's contract was not renewed in 1985, and Conroy also left his role soon before new manager Jack Charlton took charge.[64]
Style of play
Conroy was a firm fan favourite amongst Stoke City supporters due to his ability to create something out of nothing as well as his distinctive pale skin, bright ginger hair and sideburns.[12] He was a talented dribbler.[65] He described himself as having "the classic winger's role; a trick, then head down and go, hit the byline and cross".[66]
"This red-haired ghost impressed me at Anfield where he was bundled over the touchline by a massive Liverpool defender. Terry got up took the return pass and after battling down the wing he flicked the ball past Tommy Lawrence with the outside of his boot. That is flair"
— Daily Express journalist Derek Potter.[12]
Personal life
Conroy met Sue at The Place
After retiring from football, Conroy spent three years selling pottery on a market stall.
In March 2011, Conroy fell seriously ill with a suspected vascular aneurysm.[73] He successfully recovered from the illness after undergoing a life-saving emergency operation that had a survival rate of just 10%.[74][75] Whilst in hospital he had been given the last rites twice.[76] He published his autobiography, You Don't Remember Me Do You?, in August 2014.[77]
Career statistics
Club
Source:[78]
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Stoke City | 1967–68 | First Division | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | |
1968–69 | First Division | 31 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 36 | 9 | ||
1969–70 | First Division | 31 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 33 | 2 | ||
1970–71 | First Division | 34 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2[a] | 0 | 47 | 14 | |
1971–72 | First Division | 27 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 2[a] | 0 | 46 | 11 | |
1972–73 | First Division | 33 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[b] | 1 | 39 | 5 | |
1973–74 | First Division | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[c] | 1 | 14 | 1 | |
1974–75 | First Division | 16 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2[b] | 0 | 21 | 13 | |
1975–76 | First Division | 16 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 4 | ||
1976–77 | First Division | 36 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 38 | 6 | ||
1977–78 | Second Division | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | ||
1978–79 | Second Division | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||
Total | 271 | 49 | 25 | 8 | 26 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 335 | 67 | ||
Crewe Alexandra | 1979–80 | Fourth Division | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | |
1980–81 | Fourth Division | 30 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | 32 | 6 | ||
Total | 37 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | 39 | 7 | |||
Career total | 308 | 54 | 26 | 8 | 27 | 10 | 13 | 2 | 374 | 74 |
- ^ a b Appearances in Texaco Cup
- ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Cup
- ^ Two appearances in Texaco Cup and three appearances and goal in Watney Cup
International
- Sourced from Terry Conroy profile at national-football-teams.com
Republic of Ireland | ||
---|---|---|
Year | Apps | Goals |
1969 | 3 | 0 |
1970 | 6 | 0 |
1972 | 2 | 2 |
1973 | 3 | 0 |
1974 | 4 | 0 |
1975 | 5 | 0 |
1976 | 3 | 0 |
1977 | 1 | 0 |
Total | 27 | 2 |
Honours
Glentoran
- Steel & Sons Cup: 1966[19]
- Irish Cup: 1966[19]
Stoke City
- 1972[38]
- Watney Cup: 1974[79]
References
General
- Conroy, Terry; Lowe, Simon (2015), You Don't Remember Me Do You?, Pitch, ISBN 978-1-78531-019-5
Specific
- ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
- ISBN 0362020175. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 29
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 30
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 31
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 32
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 35
- ^ Spinks, Martin (5 August 2015). "Stoke legend learned tricks running from police". The Sentinel. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 40
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 41
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 44
- ^ ISBN 1-874287-55-4.
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 46
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 47
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 48
- ^ a b Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 53
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 55
- ^ a b Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 56
- ^ a b c d e f g "Cup Final Heroes- Terry Conroy". Glentoran F.C. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 58
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 61
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 81
- ^ "Stoke City: Tony Waddington first spotted Terry Conroy when he was a 17-year-old playing for Home Farm". The Sentinel. 27 July 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ a b Spinks, Martin (5 August 2015). "Terry Conroy: City favourite tapped up by Tony Waddington". The Sentinel. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ a b c Hancock, Ross. "Stoke City Legends #2- Terry Conroy". wellbewithyou.co.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 66
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 80
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 82
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 86
- ^ "Profile". nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ a b Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 87
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 88
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 99
- ^ a b Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 115
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 121
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 123
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 136
- ^ a b Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 142
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 145
- ^ a b Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 150
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 152
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 155
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 158
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 159
- ^ a b c Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 163
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 164
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 165
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 192
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 193
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 194
- ^ a b c Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 198
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 199
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 204
- ^ a b Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 200
- ^ a b Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 205
- ^ a b Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 206
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 169
- ^ "Ireland v Soviet Union". scoreshelf.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "Ireland v France". scoreshelf.com. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ "World Cup 1974 qualifications". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
- ^ All-Ireland Samba Shamrock Rovers All-Ireland XI 3 – 4 Brazil Lansdowne Road, Tuesday 3 July 1973 History Ireland, Issue 4 (Jul/Aug 2008), Volume 16.
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 176
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 177
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 183
- ^ "Local Heroes". BBC Sport. 18 August 2009. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 101
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 113
- ^ a b Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 208
- ^ Hannigan, Mary (5 April 1999). "Where are they now? No 34: Terry Conroy". The Irish Times. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 212
- ^ "Terry Conroy, a Potters legend". tinojove.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 189
- ^ "Stoke City legend Terry Conroy in hospital". BBC Sport. 21 March 2011.
- ^ "Terry recovers from illness". Castle Comfort Centre. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 19
- ^ Conroy & Lowe 2015, p. 20
- ^ Spinks, Martin (5 August 2015). "Terry Conroy: Irish newcomer ducks as fists fly in Stoke dressing room". The Sentinel. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ Terry Conroy at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- ^ "Some of the stories..." footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 9 June 2016.