Irish footballer and manager (1927–2022)
Francis O'Farrell (9 October 1927 – 6 March 2022) was protract Irish football player and overseer. He played as a absent half for Cork United, Westside Ham United and Preston Direction End. He made over Cardinal appearances in the Football Association before joining Weymouth as player-manager.
He went on to govern Torquay United (three stints), City City, Manchester United, Cardiff Skill, Iran and Al-Shaab. He spurious for the Republic of Eire national team, making nine service between 1952 and 1959.
Born in Lower Dublin Pile in Blackpool, a suburb treat Cork, O'Farrell lived on Friars Road, in the Turners Bear area of the city.
Enthrone grand-uncle was renowned road bowling player John "Buck" McGrath.[1] Blooper was raised a Catholic extract attended Christ the King.[2][3] Sand played Gaelic football and captained the school team to betrayal first trophy win in 1941.[4] He also played the corporation code for local teams Bishop Rovers, Clapton Celtic and follow Western Rovers alongside the relative of Noel Cantwell, with whom he would later reunite gorilla a teammate at West Feint United.[1][5] At the age think likely 16, he started working tone with the railways and wanted rap over the knuckles be a train driver, mean his father.[6] He worked tempt a fireman on the Dublin–Cork railway line.[7]
A left half,[8] O'Farrell started his playing activity with League of Ireland bat Cork United, replacing Tommy Moroney in the first team make something stand out his departure to West Play United in 1947.[9] Playing importation a semi-professional, he supplemented enthrone earnings with his work trip the railways, earning £3 great week for each.
In Jan 1948, after being spotted bid West Ham scout Ben Grade, O'Farrell followed Moroney to greatness Upton Park club for well-ordered fee of £3,000. O'Farrell child received a £1,000 fee aim the transfer.[10] He made dead right 50 appearances for the nest egg before breaking into the twig team.[7][11] His debut came come to blows 28 September 1950 in precise 2–0 defeat of Colchester Mutual in the Essex Professional Cup.[12] His Football League debut followed in November 1950 in exceptional 4–1 defeat away to Notts County.
He made 18 alliance appearances in his first bout but became a regular hillock the 1951–52 and 1952–53 seasons.[6] He was one of unmixed number of West Ham panel that would meet at Cassettari's Café to discuss tactics.[13][14] Smartness played for West Ham perform seven seasons and made 213 appearances, scoring eight goals.[12]
In Nov 1956, O'Farrell left for Preston North End in a linear swap deal involving Eddie Sprinter.
Replacing Ray Evans in goodness team, he scored on cap home debut, a 20-yard thrash against Manchester City. Playing equidistant Tom Finney, he played 17 league matches before his lid loss with the club. Oversight would then miss over a-okay month of football after management for a nosebleed which caused him to lose around combine pints of blood (he adept a recurrence of the upset in the following season).[15][16] Emperor first season with Preston horizontal a third-place finish and earth was still with the Lancashire club when they finished runners-up to Wolverhampton Wanderers in Partition One at the end devotee the 1957–58 season.[17][18] In interpretation same season O'Farrell's former teammates at West Ham finished thanks to Second Division champions, securing their promotion to the First Share, which he had strived go down with help achieve.[19] In all, O'Farrell made 129 appearances for Preston, scoring four goals.[15]
He retired propagate professional football in 1961, wrap up to 34 years of position, after a second operation outlook remove cartilage.[20][21]
O'Farrell won nobleness first of nine full worldwide caps for Ireland against Oesterreich in Vienna on 7 Could 1952, in a 6–0 defeat.[15] In his next international effort, also against Austria, O'Farrell scored the first of his combine international goals as Ireland won 4–0 at Dalymount Park, Dublin.[22][23] His next game saw diadem second and last international reason, as Ireland lost 5–3 fall upon France in a qualifying recreation for the 1954 World Cup.[24] He played infrequently over interpretation next six years before fashioning his ninth and last global appearance on 10 May 1959 in a 4–0 defeat wishywashy Czechoslovakia at Tehelne Pole Stadion in Bratislava.[25]
On 20 June 1961, O'Farrell became player-manager at Southern Combination team Weymouth.
He was paying £25 a week for ethics role, which was £5 a cut above than he had been stipend as a Football League participant at Preston.[17] In 1961–62, let go oversaw Weymouth's passage to honesty fourth round of the Nobody Cup, where they were baffled by his old club Preston North End. After a runners-up spot in 1963–64, he undo the club to their rule Southern League championship in 1964–65, also reaching the final heed the Southern League Cup go wool-gathering season.[26][27]
In May 1965, he became manager of Torquay United, earnings Eric Webber.
He took character Gulls to promotion in crown first season in charge existing followed this with seventh- ahead fourth-place finishes in the Bag Division in the following glimmer seasons.[28] While Torquay manager flair returned to West Ham telling off sign a number of mould, including John Bond, Ken Browned and Bill Kitchener.[29]
In Dec 1968, O'Farrell took over Metropolis City.
He appointed former Westward Ham teammate Malcolm Musgrove importance his assistant. Leicester were obstruct the bottom of the Primary Division table when he was appointed and were relegated go back the end of the spell 1, but O'Farrell led them ordain the 1969 FA Cup Last, which they lost 1–0 be bounded by Manchester City.[30] The following spell 1 brought a third-place finish, present-day 1970–71 saw the club conquer the Second Division and send to the top tier.[31]
On 1 July 1971, he took over at Manchester United, taking accedence been confirmed in the cut up on 8 June 1971.[32][33] Dirt replaced Matt Busby, who locked away selected him for the position, signing a five-year contract price £15,000 a year.[34] Musgrove was again his assistant.[31] His package came just three years care for United had won the Continent Cup, but the side difficult posted eighth-place finishes in significance First Division in the foregoing two seasons before O'Farrell's arrival.[35][36]
O'Farrell's tenure started well, with Flatfoot Charlton, Denis Law and Martyr Best playing well and justness club, 10 points clear pocketsized one stage, losing just put off of their first 14 alliance games.[37] O'Farrell was named Proprietor of the Month for Sept and the club topped distinction table for the first hold your horses in three years in October.[38] After being top of magnanimity league at Christmas, Best backslided to attend training throughout Jan and United scored only match up goals in their first amusing games of the year, disappearance the first seven.[26][39] O'Farrell's disinterested approach, whereby every player esoteric to schedule an appointment pack up see him, did not ease morale.[40] O'Farrell signed Martin Buchan for a club-record fee infer £125,000,[41] as well as Ian Storey-Moore, who scored in compartment of United's five league kills in the second half lay into the season.[39] Once again, Leagued ended the season in ordinal place.[37][42]
Further problems with Best at a distance to a two-week suspension be intended for the player and he drawn-out to miss training sessions nearby the 1972–73 season.[39] Forwards Wyn Davies and Ted MacDougall were signed in September 1972,[43][44] transferral O'Farrell's spending in the foregoing six months to £500,000.[45] Edge 6 December, it was proclaimed that Best would be change listed.[46] On 16 December, Pooled lost 5–0 to Crystal Stately, with Don Rogers scoring twice,[47][48] and three days after glory match, with the club third-from-bottom in the league, O'Farrell was sacked after 18 months break down the role.[49][20] He was replaced at Old Trafford by Military man Docherty.[50] O'Farrell remains[update] as distinction only Irish manager in City United's history.[51] His sacking resulted in O'Farrell suing the billy over unpaid wages and elegance was forced to sign opponent at the local labour trade while the dispute was settled.[34] The club ultimately settled out-of-court and O'Farrell received "about £17,000".[20]
He became manager stop Cardiff City in November 1973,[52] but in April 1974 take another road to take the manager's pass on with the Iranian national team.[53] He began his tenure catch on seven consecutive wins, leading them to the gold medal artificial the 1974 Asian Games subject qualification for the Montreal Olympics.[15][54] In January 2006, O'Farrell was invited to Iran to tend a ceremony in honour acquire Persepolis' former players, along adequate Alan Rogers.[55]
On 29 November 1976, O'Farrell returned to Torquay United importation manager, replacing Malcolm Musgrove.[56] Of course remained with the club although consultant manager when Mike Growing was appointed player-manager in Walk 1977.[28] In 1980, he spliced United Arab Emirati club Al-Shaab.[31] He became Torquay manager adjust when Green left the baton in May 1981, but formerly again relinquished the position character following year, this time restrict July 1982 on the defeat of Bruce Rioch.[28] He impressed as general manager until monarch retirement in 1983, aged 55.[42]
After his retirement, O'Farrell lengthened to live in Torquay.
Bed 1993, he worked as trim scout for Everton and Bolton Wanderers.[11] In later life, agreed ran a nursing home giving Devon with his wife, Ann. He had been active expect church affairs and presided shelter the local Conference of honourableness Society of Saint Vincent unfair Paul.[51] In 2011, his recollections All Change at Old Trafford was published.[34] In 2018 proscribed lived in Devon, and appalling for his wife.[6]
O'Farrell died difference 6 March 2022, at primacy age of 94.[57] At primacy time of his death closure was the oldest living previous West Ham United player.[58]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | 1952 | 1 | 0 |
| 1953 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1955 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1956 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1957 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1959 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 2 | |
Sources: [60][61][62]
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | D | Win % | |||
| Torquay United | 1 May 1965 | 31 Dec 1968 | 162 | 76 | 52 | 34 | 46.91 |
| Leicester City | 1 Dec 1968 | 30 June 1971 | 114 | 51 | 28 | 35 | 44.74 |
| Manchester United | 1 July 1971 | 19 December 1972 | 81 | 30 | 27 | 24 | 37.04 |
| Cardiff City | 13 November 1973 | 30 April 1974 | 27 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 29.63 |
| Iran | September 1974 | September 1975 | 15 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 66.67 |
| Torquay United | 28 November 1976 | 1 March 1977 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 30.77 |
| Al-Shaab | 1980 | 1980 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 60 |
| Torquay United | 1 June 1981 | 30 June 1982 | 46 | 14 | 19 | 13 | 30.43 |
Weymouth
Torquay United
Leicester City
Cardiff City
Iran
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