Billy Morgan (Gaelic footballer) facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Liam Ó Morgáin | ||
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Born | 2 February 1945 Tonyville Terrace, Cork, Ireland |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Occupation | Financial advisor | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
|
1969-1995
|
Nemo Rangers | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Cork titles | 7 | ||
| Munster titles | 4 | ||
| All-Ireland Titles | 2 | ||
| Colleges(s) | |||
| Years | College | ||
|
1964–1968
|
University College Cork | ||
| College titles | |||
| Sigerson titles | 2 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | Apps (scores) | |
|
1966–1981
|
Cork | 40 (0–0) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 5 | ||
| All-Irelands | 1 | ||
| NFL | 1 | ||
| All Stars | 1 | ||
William Morgan (born 2 February 1945), known as Billy Morgan, is a famous Irish person from Cork. He was a top goalkeeper for the Cork county team in Gaelic football. Later, he became their manager.
Billy Morgan has been involved with Cork football for over 50 years. Many people see him as one of the most important figures in Cork's football history. He won many titles as a player and even more as a manager.
Contents
About Billy Morgan
Billy Morgan was born in Douglas, a part of Cork city, in 1945. His family loved hurling, another Irish sport. But Billy became very interested in Gaelic football.
He went to Coláiste Chríost Rí school and then to University College Cork (UCC). At UCC, he became known as a great goalkeeper. He helped the university's football team win the Sigerson Cup twice, in 1966 and 1967. The Sigerson Cup is a big competition for university teams.
After his playing career, Billy Morgan worked as a teacher. He also ran a pub for a while. Today, he works as a financial advisor with his son and nephew. His sons also play football for Nemo Rangers, his old club.
Playing Career Highlights
Billy Morgan played for his local club, Nemo Rangers, and for the Cork county team. He achieved a lot in both.
Playing for Nemo Rangers Club
Billy Morgan played club football for Nemo Rangers. He first played in a senior county final in 1970. In 1972, he was captain when Nemo Rangers won their first county title.
Nemo Rangers then went on to win the Munster club title. After that, they played in the All-Ireland club final. They drew the first game but won the replay against St. Vincent's of Dublin. This win gave Billy Morgan his first All-Ireland club medal. He had the honor of lifting the cup for his club.
In 1974, Nemo Rangers won another county title and a second Munster club title. They reached the All-Ireland final again but lost this time. Billy Morgan won a third county title in 1975 and another Munster club medal.
He won his fourth county title in 1977 and a fifth in 1978. In 1978, Nemo Rangers also won their fourth Munster club title. They then played in another All-Ireland final against Scotstown. Nemo won the game, giving Billy Morgan his second All-Ireland club medal. This was his last big win as a player with Nemo.
Playing for Cork County
Billy Morgan started playing for Cork's minor (under-18) team in the early 1960s. He later joined the under-21 team as a goalkeeper. In 1965, he won a Munster title with the under-21 team.
He made his senior debut for the Cork county team in 1966. That year, he won his first senior Munster title. In 1967, he won a second Munster medal and Cork reached the All-Ireland final. However, they lost to Meath.
In 1971, Billy Morgan won his third Munster medal. Two years later, in 1973, he became the first player from Nemo Rangers to captain the Cork senior football team. That year, he won his fourth Munster title. Cork then played against Galway in the All-Ireland final. Cork won the game, giving Billy Morgan an All-Ireland winner's medal. He was the first Cork captain since 1945 to lift the Sam Maguire Cup. He also won the Texaco Footballer of the Year award, the only goalkeeper ever to do so.
In 1974, Cork won their second straight Munster title, which was Billy Morgan's fifth. Cork also won a National Football League title in 1980. Billy Morgan stopped playing for Cork in 1981.
Playing for Munster Province
Billy Morgan also played for the Munster team in the Railway Cup competition. He won his first Railway Cup medal in 1972. He won two more in 1977 and 1978, bringing his total to five Railway Cup medals.
Managerial Career Highlights
Billy Morgan had even more success as a manager, especially with the Cork senior team.
Managing Cork: 1986–1996
Billy Morgan became the Cork manager for the second time in 1986. In his first year, Cork won the Munster title, beating Kerry. Cork then reached the All-Ireland final but lost to Meath.
In 1988, Cork won another Munster title and reached the All-Ireland final again, also against Meath. The game was a draw, and Cork lost the replay by just one point.
In 1989, Cork won their third straight Munster title. They reached their third All-Ireland final in a row, this time against Mayo. Cork won the game, giving Billy Morgan his first All-Ireland title as a manager. It was Cork's first All-Ireland win since 1973, when Billy Morgan was captain.
In 1990, Cork won their fourth straight Munster title. They reached the All-Ireland final for the fourth time in a row, again playing Meath. Even though Cork had a player sent off, they won the game. This was Billy Morgan's second All-Ireland title as manager, and it was the first time Cork had won back-to-back titles. This year was extra special because the Cork hurling team also won their All-Ireland title. This meant Cork achieved "the double" – winning both hurling and football All-Irelands in the same year.
Cork won more Munster titles under Morgan in 1993, 1994, and 1995. They reached the All-Ireland final in 1993 but lost to Derry. Billy Morgan finished his ten-year period as Cork manager in 1996.
Managing Nemo Rangers: 2000–2003
Billy Morgan also managed his club, Nemo Rangers. In 2000, Nemo Rangers won the county championship and the Munster club title. They reached the All-Ireland club final but lost a very close game.
In 2001, Nemo won another county championship and Munster club title. They reached the All-Ireland club final again but lost to Ballinderry.
In 2002, Nemo Rangers made history by winning three county championships in a row. They also won their third straight Munster club title. For the third year in a row, they reached the All-Ireland club final. This time, they played Crossmolina. Nemo Rangers won the game, giving Billy Morgan his first All-Ireland club winner's medal as a manager.
Managing Cork: 2003–2007
Billy Morgan returned to manage the Cork senior football team in late 2003 for a third time. In 2005, Cork reached the Munster final but lost to Kerry.
In 2006, Cork played Kerry in the Munster final again. The first game was a draw, but Cork won the replay. This gave Billy Morgan another Munster winner's medal as manager. Cork reached the All-Ireland semi-final but lost to Kerry again.
In 2007, Cork reached the All-Ireland final, with Billy Morgan as manager. It was his seventh time being involved in an All-Ireland final, either as a player or manager. However, Cork lost to Kerry in the final. After this, Billy Morgan stepped down as Cork football manager.
Honours
Player
- University College Cork
- Sigerson Cup (2): 1965, 1966
- Nemo Rangers
- All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship (2): 1973 (c), 1979
- Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship (4): 1972 (c), 1974, 1975, 1978
- Cork Senior Football Championship (7): 1972 (c), 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1987
- Cork
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (1): 1973 (c)
- Munster Senior Football Championship (5): 1966, 1967, 1971, 1973 (c), 1974
- National Football League (1): 1979-80
- Munster Under-21 Football Championship (1): 1965
- Munster
- Railway Cup (5): 1972, 1975 (c), 1976 (sub), 1977, 1978
Manager
- University College Cork
- Sigerson Cup (4): 2011, 2014, 2019, 2023
- Nemo Rangers
- All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship (4): 1973, 1979, 1989, 2003
- Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship (9): 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002
- Cork Senior Football Championship (11): 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002
- Cork
- All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (2): 1989, 1990
- Munster Senior Football Championship (8): 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2006
- National Football League (1): 1988-89
- Philips Sports Manager of the Year (1): 1990
