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 (0-00) | |
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 5 | ||
| All-Irelands | 1 | ||
| NFL | 1 | ||
| All Stars | 1 | ||
William Morgan, known as Billy, was born on February 2, 1945. He is a famous Irish former Gaelic football manager and player. Billy played as a goalkeeper for the Cork County Team. Later, he became their manager. He has been involved with Cork football for over five decades. This makes him one of the most important people in Cork football history.
Billy was born in Cork. His father, who was from County Galway, introduced him to Gaelic games. Billy first became well-known while playing for Coláiste Chríost Rí. He then won two Sigerson Cup medals in a row with University College Cork. With his club, Nemo Rangers, Billy won two All-Ireland medals. He also won four Munster medals and seven county championships.
Billy started playing for Cork at age eighteen with the minor team. He later reached the All-Ireland final with the under-21 team. Billy made his senior debut in the 1966 championship. As a goalkeeper, he helped Cork win many titles. These included one All-Ireland medal, five Munster medals, and one National Football League medal. He was captain when Cork won the All-Ireland in 1973. Billy played 40 championship games for Cork before retiring in 1981.
Billy also played for the Munster inter-provincial team. He won four Railway Cup medals with them. After his playing career, Billy became a successful coach and manager. He led the Cork senior team to many victories. As manager, he won two All-Ireland Championships, eight Munster Championships, and two National Leagues. This included Cork's first-ever back-to-back All-Ireland titles.
Contents
Billy Morgan's Life Story
Billy Morgan was born in Douglas, a part of Cork city, in 1945. His family had a strong tradition in hurling, not football. When he was young, Billy dreamed of playing hurling for Cork. But over time, he became more interested in Gaelic football.
Billy went to Coláiste Chríost Rí school. Then he studied at University College Cork. There, he became known as a great goalkeeper. He was a key player for the university's football team. In 1966, he won a Sigerson Cup medal when UCC beat University College Galway (UCG). He won a second Sigerson Cup in 1967, again defeating UCG.
Today, Billy works as a financial adviser. His sons, Brian and Alan, and his nephew, William, also play football for Nemo Rangers. They have had success with the club, following in Billy's footsteps.
Playing for Clubs and County
Billy Morgan played his club football with the famous Nemo Rangers club. He played in his first senior county championship final in 1970. Two years later, in 1972, Billy was captain when Nemo Rangers won their first county title.
Club Successes
Nemo Rangers continued their winning streak. They won the Munster club title that same year. Billy then played in the All-Ireland final. After a draw, Nemo Rangers won the replay against St. Vincent's of Dublin. Billy had the honor of lifting the cup for his club.
In 1974, Billy won another county championship and a second Munster club title. Nemo reached another All-Ireland final but lost this time. He won a third county title in 1975 and another Munster club medal.
Nemo Rangers won their fourth county title in 1977. In 1978, they won a fifth county championship and a fourth Munster club title. They then played against Scotstown of Monaghan in the All-Ireland final. Nemo won the game, giving Billy his second All-Ireland club medal. This was his last big win as a player with Nemo.
Playing for Cork County
In the early 1960s, Billy was an important part of the Cork team. He started as an outfield player on the county's minor team. In 1963, Cork lost to Kerry in the Munster minor final.
Billy then joined the county's under-21 team as a goalkeeper. In 1965, he won a Munster title. However, Cork lost to Kildare in the All-Ireland final.
Billy joined the Cork senior football team in 1965. He made his senior debut in the Munster Championship in 1966. That year, he won his first senior Munster title. Cork beat Kerry, who were trying to win their ninth provincial title in a row.
In 1967, Billy won a second Munster medal. Cork reached the All-Ireland final but lost to Meath.
In 1971, Cork beat Kerry to give Billy his third Munster medal. Two years later, Billy became the first Nemo Rangers player to captain the Cork senior football team. That year, he won his fourth Munster medal. Cork then beat Galway in the All-Ireland final. This win gave Billy his first All-Ireland medal. He was also the first Cork player since 1945 to lift the Sam Maguire Cup. Billy was also named the Texaco Footballer of the Year. He is still the only goalkeeper to have won this award.
In 1974, Cork won a second consecutive Munster title. This was Billy's fifth provincial medal. However, Cork lost to Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final. For the next seven years, Cork lost every Munster final to a very strong Kerry team. Billy did win a National Football League title in 1980. He retired from inter-county football in 1981.
Playing for Munster Province
Billy also played for Munster in the inter-provincial football competition. He had a lot of success over ten years. He won his first Railway Cup medal in 1972. He won a second Railway Cup in 1975. Billy was also the first-choice goalkeeper for two more Railway Cup wins in 1977 and 1978.
Billy Morgan as a Manager
Billy Morgan first managed the Cork senior team as a player-manager in 1981. His time in charge ended with a loss in the Munster final.
Managing Cork: 1986–1996
In 1986, Billy was appointed Cork manager for a second time. Cork had a tough challenge because their rivals, Kerry, had won many Munster titles. In his first year, Cork beat Kerry in the Munster final. Cork then reached the All-Ireland final but lost to Meath.
In 1988, Billy's team won the Munster title again. They reached another All-Ireland final, again against Meath. The game was a draw, and Meath won the replay by one point. This was Billy's second All-Ireland final loss as manager.
In 1989, Cork won their third Munster title in a row. They reached their third All-Ireland final, playing against Mayo. Cork won the game, giving Billy his first All-Ireland title as manager. It was Cork's first All-Ireland win since 1973, when Billy was captain.
In 1990, Cork won their fourth Munster title in a row. They reached their fourth All-Ireland final, again against Meath. Even though Cork had a player sent off, they won the game. This was Billy's second All-Ireland title in a row. It was the first time Cork had won back-to-back titles. This win was extra special because the Cork hurling team had also won their All-Ireland title two weeks earlier. This was the first time a county had won both the hurling and football 'double' in the modern era.
In 1991, Cork lost their provincial title. Billy faced some challenges with the Cork County Board. He stayed on and Cork won the Munster title again in 1993. Cork reached the All-Ireland final against Derry. Cork had a player sent off, and Derry won the game.
In 1994, Billy managed Cork to a second consecutive Munster title. However, Cork lost to Down in the All-Ireland semi-final. In 1995, Cork won a third consecutive Munster title, a record seventh in nine seasons. But they lost to Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final. In 1996, Kerry beat Cork in the Munster final. This defeat ended Billy's ten years as Cork manager.
Managing Nemo Rangers: 2000–2003
Billy also coached various Nemo Rangers teams. In the late 1990s, he took charge of the club’s senior football team. In 2000, Nemo Rangers won the county senior championship. They then won the Munster club title. Billy guided his team to the All-Ireland club final, but they lost a close game to Crossmolina.
In 2001, Billy coached Nemo to another county championship title. They also won a second Munster club medal. Nemo reached their second All-Ireland club final but lost to Ballinderry.
In 2002, Nemo became the first team in almost sixty years to win three county championship titles in a row. They also won a third consecutive Munster club title. For the third year in a row, Nemo reached the All-Ireland club final. They played Crossmolina again. Nemo won the game, giving Billy his first All-Ireland club medal as a manager.
Managing Cork: 2003–2007
In late 2003, Billy returned to manage the Cork senior football team for a third time. In 2005, Billy led his young Cork team to a Munster final. They lost to Kerry, the reigning All-Ireland champions. Cork and Kerry met again in the All-Ireland semi-final, where Kerry won easily.
In 2006, Billy's side played Kerry in the Munster final again. The game was a draw, but Cork won the replay. This gave Billy a Munster medal with his new team. However, Cork lost to Kerry again in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In 2007, Cork narrowly lost their Munster title to Kerry. Cork still reached the All-Ireland final. This was the seventh time Billy was involved in an All-Ireland final, either as a player or manager. However, Kerry won the final easily. After this game, Billy stepped down as Cork football manager.
Billy Morgan's Awards and Honors
As a Player
- University College Cork
* Sigerson Cup (2): 1965, 1966
- Nemo Rangers
* All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship (2): 1973 (captain), 1979 * Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship (4): 1972 (captain), 1974, 1975, 1978 * Cork Senior Football Championship (7): 1972 (captain), 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1987
- Cork County Team
* All-Ireland Senior Football Championship (1): 1973 (captain) * Munster Senior Football Championship (5): 1966, 1967, 1971, 1973 (captain), 1974 * National Football League (1): 1979-80 * Munster Under-21 Football Championship (1): 1965
- Munster Province
* Railway Cup (5): 1972, 1975 (captain), 1976 (substitute), 1977, 1978
- Individual Awards
* Texaco Footballer of the Year (1): 1973
As a 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 County Team
* 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
