Davy Walsh facts for kids
Walsh in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Joseph Walsh | ||
| Date of birth | 28 April 1923 | ||
| Place of birth | Waterford, Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 14 March 2016 (aged 92) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| St. Joseph's | |||
| Corinthians | |||
| Shelbourne (Waterford) | |||
| Glen Rovers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1942–1943 | Limerick United | 16 | (13) |
| 1943 | → Shelbourne (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 1943–1946 | Linfield | ||
| 1946–1950 | West Bromwich Albion | 165 | (94) |
| 1947 | → Shamrock Rovers (guest) | 1 | (0) |
| 1950–1955 | Aston Villa | 108 | (37) |
| 1955–1956 | Walsall | 20 | (6) |
| 1956–1957 | Worcester City | ||
| International career | |||
| 1945–1946 | Irish League XI | 3 | (2) |
| 1946–1950 | Ireland (IFA) | 11 | (7) |
| 1946–1953 | Ireland (FAI) | 20 | (5) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
David Joseph Walsh (born April 28, 1923 – died March 14, 2016), known as Davy Walsh, was an Irish football player. He was a talented centre forward. He played for famous clubs like Linfield, West Bromwich Albion, and Aston Villa.
Davy Walsh was special because he played for two different Irish national teams. These were the FAI XI and the IFA XI. In 1949, he was part of the FAI XI team that made history. They beat England 2–0 at Goodison Park. This was the first time a team from outside the UK had ever beaten England on their home ground!
Walsh was known for being great at scoring goals. He was quick and always seemed to be in the right place. After he stopped playing football, he owned a sports shop. Later, he ran holiday homes in Devon, England. In 2003, his hometown of Waterford honored him. He passed away in 2016.
Contents
Playing Career: Davy Walsh's Football Journey
Starting in Ireland: Early Days
Davy Walsh started playing youth football in his hometown of Waterford. In 1942, he joined Limerick United. He scored two goals in his very first game! Even though Limerick didn't do great that season, Davy scored 6 goals.
Later, in 1943, he moved to Northern Ireland. He joined Linfield, a big club in the Irish League. He was an amazing goal scorer there. In the 1945–46 season, he scored an incredible 73 goals for Linfield!
While at Linfield, he helped them win the Irish Cup in 1945 and again in 1946. In 1946, they also won the Northern Regional League. This meant they won both the league and the cup, which is called a "double."
Moving to England: Big Clubs and Goals
In May 1946, Davy Walsh moved to England. He joined West Bromwich Albion for £3,500. He had a fantastic start, scoring in his first six games! He kept scoring regularly for the team.
In 1949, he helped West Bromwich Albion get promoted to a higher league. He scored 100 goals for the club in total. In December 1950, he moved to Aston Villa for £25,000. He played 114 games for Villa and scored 40 goals. This means he scored about one goal every three games!
After Aston Villa, he played for Walsall for one season. Then, he joined Worcester City in 1956. He retired from playing football in May 1957.
Irish International: Playing for Two Teams
When Davy Walsh started playing for his country in 1946, things were a bit complicated. There were actually two different Irish national football teams. These teams were chosen by two different football groups:
- The IFA, based in Northern Ireland.
- The FAI, based in the Republic of Ireland.
Both groups believed they represented the whole island of Ireland. So, they both picked players from all over Ireland. This is why Davy Walsh, and many other players back then, played for both teams!
IFA XI: The Northern Ireland Team
Between 1946 and 1950, Davy Walsh played 11 games for the IFA XI. He scored seven goals for them.
- In his first game for the IFA XI in February 1946, he scored two goals against Scotland.
- He also helped the IFA XI get good results, like a 2–0 win against Scotland in 1947.
- He was part of the team that drew 2–2 with England at Goodison Park in November 1947. He scored a goal in that game, which he later called a highlight of his career.
- In 1948, he scored two goals against England and two goals against Scotland.
- His last game for the IFA XI was in March 1950. This game was also a qualifier for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Because he played for both teams, he ended up playing for two different associations in the same World Cup tournament! This situation eventually led to FIFA (the world football body) stepping in. Davy Walsh was one of the last players born in the Republic of Ireland to play for the IFA XI.
FAI XI: The Republic of Ireland Team
Davy Walsh played 20 games for the FAI XI between 1946 and 1953, scoring five goals.
- He played his first game for the FAI XI in June 1946 against Portugal.
- In March 1947, he scored two goals against Spain, helping the FAI XI win 3–2.
- On September 21, 1949, he was part of the FAI XI team that beat England 2–0 at Goodison Park. This was a very famous victory! It was the first time a team from outside the UK had ever beaten England on their own ground.
- He scored his last goal for the FAI XI in October 1953 against France. His last game was also against France in November 1953. Both of these games were qualifiers for the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
Honours
Linfield
- Irish Cup
- Winners 1945, 1946 2
- Runners-up 1944: 1
- Northern Regional League
- Winners 1944–45, 1945–46: 2
West Bromwich Albion
- Second Division
- Runners-up 1948–49: 1
Ireland
- British Home Championship
- Runners-up 1946–47: 1
See also
In Spanish: Davy Walsh para niños
