John Connelly (footballer, born 1938) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
John Connelly

Connelly in 1959
Personal information
Full name	John Michael Connelly
Date of birth	(1938-07-18)18 July 1938
Place of birth	St Helens, Lancashire, England
Date of death	25 October 2012(2012-10-25) (aged 74)
Place of death	Barrowford, Lancashire, England
Height	1.73 m
Playing position	Outside forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1956–1964	Burnley	215	(85)
1964–1966	Manchester United	80	(22)
1966–1970	Blackburn Rovers	149	(36)
1970–1973	Bury	129	(37)
Total		573	(180)
National team
1960	England U23	1	(0)
1959–1966	England	20	(7)
Honours Men's football Representing  England FIFA World Cup Winner 1966 England
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

John Michael Connelly (born 18 July 1938 – died 25 October 2012) was a famous English footballer. He played as an outside forward, which is a player who attacks from the sides of the field. John Connelly also played for his country, England, 20 times.

John Connelly's Football Journey

Starting at Burnley F.C.

John Connelly began his football career playing for a local team called St Helens Town. In November 1956, talent scouts from Burnley came to watch another player. But they were so impressed by John Connelly that they offered him a chance to try out for their team.

He soon joined Burnley, which was then playing in England's top football league. John Connelly played his first game against Leeds United on 11 March 1957. It took him two seasons to become a regular player for Burnley. In the 1958–59 season, he scored 12 goals in 37 games. This made him the team's second-highest scorer.

John Connelly mostly played as a right winger, but he could also play on the left. He was very good at controlling the ball and was fast. This allowed him to get past defenders and send accurate crosses into the penalty area. He was also great at scoring goals with either foot. For a winger, he scored many goals, with 105 goals for Burnley in 265 games.

Winning the League with Burnley

In the 1959–60 season, John Connelly helped Burnley win the league championship. This was only the second time in the club's history they had won it. He scored 20 goals in 34 league games that season. Sadly, he missed the last important game against Manchester City. This was the game that won Burnley the title.

His teammate, Trevor Meredith, scored the winning goal while John Connelly was in the hospital for a knee operation. Even though he missed the final game, he still received a Championship winner's medal.

For the next three seasons, John Connelly continued to play well and score many goals. He helped Burnley finish fourth, second, and third in the league. In the 1961–62 season, Burnley also reached the FA Cup final. However, they lost 3-1 to Tottenham Hotspur. John Connelly played in the final and received a runner-up medal.

In the 1963–64 season, a new talented winger named Willie Morgan joined the team. This meant John Connelly had to play on the left wing. In April 1964, he moved to Manchester United for £56,000.

Playing for Manchester United

John Connelly played for Manchester United for just over two seasons. During this time, he played 113 games and scored 35 goals. In his first season, his new club finished second in the league.

However, in the next season, 1964–65, Manchester United won the league championship. This meant John Connelly earned his second championship medal! The following season, 1965–66, the team finished fourth in the league. They were also knocked out of the European Cup in the semi-finals. At the start of the 1966–67 season, John Connelly moved to Blackburn Rovers for £40,000.

Later Career and Life

John Connelly played for Blackburn Rovers for four years. However, he could not help them get back into the top division. He left Blackburn in May 1970 and then signed with Bury. He played for Bury for three years and then retired from football in May 1973.

After retiring, John Connelly owned a fish and chip shop in Brierfield. It was famously known as "Connelly's Plaice." He was also honored as one of 25 former Burnley players on a "Wall of Legends" at their home stadium, Turf Moor.

John Connelly passed away peacefully at home on 25 October 2012, when he was 74 years old. Burnley Football Club released a statement saying he was "one of Burnley's most prolific and popular wingers." The flag at Turf Moor was flown at half-mast in his memory, and players wore black armbands to show their respect.

International Career with England

John Connelly was born in England and had Irish family roots. He played his first game for the England national team while he was still a Burnley player. This was on 17 October 1959, against Wales. Overall, he played 20 games for England and scored seven goals.

The 1962 and 1966 World Cups

John Connelly was part of the England squad that went to Chile for the 1962 FIFA World Cup. However, he was not chosen to play in any of the matches during that tournament.

Four years later, he was a member of the England team that won the 1966 FIFA World Cup! He played in the first game against Uruguay at Wembley Stadium. That match ended in a 0-0 draw, and England's performance was not considered very good. Because of this, the England manager, Alf Ramsey, decided to change the team. He dropped John Connelly from the starting team and played without wingers in later games. This ended up being John Connelly's last game for England.

John Connelly was one of four England players who played during the 1966 World Cup but not in the final match itself. The others were Terry Paine, Ian Callaghan, and Jimmy Greaves.

Receiving His World Cup Medal

In 1966, only the 11 players who played in the World Cup final received winner's medals. Many years later, after a campaign by the Football Association, FIFA agreed to give medals to all squad members who won.

On 10 June 2009, John Connelly was given his 1966 World Cup medal by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The ceremony took place at 10 Downing Street. John Connelly was the third player from the 1966 World Cup-winning squad to pass away, after Bobby Moore and Alan Ball.

Achievements and Awards

Burnley

• Football League First Division: 1959–60
• FA Cup runner-up: 1961–62

Manchester United

• Football League First Division: 1964–65

England

• FIFA World Cup: 1966