Mick O'Brien (footballer, born 1893) facts for kids
O'Brien while with Queens Park Rangers in 1922.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Terrance O'Brien | ||
| Date of birth | 10 August 1893 | ||
| Place of birth | Ushaw Moor, England | ||
| Date of death | 21 September 1940 (aged 47) | ||
| Place of death | Uxbridge, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre half, forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1911 | Walker Celtic | ||
| Wallsend | |||
| 1912 | Blyth Spartans | ||
| 1912–1913 | Celtic | 0 | (0) |
| 1913–14 | Blyth Spartans | ||
| 1914–1915 | Brentford | 9 | (3) |
| 1918–1919 | Alloa Athletic (trial) | ||
| 1919 | Norwich City | 10 | (1) |
| 1919–1920 | South Shields | 3 | (0) |
| 1920–1922 | Queens Park Rangers | 66 | (3) |
| 1922–1924 | Leicester City | 65 | (6) |
| 1924–1926 | Hull City | 74 | (0) |
| 1926 | Brooklyn Wanderers | 7 | (0) |
| 1926–1928 | Derby County | 3 | (0) |
| 1928–1929 | Walsall | 34 | (0) |
| 1929–1931 | Norwich City | 64 | (5) |
| 1931–1933 | Watford | 61 | (5) |
| National team | |||
| 1921–1927 | Ireland | 10 | (0) |
| 1927–1932 | Irish Free State | 4 | (0) |
| 1921 | English League XI | 1 | (2) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1933–1935 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| 1935–1936 | Brentford (assistant) | ||
| 1936–1937 | Ipswich Town | ||
| 1939–1940 | Cork City | ||
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Michael Terrance O'Brien (born 10 August 1893 – died 21 September 1940) was an Irish football player and coach. He played for many different clubs during his career, at least 17 in total!
O'Brien was known as a strong player, standing at 6 feet 1 inch tall. He was especially good as a centre-half, a defensive midfield position. He also played as a forward sometimes. What's really cool is that O'Brien played for two different Ireland national teams. After he stopped playing, he became a manager for clubs like Queens Park Rangers and Ipswich Town.
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Mick O'Brien's Club Journey
Mick O'Brien didn't start playing football until he was 18 years old. This was after his family moved to South Shields in County Durham, England. He then played for several teams in that area, including Blyth Spartans.
His talent caught the eye of Celtic, a famous Scottish club. However, he didn't get to play for their main team. In December 1914, he joined Brentford. During the First World War, O'Brien served his country. He was part of both the Royal Navy and the Royal Flying Corps.
Between 1919 and 1933, O'Brien played in 370 games in the English League. He scored 19 goals during this time. He played for eight different clubs, including Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, and Watford. Even though he was best known as a defender, he could also play as a forward. In 1921, he scored two goals for an English League XI team. In 1926, he even played a few games in the American Soccer League for Brooklyn Wanderers.
Playing for Ireland
When O'Brien played international football, there were actually two different Ireland teams. This happened because two separate football groups, the IFA (based in Northern Ireland) and the FAI (based in the Irish Free State), both picked players from all over Ireland. Because of this, some great Irish players, like O'Brien, ended up playing for both teams!
Mick O'Brien was born in Ushaw Moor, England. Some people thought he was from Kilcock, County Kildare, in Ireland. This might have been a story to help him play for both Irish teams.
Playing for the IFA XI
From 1921 to 1927, Mick O'Brien played 10 games for the IFA XI. During this time, he was playing for clubs like Queens Park Rangers and Leicester City.
His first international game was on 2 February 1921, against Scotland. The IFA XI lost that game 2–0. On 13 February 1926, in his ninth game, he helped the IFA XI win 3–0 against Wales. This was the only time O'Brien played in a winning IFA XI team. His last game for the IFA XI was on 19 April 1927, a 2–2 draw with Wales.
Playing for the FAI XI
Between 1927 and 1932, O'Brien also played 4 games for the FAI XI. He played for four different clubs while earning these caps, including Derby County and Norwich City.
He made his debut for the FAI XI on 23 April 1927. This was just four days after his last game for the IFA XI! Even though the FAI XI lost 2–1 to Italy B, O'Brien played very well. He was one of the first English League players to represent the FAI XI. He later helped the FAI XI win against Belgium twice, with scores of 4–0 and 3–1.
His final game for the FAI XI was on 5 May 1932, against the Netherlands. Even though he was older, O'Brien was the captain and played a fantastic game. He led a young FAI XI team to a 2–0 victory.
Mick O'Brien's Coaching Career
After he stopped playing football, Mick O'Brien became a coach. He managed Queens Park Rangers from 1933 to 1935. He helped the club finish fourth in the league in the 1933–34 season. However, after a difficult season in 1934–35, he left the club.
He then worked as an assistant manager at Brentford. On 29 May 1936, O'Brien took over as manager at Ipswich Town. He was their first professional manager! In the 1936–37 season, Ipswich Town became professional and won the Southern League championship under his leadership. Later, O'Brien also coached for the Middlesex FA.
Honours
Manager
Ipswich Town
- Southern League: 1936–37
