Fran O'Brien (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 7 April 1955 | ||
| Place of birth | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1974–1978 | Bohemians | 62 | (1) |
| 1978–1980 | Philadelphia Fury | 70 | (12) |
| 1981–1982 | Montreal Manic | 56 | (9) |
| 1981–1982 | Montreal Manic (indoor) | 8 | (5) |
| 1983–1984 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 49 | (11) |
| 1983–1984 | Vancouver Whitecaps (indoor) | ||
| 1984–1985 | Dallas Sidekicks (indoor) | 43 | (13) |
| 1985–1987 | Tacoma Stars (indoor) | 71 | (12) |
| 1988–1990 | Seattle Storm | ||
| 1991 | Hamilton Steelers | ||
| International career | |||
| 1978 | Republic of Ireland | 4 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2007 | Tacoma Tide | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Fran O'Brien (born 7 April 1955) is an Irish footballer who played during the 1970s and 1980s. He was the first player to be capped for the Republic of Ireland playing in U.S., earning a total of four caps. He now coaches for the premier club, PacNW, in Seattle WA.
Player
He won a league winners medal with Bohemians in 1974/75. During his career with Bohs, Fran made 62 league appearances with 1 goal and 8 appearances in European competition scoring 1 goal. In 1978, O'Brien moved along with Pat Byrne and Eddie Byrne (footballer) to the Philadelphia Fury of the North American Soccer League (NASL). When the Fury moved to Montreal after the 1980 season, O'Brien went with the team and spent the next two seasons with the renamed Montreal Manic. In 1983, he signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps and spent the next two season with them. He was selected as an NASL all-star Honorable Mention for the 1983 season[1] and was a second team selection with the Whitecaps in 1984. When the NASL folded at the end of the 1984 season, O'Brien signed with the Dallas Sidekicks of Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The Sidekicks released him on 10 September 1985 and he moved to the Tacoma Stars. He spent two seasons with the Stars before retiring and settling in Washington State.
Coach
He is the current head coach of Tacoma Tide of the amateur USL Premier Development League in the United States[2]
He is also a coach for premier club, PacNW, in Seattle Washington.
He is the father of Leighton O'Brien and Ciaran O'Brien, brother of Derek O'Brien and the uncle of Mark O'Brien.
Honours
- League of Ireland: 1
- Bohemians - 1974/75
- FAI Cup: 1
- Bohemians - 1976
References
- ^ "1983 All-Stars". United Press International. 18 September 1983. Retrieved 13 January 2017 – via UPI Archives.
- ^ High Tide in Tacoma: Club announces new name and head coach
External links
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1955 births
- Living people
- Association footballers from Dublin (city)
- American Professional Soccer League players
- Bohemian F.C. players
- Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992) players
- Dallas Sidekicks (original MISL) players
- Expatriate soccer players in Canada
- Expatriate soccer players in the United States
- F.C. Seattle Storm players
- Hamilton Steelers (1981–1992) players
- League of Ireland players
- League of Ireland XI players
- Irish expatriate sportspeople in Canada
- Irish expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players
- Montreal Manic players
- North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
- North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players
- Philadelphia Fury (1978–1980) players
- Republic of Ireland football managers
- Republic of Ireland association footballers
- Republic of Ireland expatriate association footballers
- Republic of Ireland international footballers
- Tacoma Stars players
- Vancouver Whitecaps (1974–1984) players
- Western Soccer Alliance players
- Association football midfielders