Fran O'Brien (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | April 7, 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 was an Irish soccer player 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.
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 September 10, 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 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. September 18, 1983. Retrieved January 13, 2017 – via UPI Archives.
- ^ High Tide in Tacoma: Club announces new name and head coach
External links
- History of the Fury with photo of O'Brien[permanent dead link]
- Dallas Sidekicks profile
- NASL/MISL stats
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 1955 births
- Living people
- American Professional Soccer League players
- Bohemian F.C. players
- Dallas Sidekicks (original MISL) players
- Expatriate soccer players in Canada
- Expatriate soccer players in the United States
- F.C. Seattle Storm players
- League of Ireland players
- League of Ireland XI players
- Irish expatriates in Canada
- Irish expatriates in the United States
- Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–92) players
- Montreal Manic players
- North American Soccer League (1968–84) players
- North American Soccer League (1968–84) indoor players
- Association football players from Dublin (city)
- Philadelphia Fury (1978–80) 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 (1974–84) players
- Western Soccer Alliance players