Willie O'Brien

For other people with similar names, see William O'Brien.

Willie O'Brien
Personal information
Full name William O'Brien[1]
Date of birth (1929-01-26)26 January 1929[1]
Place of birth Middlesbrough, England
Date of death 2015 (aged 85–86)
Place of death Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[2]
Position(s) Centre half
Youth career
– Middlesbrough
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1947–1948 Leicester City 0 (0)
1950–1951 Darlington 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William O'Brien (26 January 1929 – 2015) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Darlington.[3] A centre half born in Middlesbrough,[1] O'Brien began his football career as a junior with his hometown club, Middlesbrough F.C.,[4] and was on the books of Leicester City for the 1947–48 season before serving in the Army. He joined Darlington in February 1950,[2] but did not make his first-team debut for more than a year, when he replaced the injured Geoff Stone on 17 March 1951 for a 4–1 defeat at home to Bradford City.[4][5] He kept his place for the next Third Division North match – an even heavier defeat, this time away to Hartlepools United – but that was his final appearance.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Willie O'Brien". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Formerly on City's books". Leicester Mercury. 11 February 1950. p. 12 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Darlington: 1946/47–1988/89 & 1990/91–2009/10". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Darlington attack doubtful". Northern Daily Mail. West Hartlepool. 21 March 1951. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ a b Tweddle, Frank (2000). The Definitive Darlington F.C. Nottingham: SoccerData. pp. 47, 106. ISBN 978-1-899468-15-7.


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