John Connaughton

John Connaughton
Personal information
Full name Patrick John Connaughton[1]
Date of birth (1949-09-23)23 September 1949[2]
Place of birth Wigan, England[3]
Date of death 12 November 2022(2022-11-12) (aged 73)
Place of death Fulwood, Lancashire, England[4]
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[5]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1965–1966 Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1966–1972 Manchester United 3 (0)
1969Halifax Town (loan) 2 (0)
1971–1972Torquay United (loan) 22 (0)
1972–1974 Sheffield United 12 (0)
1974–1980 Port Vale 191 (0)
1980–1982 Altrincham 87 (0)
Total 317 (0)
International career
1967–1968 England Youth 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Patrick John Connaughton (23 September 1949 – 12 November 2022) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He played 387 league and cup games in a 16-year career. On three occasions, he also represented England at youth level.

Connaughton began his career at Manchester United, turning professional in 1966, but made just three first-team appearances in April 1972. He also played two games on loan at Halifax Town in 1969 and played 25 games on loan at Torquay United in 1971–72. He joined Sheffield United in October 1972 for a £15,000 fee but only played 12 games for the club before he transferred to Port Vale in May 1974. He established himself in the first-team and made 218 appearances, picking up the club's Player of the Year award in 1974–75. He joined Altrincham in 1980 for an enormously successful two-year spell, picking up championship medals for the Alliance Premier League in 1979–80 and 1980–81, winners medals in the Conference League Cup and Cheshire Senior Cup, and runners-up medals in the Conference League Cup and FA Trophy.

  1. ^ "John Connaughton". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. ^ "John Patrick Connaughton". aboutmanutd.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  3. ^ John Connaughton at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
  4. ^ The Official Matchday Programme of Port Vale FC 2022/23 Season - Issue 12 (PDF). 19 November 2022. p. 7. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  5. ^ Rollin, Jack (1980). Rothmans football yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 299. ISBN 0362020175. Retrieved 14 April 2020.