Paul Bannon

Not to be confused with Paul Bannon (Gaelic footballer).
Paul Bannon
Personal information
Full name Paul Anthony Bannon
Date of birth (1956-11-15)15 November 1956
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Date of death 15 February 2016(2016-02-15) (aged 59)
Playing position Centre forward, centre half
Youth career
Nottingham Forest
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1975–1976 Nottingham Forest 0 (0)
1976–1978 Bridgend Town ? (?)
1978–1983 Carlisle United 140 (45)
1983 → Darlington (loan) 2 (0)
1983–1986 Bristol Rovers 29 (8)
1984 → Cardiff City (loan) 4 (0)
1984 → Plymouth Argyle (loan) 2 (0)
1986–1987 NAC Breda 9 (6)
1987–1988 PAOK 20 (9)
1988–1989 Larissa 11 (3)
1989–1993 Cork City 106 (9)
1993–1995 Cobh Ramblers 60 (4)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)

Paul Anthony Bannon (15 November 1956 – 15 February 2016) was an Irish professional footballer who played most of his career as a centre forward, moving to centre half for his last few years in the League of Ireland. Bannon played in England, Wales, the Netherlands, Greece and Ireland, making over 200 career appearances.

Career

Bannon was born in Dublin,[1] the son of Tipperary senior inter-county hurler, three-time All-Ireland title winner, Séamus Bannon.[2][3] Bannon played for Nottingham Forest, Bridgend Town, Carlisle United, Darlington, Bristol Rovers, Cardiff City, Plymouth Argyle, NAC Breda, PAOK, Larissa, Cork City and Cobh Ramblers.[1][4][5][6]

Bannon spent the 1987–88 Alpha Ethniki season with PAOK F.C. He played 20 matches and scored nine league goals, which made him the club's joint top scorer.[7] At the end of the season, he moved on to Greek champions Larissa. Their first foray into the European Cup was soon over. In the first round of the 1988–89 European Cup, they were drawn against Neuchâtel Xamax of Switzerland. They overcame the Swiss 2–1 in the first leg, but fell to the same scoreline away. The match went to penalties, and Larissa lost 3–0 with Bannon missing the second kick.[5] Bannon finished the league season with three goals from 11 appearances,[8] and then returned home to Ireland.

He made his League of Ireland debut for Cork City on 3 September 1989, the opening day of the 1989–90 season, against Drogheda United.[9] Signed as a centre forward, Bannon went back to centre half because of Cork's injury problems, and he was playing in that position when he scored his first league goal, against Dundalk at Oriel Park on 5 November 1989.[10] Former Cork player and manager Dave Barry included Bannon as a defender in his all-time Cork City eleven, selected in 2004.[11]

Bannon played in Cork's first ever European game, against Torpedo Moscow in the 1989–90 European Cup Winners' Cup. Despite suffering from a virus, he played as the lone striker, and had Cork's only two chances – one header over the bar, one saved – as they lost 5–0 in Moscow.[12] Bannon also played twice against Bayern Munich in the 1991–92 UEFA Cup. Overall he made four appearances for Cork in Europe.[5]

Bannon scored the only goal of the semi-final, against St Patrick's Athletic, to put Cork through to the 1992 FAI Cup Final.[3] They lost 1–0 to Bohemians.[13] In his last game for Cork, he scored the winning goal to win the 1992–93 League of Ireland title at the RDS Arena.[14]

He finished his playing career with Cobh Ramblers,[5] and then assisted Mick Conroy with the running of a youth academy in Cork. Successful graduates include Ireland internationals Colin Healy, Damien Delaney and Liam Miller.[15]

After spending 17 years working for the FAI, he died on 15 February 2016.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 "Paul Bannon". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  2. ↑ "All-Ireland Senior Winning Teams". premierview.ie. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  3. 1 2 Byrne, Peter (20 April 1992). "Bannon puts Cork City into final". Irish Times. p. 14.
  4. ↑ "Profile" (in Dutch). Voetbal International.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Paul Bannon". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  6. ↑ "Paul Bannon". Greens on Screen. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  7. ↑ Mastrogiannopoulos, Alexander (19 June 2003). "Greece 1987/88". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  8. ↑ Mastrogiannopoulos, Alexander (21 June 2003). "Greece 1988/89". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  9. ↑ "Drogheda hold weak Cork". Irish Times. 4 September 1989. p. 20.
  10. ↑ Jones, Derek (6 November 1989). "Dundalk unable to match Cork". Irish Times. p. 2.
  11. ↑ "Stats your lot... best ever.. Cork City". Daily Mirror (Eire edition). 9 April 2004. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  12. ↑ O'Clery, Conor (14 September 1989). "Technically superior Russians scuttle Cork's Moscow hopes". Irish Times. p. 2.
  13. ↑ Canny, Julian (25 July 2013). "Ireland – List of Cup Finals". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  14. ↑ Spillane, Noel (23 May 2013). "Long title wait for City ended in most dramatic fashion back in 1993". Evening Echo (Cork). Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  15. ↑ O'Riordan, Neil (20 March 2001). "Mick's shooting stars". The Sun (Eire edition). Retrieved 16 September 2013.
  16. ↑ "FAI pays tribute to the late Paul Bannon". RTÉ Sport. 16 February 2016.

Sources


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