Paddy Coad

Football player infobox
playername= Paddy Coad


fullname = Patrick Coad
dateofbirth = birth date|1920|4|4|df=y
cityofbirth = Waterford
countryofbirth = Ireland
dateofdeath = death date and age|1992|3|8|1920|4|4|df=y
position= Inside Left / Inside Right
youthyears = 193x-193x
youthclubs = Corinthians
years = 1937-1938
1938-1939
1939-1942
1942-1960
clubs= Waterford
Glenavon
Waterford
Shamrock Rovers
caps(goals) = X (X)
X (X)
X (X)
X (104)
nationalyears = 1943-1955
1946-1952
nationalteam = League of Ireland XI
Ireland
nationalcaps(goals) = 26 (2)
11 (3)
manageryears = 1949-1960
1960-19xx
managerclubs = Shamrock Rovers
Waterford United
pcupdate =
ntupdate = |

Paddy Coad ( born 4 April 1920, Waterford, Ireland; died Waterford, Ireland 8 March 1992) is a former Irish football player and manager. He played as a forward for Waterford, Glenavon, Shamrock Rovers and the Ireland. Although known, primarily, as a maker of goals, Coad scored 126 goals in the League of Ireland and a further 41 in the FAI Cup. In 1946-47 he was top goalscorer in the League of Ireland. As a player manager he also guided Rovers to three League of Ireland titles and two FAI Cups, before he returned to Waterford and guided them to their first league title in 1966.

Early years

Coad was educated at De La Salle school in Stephen Street in Waterford and first distinguished himself as a sportsman playing hurling and table tennis. He was even Munster champion at the latter sport. He also began to play football with a local junior club based in Lower Yellow Road area of Waterford. He was soon spotted by Waterford, making his League of Ireland debut in 1937 while still only 17. He then moved to Irish League club Glenavon but returned to Waterford after the start of the Second World War. He was a member of the Waterford that finished as a runners up to Cork United in both the League of Ireland and the FAI Cup. Waterford could have won the league title, but their players refused to turn up for a play-off game against Cork after a dispute over bonus payments.

hamrock Rovers

Coad signed for Shamrock Rovers in 1942 and made his debut against Brideville in the FAI Cup on the 8th of February. During his early seasons with the club played alongside Peter Farrell, Tommy Eglington, Jimmy McAlinden and Tommy Breen. He also helped Rovers win the FAI Cup three times. In November 1949, after the untimely death of Jimmy Dunne, Coad reluctantly accepted the position of player manager. He brought in many young players, including Liam Tuohy, and the team became known as "Coad’s Colts". Under the guidance of Coad, Rovers won three League of Ireland titles and the FAI Cup twice. In 1957 they also made their debut in the European Cup. Despite losing 9-2 on aggregate to Manchester United, Coad at the age of 37, dominated the away game at Old Trafford. Made 2 appearances in the European Cup.

Irish international

Between 1946 and 1952 Coad also made 11 appearances and scored 3 goals for Ireland. He made his debut on 30 September 1946 in a 1-0 defeat to England. On 2 March 1947 he scored his first goal for Ireland in a 3-2 win against Spain. During this game Coad also set-up both of Ireland’s other goals for Davy Walsh. On 22 May 1949 he scored the only goal, a penalty, in a 1-0 win over Portugal. His third goal for Ireland came on 30 May 1951 in 3-2 away win over Norway. Ireland were 2-0 down until Peter Farrell and Alf Ringstead levelled the score. Then in the 82nd minute Coad scored from 20 yards to win the game. Coad played his last game for Ireland in a 6-0 away defeat against Spain on 1 June 1952.

He won the Texaco Hall of Fame Award in 1981, the PFAI Merit Award in 1983 and the Shamrock Rovers Player of the Year trophy is named after Paddy Coad.

Honours

"Player and Manager"

Shamrock Rovers

*League of Ireland
** 1953-54, 1956-57, 1958-59: 3

*FAI Cup
** 1944, 1945, 1948, 1955, 1956: 5

*League of Ireland Shield
** 1954-55, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58: 4

*Leinster Senior Cup
** 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958: 4

*Inter-City Cups: 4
** 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949

*Top Four Cups: 2
** 1956, 1958

"Manager"

Waterford

*League of Ireland
**"Winners" 1965-66: 1

Sources

* "The Hoops" by Paul Doolan and Robert Goggins (ISBN 0-7171-2121-6)

External links

* [http://www.soccerscene.ie/sssenior/player.php?id=333 Ireland (FAI) stats]
* [http://waterfordireland.tripod.com/paddy_coad.htm Paddy Coad bio]
* [http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/history.php Coad and Shamrock Rovers history]
* [http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/iertops.html Top goalscorer in League of Ireland 1946-47]