Billy McConnell (born 19 April 1956) is a former field hockey player from Northern Ireland who represented both Ireland and Great Britain at international level. He represented Great Britain at the 1984 Summer Olympics when they won the bronze medal. He also represented Ireland at the 1990 Men's Hockey World Cup.
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | William David Robert McConnell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Newry, County Down Northern Ireland | 19 April 1956||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 73 kg (161 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing position | Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19xx–19xx | Newry Olympic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
198x–198x | Belfast YMCA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19xx–19xx | → Ulster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
19xx–199x | Holywood 87 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1979–199x | Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
198x–198x | Great Britain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007–2010 | Pegasus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
201x–201x | Queen's University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Domestic teams
editMcConnell played club field hockey for Newry Olympic,[1] Belfast YMCA[2] and Holywood 87.[3]
International
editIreland
editMcConnell was a member of the Ireland team that were silver medallists at the 1978 EuroHockey Junior Championship. Other members of the team included Martin Sloan, Jimmy Kirkwood and Stephen Martin.[4] He made his senior Ireland debut in 1979 against the Netherlands.[5] He subsequently represented Ireland at the 1990 Men's Hockey World Cup.[6] In 2010 he was inducted into the Irish Hockey Association Hall of Fame.[5][7][8]
Great Britain
editMcConnell represented Great Britain at the 1984 Summer Olympics.[2] McConnell also represented Great Britain in Champions Trophy tournaments, winning a bronze medal in 1984 and a silver in 1985.[9][10]
Later years
editBetween 2007 and 2010 McConnell coached Pegasus. At the time, the Pegasus squad included his daughter, Kate McConnell.[14][15][16] Kate was an Ireland women's field hockey international and in 2010–11 was a member of the Pegasus team that won a Women's Irish Hockey League/Irish Senior Cup. She also captained Pegasus.[16][17][18] Billy McConnell has also coached at Queen's University.[19]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Billy McConnell". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ "RUC to make historic journey for Junior Cup tie". The Irish Times. 12 January 1996. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Oral History Interview: Stephen (Sam) Martin". hockeymuseum.net. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Hall of Fame Inductees". irishhockey.newsweaver.ie. 30 May 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Flying with drunken angels, riot police, dodgy curry, potent 7-Up and spotless trainers as Irish play a lament in Lahore". hookhockey.com. 3 August 2016. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Leinster stars feature heavily on Awards night". hookhockey.com. 30 May 2010. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Battle for Senior Cup hots up". The Irish Times. 23 April 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Netherlands v Great Britain". tms.fih.ch. 14 December 1984. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Great Britain v India". tms.fih.ch. 24 November 1985. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "India v Great Britain". tms.fih.ch. 10 April 1986. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "Champions Trophy". sikhsinhockey.com. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ "Men's Hockey road to Rio outlined". olympics.ie. 20 December 2013. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
- ^ "Women's Hockey: Pegasus put title bubbly on ice". Belfast Telegraph. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Kate takes over as the new Pegasus captain". Belfast Telegraph. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "McConnell returns, Clarke in line for 100". hookhockey.com. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
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: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Beaney bashes Pegasus to All-Ireland double". hookhockey.com. 1 May 2011. Archived from the original on 28 May 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Summer Transfers 2018 Premier League Men". ulsterhockey.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2019.