Carl Finnigan

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Carl Finnigan

| fullname =

| image = Carl Finnigan.jpg

| caption = Finnigan in 2009

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|10|1|df=y}}

| birth_place = Jarrow, England

| currentclub = Dunston UTS

| height =

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2001

| youthclubs1 = Jarrow

| youthyears2 = 2001–2003

| youthclubs2 = Newcastle United

| years1 = 2003–2007

| clubs1 = Newcastle United

| caps1 = 0

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2007–2011

| clubs2 = Falkirk

| caps2 = 113

| goals2 = 25

| years3 = 2011–2012

| clubs3 = St Johnstone

| caps3 = 11

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2012

| clubs4 = → Dundee (loan)

| caps4 = 5

| goals4 = 3

| years5 = 2012–2013

| clubs5 = Dundee

| caps5 = 8

| goals5 = 1

| years6 = 2013–2014

| clubs6 = Chippa United

| caps6 = 9

| goals6 = 4

| years7 = 2014–2015

| clubs7 = Gateshead

| caps7 = 22

| goals7 = 7

| years8 = 2015–2016

| clubs8 = Township Rollers

| caps8 = 21

| goals8 = 9

| years9 = 2016–2019

| clubs9 = South Shields

| caps9 = 115

| goals9 = 72

| years10 = 2019–2020

| clubs10 = Whickham

| caps10 = 19

| goals10 = 11

| years11 = 2019–2020

| clubs11 = → Morpeth Town (loan){{cite web |url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/morpeth-town/appearances/2019-2020/carl-finnigan/825692 |title=Morpeth Town – Appearances – Carl Finnigan – 2019–2020 |website=Football Web Pages |access-date=17 January 2023}}

| caps11 = 12

| goals11 = 4

| years12 = 2020–2022

| clubs12 = Morpeth Town{{cite web |url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/morpeth-town/appearances/2020-2021/carl-finnigan/825692 |title=Morpeth Town – Appearances – Carl Finnigan – 2020–2021 |website=Football Web Pages |access-date=17 January 2023}}
{{cite web |url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/morpeth-town/appearances/2021-2022/carl-finnigan/825692 |title=Morpeth Town – Appearances – Carl Finnigan – 2021–2022 |website=Football Web Pages |access-date=17 January 2023}}

| caps12 = 19

| goals12 = 1

| years13 = 2022–

| clubs13 = Dunston UTS{{cite web |url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/dunston/appearances/carl-finnigan/944268 |title=Dunston – Appearances – Carl Finnigan |website=Football Web Pages |access-date=17 January 2023}}

| caps13 = 11

| goals13 = 8

| club-update = 13:17, 17 January 2023 (UTC)

}}

Carl Finnigan (born 1 October 1986) is an English footballer and plays for Dunston UTS.

He has played for teams in Botswana, England, Scotland and South Africa during his career.

Career

Finnigan was born in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear.{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=46093 |title=Carl Finnigan |work=Soccerbase |access-date=8 November 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210191801/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=46093 |archive-date=10 February 2007 }} As a youngster, he played for Jarrow F.C.'s under-age teams before joining Newcastle United.{{cite news |url=http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/jarrow-lad-joins-bairns-1-1277219 |title=Jarrow Lad Joins Bairns |newspaper=Shields Gazette |via=FindArticles |format=reprint |date=23 January 2007 |accessdate=25 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000200/http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/jarrow-lad-joins-bairns-1-1277219 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }} He scored 56 goals for Newcastle's reserve and academy teams from 102 starts and 20 substitute appearances, but never appeared in a competitive first-team game.{{cite web |url=http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/articles/striker-to-quit-for-spl-20070123_2240137_969357 |title=Striker To Quit For SPL |publisher=Newcastle United F.C |date=23 January 2007 |accessdate=8 November 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Finnigan joined Scottish Premier League club Falkirk on 23 January 2007, replacing Anthony Stokes who had left the "Bairns" to sign for Sunderland. He made his Falkirk debut, and his first appearance in a senior league, as a second-half substitute against Kilmarnock on 27 January 2007.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/6300633.stm |title=Falkirk 0–2 Kilmarnock |publisher=BBC Sport |date=27 January 2007 |accessdate=8 November 2009}} The forward scored his first Bairns' goal three weeks later against Rangers, when he "played a neat one-two with Gow and drilled a shot beyond McGregor from the edge of the penalty area".{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/6362075.stm |title=Rangers 2–1 Falkirk |publisher=BBC Sport |date=18 February 2007 |accessdate=8 November 2009}} In the 2008–09 season, he played a major role, scoring twice and winning a penalty, in Falkirk's 4–0 victory over rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle in what proved a successful fight against relegation.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/7953573.stm |title=Falkirk 4–0 Inverness CT |publisher=BBC Sport |date=21 March 2009 |accessdate=8 November 2009}} He also scored the winner against the same opposition to take Falkirk through to the semi-final of the Scottish Cup,{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/7926815.stm |title=Inverness CT 0–1 Falkirk |publisher=BBC Sport |date=7 March 2009 |first=Colin |last=Moffat |accessdate=8 November 2009}} and had a goal disallowed in the Cup final.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_cups/8072822.stm |title=Rangers 1–0 Falkirk |publisher=BBC Sport |date=30 May 2009 |first=Colin |last=Moffat |accessdate=8 November 2009}} Before the 2009–10 season, Finnigan signed a new one-year contract with Falkirk, with an option for a second year.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/f/falkirk/8140471.stm |title=Finnigan handed new Bairns deal |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 July 2009 |accessdate=8 November 2009}}

On 24 June 2011, Finnigan signed for Scottish Premier League (SPL) club St Johnstone.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13911543.stm |title=Former Falkirk striker Carl Finnigan joins St Johnstone |publisher=BBC Sport |date=24 June 2011 |accessdate=24 June 2011}} In February 2012, Finnigan signed on loan for Dundee.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18300618|title=Dundee sign Carl Finnigan and Declan Gallagher|publisher=BBC Sport|date=1 June 2012|accessdate=1 June 2012}} He scored on his debut for Dundee, a late equaliser in a 1–1 draw with Falkirk after coming on as a second-half substitute. Finnigan then scored in a 3–2 win over Livingston. Finnigan returned to St Johnstone in April 2012 following a season-ending cartilage injury, but then signed for Dundee on 1 June.

In August 2013, Finnigan joined South African National First Division side Chippa United on a one-year contract.{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerladuma.co.za/news/articles/categories/south-africa/chippa-sign-finnigan/136597|title=Chippa Sign Finnigan|publisher=Soccer Laduma|date=19 August 2013|accessdate=11 September 2014}} He scored on his debut on 6 October 2013 in a 1–1 draw with Thanda Royal Zulu{{cite web|url=http://www.psl.co.za/article.asp?id=2143354|title=Chippa's British import delighted with debut goal|publisher=PSL.co.za|date=7 October 2013|accessdate=11 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911235724/http://www.psl.co.za/article.asp?id=2143354|archive-date=11 September 2014|url-status=dead}} and went on to score a total of 4 goals in 9 league appearances.{{cite news|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/carl-finnigan/13009/|title=C. Finnigan|publisher=Soccerway|accessdate=11 September 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.kickoff.com/news/46464/chippa-united-release-mkhanyiseli-siwahla-and-carl-finnigan|title=Chippa release Siwahla, Finnigan|publisher=Kickoff.com|date=8 July 2014|accessdate=11 September 2014}}

On 11 September 2014, it was announced that Finnigan had signed for Gateshead until the end of the season subject to international clearance.{{cite web|url=http://www.gateshead-fc.com/5042/gateshead-sign-striker-carl-finnigan |title=Gateshead Sign Striker Carl Finnigan |publisher=Gateshead FC |date=11 September 2014 |accessdate=11 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911185251/http://www.gateshead-fc.com/5042/gateshead-sign-striker-carl-finnigan |archivedate=11 September 2014 }} He made his debut on 20 September as a half time substitute against Welling United, scoring the equaliser in a 1–1 draw within 5 minutes of coming off the bench.{{cite web|url=http://www.gateshead-fc.com/5054/welling-united-1-1-gateshead|title=Welling United 1-1 Gateshead|publisher=Gateshead FC|date=20 September 2014|accessdate=20 September 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224128/http://www.gateshead-fc.com/5054/welling-united-1-1-gateshead|archivedate=3 March 2016}}

On 2 July 2015, Finnigan signed for Township Rollers of the Botswana Premier League scoring 9 goals within 21 appearances.{{cite web|url=http://www.rollersfc.com/our-new-striker-carl-finnigan/|title=Our New Striker – Carl Finnigan|publisher=Township Rollers FC|date=2 July 2015|accessdate=8 September 2015}}

On 26 August 2016 he signed for South Shields.{{cite web |url=https://southshieldsfc.co.uk/carl-finnigan-signs-for-shields/ |title=Carl Finnigan signs for Shields |publisher=South Shields F.C. |date=26 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417190706/https://southshieldsfc.co.uk/carl-finnigan-signs-for-shields/ |archive-date=17 April 2022}} The club went on a 42-game win streak, getting promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One North and winning 4 trophies in one season.

On 23 May 2019 it was confirmed that Finnigan had joined Whickham.{{cite web |url=https://nonleaguedaily.com/south-shields-striker-finnigan-signs-for-whickham/ |title=South Shields striker Finnigan signs for Whickham |website=nonleaguedaily.com |date=23 May 2019 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523190225/https://nonleaguedaily.com/south-shields-striker-finnigan-signs-for-whickham/ |archive-date=23 May 2019}} On 14 December 2019, he was loaned out to Morpeth Town for the rest of the season,{{cite web |url=https://www.morpethtownfc.com/finnigan-signs-for-the-highwaymen/ |title=Finnigan signs for the Highwaymen |publisher=Morpeth Town A.F.C. |date=14 December 2019 |access-date=17 January 2023}} and joined them on a two-year contract ahead of the 2020–21 season.{{cite web |url=https://www.thenpl.co.uk/five-commit-to-highwaymen-62144 |title=Five commit to Highwaymen |first=James |last=Gordon |publisher=Northern Premier League |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=17 January 2023}}

After seven months out with health issues, Finnigan joined Dunston UTS in September 2022.{{cite web |url=https://www.thenpl.co.uk/experienced-forward-joins-dunston-72595 |title=Experienced forward joins Dunston |first=James |last=Gordon |publisher=Northern Premier League |date=27 September 2022 |access-date=17 January 2023}}