Denis Connaghan

{{Short description|Scottish footballer (1945–2024)}}

{{distinguish|Denis Connaghan (footballer, born 1976)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Denis Connaghan

| image =

| caption =

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1945|01|09|df=y}}

| birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland

| death_date = {{death date and given age|2024|01|14|79|df=y}}

| death_place = Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland

| height =

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Glasgow United

| years1 = 1963–1964

| clubs1 = Celtic

| caps1 = 0

| goals1 = 0

| years2 =

| clubs2 = → Yoker Athletic (loan)

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| years3 = {{0|0000}}–1964

| clubs3 = Renfrew

| caps3 =

| goals3 =

| years4 = 1964–1971

| clubs4 = St Mirren

| caps4 = 102

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1967

| clubs5 = → Baltimore Bays (loan)

| caps5 = 7

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 1971–1977

| clubs6 = Celtic

| caps6 = 32

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 1977–1979

| clubs7 = Morton

| caps7 = 41

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 1979–1980

| clubs8 = Clyde

| caps8 = 17

| goals8 = 0

| years9 =

| clubs9 = Arthurlie

| caps9 =

| goals9 =

| totalcaps = 199

| totalgoals = 0

}}

Denis Connaghan (9 January 1945 – 14 January 2024) was a Scottish football goalkeeper, who played for Celtic, St Mirren, Morton and Clyde.

Connaghan began his career at Celtic, but was released in 1963.{{cite web |last=Henderson |first=Mark |title=Where are they now? Denis Connaghan |url=https://www.celticfc.com/news/4115?item=4115 |website=Celtic F.C. |access-date=21 February 2022 |date=3 June 2013}} After a spell in junior football with Renfrew, he joined St Mirren in 1964, where he spent seven seasons and played over 100 league games. He re-joined Celtic in 1971 in the aftermath of Celtic's shock 4–1 loss to Partick Thistle in the Scottish League Cup final. Connaghan played in Celtic's 1974 Scottish Cup Final winning side,{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z45AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3aQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2449%2C1225629 |work=The Glasgow Herald |date=6 May 1974 |page=4 |first=Ian |last=Archer |title=Celtic again lift cup - but final is soon forgotten |accessdate=17 June 2018}} and also in the penalty shoot-out win over Rangers in the Drybrough Cup final later that same year. However, he never fully established himself and included only 32 league games before his departure in 1977.{{Cite web |url=http://www.fitbastats.com/celtic/player.php?playerid=2695 |title=Celtic Player Denis Connaghan Details |website=www.fitbastats.com |accessdate=17 June 2018}}

After brief spells at Morton and Clyde, Connaghan returned to junior football in 1980 to play for Arthurlie, and he helped them reach the Scottish Junior Cup final, where they lost 1–0 to Pollok.{{cite news |last1=O'Donnell |first1=Jim |title=From European ties to life with the Farmer's Boys … Denis has loved it all |url=https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/sport/juniors/13281242.from-european-ties-to-life-with-the-farmers-boys-denis-has-loved-it-all/ |access-date=21 February 2022 |work=Glasgow Times |date=21 May 2014}} Following his retirement from playing, he spent many years associated with Neilston Juniors in a number of backroom roles.