Fran O'Brien (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Fran O'Brien

| image =

| full_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1955|4|7}}

| birth_place = Dublin, Ireland

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1974–1978

| clubs1 = Bohemians

| caps1 = 62

| goals1 = 1

| years2 = 1978–1980

| clubs2 = Philadelphia Fury

| caps2 = 70

| goals2 = 12

| years3 = 1981–1982

| clubs3 = Montreal Manic

| caps3 = 56

| goals3 = 9

| years4 = 1981–1982

| clubs4 = Montreal Manic (indoor)

| caps4 = 8

| goals4 = 5

| years5 = 1983–1984

| clubs5 = Vancouver Whitecaps

| caps5 = 49

| goals5 = 11

| years6 = 1983–1984

| clubs6 = Vancouver Whitecaps (indoor)

| caps6 =

| goals6 =

| years7 = 1984–1985

| clubs7 = Dallas Sidekicks (indoor)

| caps7 = 43

| goals7 = 13

| years8 = 1985–1987

| clubs8 = Tacoma Stars (indoor)

| caps8 = 71

| goals8 = 12

| years9 = 1988

| clubs9 = Hamilton Steelers

| caps9 = 4

| goals9 = 0

| years10 = 1988–1990

| clubs10 = Seattle Storm

| caps10 =

| goals10 =

| years11 = 1991

| clubs11 = Hamilton Steelers

| caps11 = 12

| goals11 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 1978

| nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland

| nationalcaps1 = 4

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2007

| managerclubs1 = Tacoma Tide

}}

Fran O'Brien (born 7 April 1955) is an Irish footballer who played during the 1970s and 1980s. He was the first player to be capped for the Republic of Ireland playing in United States, earning a total of four caps. He also coached for the premier club PacNW in Seattle.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

Playing career

O'Brien won a league winners medal with Bohemians in 1974–75. During his career with Bohs, Fran made 62 league appearances with 1 goal and 8 appearances in European competition scoring 1 goal. In 1978, O'Brien moved along with Pat Byrne and Eddie Byrne to the Philadelphia Fury of the North American Soccer League (NASL). When the Fury moved to Montreal after the 1980 season, O'Brien went with the team and spent the next two seasons with the renamed Montreal Manic. In 1983, he signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps and spent the next two season with them. He was selected as an NASL all-star Honorable Mention for the 1983 season{{cite news|title=1983 All-Stars |date=18 September 1983|work=United Press International|url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/09/18/The-New-York-Cosmos-who-won-the-regular-season-point/2065432705600/ |accessdate=13 January 2017|via=UPI Archives}} and was a second team selection with the Whitecaps in 1984. When the NASL folded at the end of the 1984 season, O'Brien signed with the Dallas Sidekicks of Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). The Sidekicks released him on 10 September 1985 and he moved to the Tacoma Stars. He spent two seasons with the Stars before retiring and settling in Washington state. He also played with the Hamilton Steelers.{{cite web |title=Fran O'Brien soccer Statistics on StatsCrew.com |url=https://www.statscrew.com/minorsoccer/stats/p-obriefra001 |website=www.statscrew.com |access-date=9 June 2021 |language=en}}

Coaching career

From 2007 to 2008, O'Brien was the head coach of Tacoma Tide of the amateur USL Premier Development League in the United States.[http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/transactions/173794.html High Tide in Tacoma: Club announces new name and head coach]

He was also a coach for the premier club PacNW in Seattle, Washington.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

He is the father of Leighton O'Brien and Ciaran O'Brien, brother of Derek O'Brien and the uncle of Mark O'Brien.

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20021127073558/http://www.jamiepeck.com/atoms/psuedoatoms.htm History of the Fury with photo of O'Brien]
[http://www.kicksfan.com/players/obrien/index.htm Dallas Sidekicks profile]
[http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/O/O'Brien.Fran.htm NASL/MISL stats]

Category:1955 births

Category:Living people

Category:Association footballers from Dublin (city)

Category:American Professional Soccer League players

Category:Bohemian F.C. players

Category:Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992) players

Category:Dallas Sidekicks (original MISL) players

Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada

Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States

Category:Seattle Storm (soccer) players

Category:Hamilton Steelers (1981–1992) players

Category:League of Ireland players