Jim McDonagh

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Jim McDonagh

| image = McDonagh and Christov (1981).jpg

| upright = 1.4

| caption = Jim McDonagh with Vojtech Christov in 1981

| fullname = Seamus Martin McDonagh

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|10|6|df=y}}

| birth_place = Rotherham, England

| height =

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub = Mansfield Town
(head goalkeeping coach)

| youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1970–1976 |clubs1 = Rotherham United |caps1 = 121 |goals1 = 0

| years2 = 1973 |clubs2 = → Manchester United (loan) |caps2 = 0 |goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1976–1980 |clubs3 = Bolton Wanderers |caps3 = 161 |goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1980–1981 |clubs4 = Everton |caps4 = 40 |goals4 = 0

| years5 = 1981–1983 |clubs5 = Bolton Wanderers |caps5 = 81 |goals5 = 1

| years6 = 1983–1985 |clubs6 = Notts County |caps6 = 35 |goals6 = 0

| years7 = 1984 |clubs7 = → Birmingham City (loan) |caps7 = 1 |goals7 = 0

| years8 = 1985 |clubs8 = → Gillingham (loan) |caps8 = 10 |goals8 = 0

| years9 = 1985 |clubs9 = → Sunderland (loan) |caps9 = 7 |goals9 = 0

| years10 = 1985–1987 |clubs10 = Wichita Wings (indoor) |caps10 = |goals10 =

| years11 = 1987 |clubs11 = Scarborough |caps11 = 9 |goals11 = 0

| years12 = 1987–1988 |clubs12 = → Huddersfield Town (loan) |caps12 = 6 |goals12 = 0

| years13 = 1988–1989 |clubs13 = Charlton Athletic |caps13 = 0 |goals13 = 0

| years14 = 1988–1989 |clubs14 = Galway United |caps14 = 20 |goals14 = 0

| years15 = 1989–1990 |clubs15 = Spalding United |caps15 = |goals15 =

| years16 = 1990 |clubs16 = Grantham Town |caps16 = 1 |goals16 = 0

| years17 = 1990–1991 |clubs17 = Telford United |caps17 = 6 |goals17 = 0

| years18 = 1991–1993 |clubs18 = Grantham Town |caps18 = |goals18 =

| years19 = 1993–1994 |clubs19 = Arnold Town |caps19 = 9 |goals19 = 0

| totalcaps = 507 |totalgoals = 1

| nationalyears1 = 1971 | nationalteam1 = England Youth | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1981–1985 |nationalteam2 = Republic of Ireland |nationalcaps2 = 25 |nationalgoals2 = 0

| manageryears1 = 1988–1989 |managerclubs1 = Galway United

}}

Seamus Martin McDonagh (born 6 October 1952), known as Jim McDonagh, is a former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He made more than 400 appearances in the English leagues. He played for his native England at youth level{{cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/matchrsl/MatchRslTmU18pg3.html |title=Match results under 18 1971–1980 |website=England Football Online |publisher=Chris Goodwin & Glen Isherwood |date=2 October 2024 |access-date=12 October 2024}} before winning 25 caps for Ireland. He then became a goalkeeping coach, working with numerous clubs in the English game until joining Martin O'Neill's coaching team at Sunderland in 2011. In November 2013 he was appointed to the same role with the Republic of Ireland national team by O'Neill, and in 2019 he followed O'Neill to Nottingham Forest as head goalkeeping coach.

Playing career

McDonagh started his career at his hometown club Rotherham United, and spent a month on loan at Manchester United in 1973, before joining Bolton Wanderers, initially on loan, taking over from the recently departed Barry Siddall. An ever-present during the Second Division Championship-winning side of 1977–78, he set a club record of conceding only 33 goals in a 42-match season. For the following two seasons in the top flight he was also an ever-present and did well enough for Everton to sign him for £250,000 when Bolton were relegated in 1979–80. Within a year Neville Southall had come through the ranks at Everton and McDonagh found himself back at Bolton. Another relegation followed in 1982–83, even with McDonagh managing to score a goal, and he moved on to Notts County for two seasons before wandering around a further six English clubs as well as teams in the USA. It was while he was at Bolton that he received the first of 25 caps for Ireland. He qualified to play for Ireland through his father Michael who came from Midfield, County Mayo.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

Coaching career

He was appointed player/manager of Galway United in 1988 when they were in the relegation zone. Despite helping save the club from relegation his contract was unilaterally terminated by United in May 1989.{{cite news |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1989/0510/Pg002.html#Ar00205:0525AE0B95F00B95AE1185F01185AE1315EF0536D10976E70626E00A76F60E085A12486F |title=McDonagh contract ended |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=10 May 1989 |page=2 |accessdate=14 May 2019}}

McDonagh went on to have coaching positions at clubs including Coventry City, Mansfield Town, Nottingham Forest, Millwall, Rotherham United, Leicester City, Aston Villa, Plymouth Argyle and Hull City. He was appointed Sunderland's first-team goalkeeping coach by Martin O'Neill on 6 December 2011.{{cite web |url=http://www.safc.com/news/20111206/oneill-confirms-backroom-additions_2256213_2539149 |title=O'Neill confirms backroom additions |publisher=Sunderland AFC |date=6 December 2011 |accessdate=6 December 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712224752/http://www.safc.com/news/20111206/oneill-confirms-backroom-additions_2256213_2539149 |archivedate=12 July 2012}} O'Neill then appointed him to the same role with the Republic of Ireland national team in November 2013.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/24876418 |title=Alan Kelly replaced as Republic goalkeeping coach |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 November 2013 |accessdate=13 September 2017}} On 21 November 2018, O'Neill and his backroom staff parted company with the FAI,{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46289969 |title=Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane leave Republic of Ireland roles |publisher=BBC Sport |date=21 November 2018 |accessdate=14 May 2019}} and in January 2019, McDonagh followed O'Neill to Nottingham Forest as head goalkeeping coach.{{cite news |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/soccer/nottingham-forest-hail-return-of-miracle-man-oneill-897870.html |title=Nottingham Forest hail return of 'miracle man' O'Neill |first=Liam |last=Mackey |newspaper=Irish Examiner |date=16 January 2019 |accessdate=14 May 2019}}

References

General

{{cite book |first1=Ivan |last1=Ponting |first2=Barry |last2=Hugman |title=The Concise Post War History of Bolton Wanderers |publisher=Repvern Publishing |date=1994 |isbn=1-869833-27-9 }}

Specific