Tony Mahoney

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Tony Mahoney

| fullname = Anthony Joseph Mahoney

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|9|29|df=y}}

| birth_place = Barking, England

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Fulham

| years1 = 1976–1982

| clubs1 = Fulham

| caps1 = 59

| goals1 = 10

| years2 = 1981

| clubs2 = → Northampton Town (loan)

| caps2 = 6

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1982–1984

| clubs3 = Brentford

| caps3 = 41

| goals3 = 12

| years4 = 1984–1985

| clubs4 = Crystal Palace

| caps4 = 18

| goals4 = 4

| years5 = 1985–1988

| clubs5 = Grays Athletic

| caps5 =

| goals5 =

| years6 = 1988–1989

| clubs6 = Dartford

| caps6 =

| goals6 =

| years7 = 1989–1999

| clubs7 = Canvey Island

| caps7 =

| goals7 =

| nationalyears1 =

| nationalteam1 = England Youth

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

}}

Anthony Joseph Mahoney (born 29 September 1959) is an English retired professional footballer who played in the Football League for Fulham, Brentford and Crystal Palace as a forward. He later forged a career in non-League football and played a decade with Canvey Island.

Club career

= Fulham =

Mahoney began his career as a trainee with Second Division club Fulham.{{Cite book |last=Haynes |first=Graham |title=Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 |last2=Coumbe |first2=Frank |publisher=Yore Publications |year=2006 |isbn=978-0955294914 |location=Harefield |page=99}} Aged just 17 years and 38 days, he made his professional debut in a league match versus Cardiff City on 6 November 1976 and became the-then second-youngest Fulham debutant. Out of favour at Fulham, Mahoney joined Fourth Division club Northampton Town on loan in October 1981 and made six league appearances without scoring.{{Hugman|12996|accessdate=25 June 2015}} Mahoney failed to break through to the first team at Craven Cottage was released in 1982. He made 69 appearances and scored 13 goals during six seasons as a first team player with the club.

= Brentford =

Mahoney joined Third Division club Brentford on a three-month trial in July 1982.{{Cite book |last=Croxford |first=Mark |title=The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties |last2=Lane |first2=David |last3=Waterman |first3=Greville |publisher=Legends Publishing |year=2011 |isbn=978-1906796716 |location=Sunbury, Middlesex |pages=341}} Partnering Francis Joseph up front, Mahoney had a good start to life at Griffin Park, scoring 15 goals in his first 28 appearances and signing a permanent contract,{{Cite book |title=100 Years Of Brentford |publisher=Brentford FC |year=1989 |isbn=0951526200 |editor-last=White |editor-first=Eric |page=397}} before suffering a fractured leg in an FA Cup second round replay versus Swindon Town in December. After recovering, he failed to show the same kind of form and was released at the end of the 1983–84 season. Mahoney made 58 appearances and scored 19 goals during his two years with Brentford.

= Crystal Palace =

Mahoney joined Second Division club Crystal Palace in June 1984. In a one-season stay at Selhurst Park, he made 24 appearances and scored five goals.{{Cite web |title=Tony Mahoney |url=http://www.holmesdale.net/page.php?id=111&player=462 |access-date=27 November 2014 |website=Holmesdale Online}}

= Non-League football =

Mahoney dropped into non-League football to sign for Isthmian League First Division club Grays Athletic in July 1985.{{Cite web |last=Jarvis |first=Glyn |title=My First XI: Grays Athletic, Glyn Jarvis |url=https://www.isthmian.co.uk/my-first-xi-grays-athletic-glyn-jarvis-65096 |access-date=3 October 2021 |website=The Pitching In Isthmian Football League |language=en}} He was part of the team which secured promotion to the Premier Division and won two cups during the 1987–88 season, with Mahoney's striker partnership with Micky Welch being regarded as the most-feared in non-League football.{{Cite web |title=A century and more for Grays |url=http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/search/782437.A_century_and_more_for_Grays/ |access-date=27 November 2014 |website=Gazette}} Mahoney transferred to Southern League Premier Division club Dartford in 1988 and then to Essex Senior League club Canvey Island in 1989.{{Cite web |title=Club Year – Clubs |url=http://www.non-leagueclubdirectory.co.uk/index.php/clubs/club-year/dartford-1988-1989 |access-date=27 November 2014 |website=The Non-League Club Directory}} He was a part of a golden era for Canvey Island, which saw the club rise from the Essex Senior League to the Isthmian League First Division with three promotions in three seasons.{{Fchd|id=CANVEYIS|name=Canvey Island F.C.}} Mahoney was also part of the Canvey Island team which went on a run to the first round proper of the 1995–96 FA Cup,{{Cite news |title=Gulls set sights on Seagulls |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/gulls-set-sights-on-seagulls-1581269.html |access-date=27 November 2014}} when they took Second Division club Brighton & Hove Albion to a replay before going out.{{Cite web |title=CIFC v Brighton (12/11/95) |url=http://www.canveyfc.com/1995/reports/brighton_h.htm |access-date=27 November 2014}}{{Cite web |title=CIFC v Brighton (21/11/95) |url=http://www.canveyfc.com/1995/reports/brighton_a.htm |access-date=27 November 2014}}

International career

Mahoney represented England Youth at international level.

Personal life

Mahoney married his wife Michele on Saturday 21 February 1981 in Grays and together with best man Kevin Lock,{{Cite web |title=Murder victim's mum: 'Killer should be locked up for life after latest armed robbery' |url=https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/17376571.murder-victim-tony-mahoneys-mother-condemns-canvey-robber-james-gubb/ |access-date=3 October 2021 |website=Echo |language=en}} he played for Fulham later that day.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3WRarPpFz8 |title=Fulham v Portsmouth Division 3 21st February 1981 |language=en |time=0:07 |access-date=3 October 2021}} Mahoney's son, Tony Jr, was fatally stabbed in September 1999.{{Cite web |title=Canvey: Murderer begins life sentence |url=http://www.thurrockgazette.co.uk/news/5509285.Canvey__Murderer_begins_life_sentence/ |access-date=27 November 2014 |publisher=Thurrock Gazette}}

Career statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|FA Cup ! colspan="2" \|League Cup ! colspan="2" \|Other ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals
rowspan="2" \|Brentford \|1982–83 \| rowspan="2" \|Third Division \|18 \|9 \|3 \|3 \|7 \|3 \| colspan="2" \|— \|28 \|15
1983–84 \|23 \|3 \|4 \|1 \|1 \|0 \|1Appearances in Football League Trophy \|0 \|29 \|4
colspan="3" \|Career total !41 !12 !7 !4 !8 !3 !1 !0 !57 !19

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! colspan="3" |League

! colspan="2" |FA Cup

! colspan="2" |League Cup

! colspan="2" |Other

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

!Apps

!Goals