David Connor (footballer)
Richard David "Dave" Connor ( born October 27, 1945 in Wythenshawe ) is a former English footballer. As a versatile defensive midfielder and he won in 1968 with Manchester City, the English championship, but he could despite his nearly ten years with the club permanently never recommend it as a regular player.
Sports career
Born in Wythenshawe, near Manchester in 1945 as a left winger Connor was part of the successful youth team of Manchester City at the beginning of the 1960s. In this position 1964/65 debuted the " left-footed " to kick off the season against Charlton Athletic (1-2) in the first team, which was active at this time in the second-rate Second Division. This season, Connor came to a total of 24 league operations, said he dodged more on the right wing towards the end. This reach him three goals, including a goal for 4-3 victory against his employer later Preston North End. As for the following 1965/66 season with Joe Mercer and his assistant Malcolm Allison came a new management team of the " Citizens " Connor was initially more a fixture in the team, however, took it increasingly the role as a backup player, the various vacant positions to take had. Thus he never took his leave lasting than a regular player and after the rise in 1966, his sporting prospects deteriorated gradually.
As Manchester City won the English championship in 1968, Connor contributed to the success of thirteen League operations and a goal. He took more and more often defensive duties and acted in this regard as a pure " man-marker ". In this role he was particularly positive in the FA Cup semi-final in 1969 against Everton on, in which he neutralized Alan Ball and helped to feed a 1-0 reach the final - there he sat in the 1-0 win over Leicester City only on the bench. Nor was he in the two subsequent Final success in 1970 in the European Cup Winners' Cup (2:1 2:1 represented against Gornik Zabrze and League Cup ( against West Bromwich Albion ), and after just 29 league operations in two and a half years from the season 1969/70 he moved together with Neil Young in late January 1972 second division club Preston North end. His last competitive game for Manchester City he had more than three months earlier denied in October 1971 as a left-back against Everton (1-0 ).
Connor graduated 29 championship matches for " PNE ", before he returned to Manchester City during the 1974/75 season. There, however, he came only in the reserve team for the course before he let expire the active professional career. Then moved Connor to coaching specialist, where he worked in the amateur Macclesfield Town. The various injuries during the professional career, he later had to pay tribute to him as artificial hip joints were used on both sides.
Title / Awards
- English Championship ( 1): 1968