Alfie Conn Jr.

For other people with the same name, see Alfie Conn (disambiguation).

Alfie Conn
Personal information
Full name Alfred James Conn[1]
Date of birth (1952-04-05) 5 April 1952 (age 72)
Place of birth Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1968–1974 Rangers 93 (23)
1974–1977 Tottenham Hotspur 38 (6)
1977–1979 Celtic 32 (7)
1979 Derby County 0 (0)
1979 Hércules CF ? (?)
1979–1980 Pittsburgh Spirit 21 (15)
1980 San Jose Earthquakes 2 (0)
1980 Hartford Hellions ? (?)
1980 Hearts 17 (3)
1981 Blackpool 3 (0)
1981–1984 Motherwell 27 (3)
Total 233 (57)
International career
1975 Scotland 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alfred James Conn (born 5 April 1952) is a Scottish former professional footballer, who was the first post-World War II player to play for both Old Firm rivals Rangers and Celtic.

Background

Conn is the son of the footballer Alfie Conn Sr., who was one of the 'Terrible Trio' of Heart of Midlothian in the 1950s.

Career

Rangers

Conn made his senior debut for Rangers against Dundalk in the Fairs Cup tournament in November 1968.[3] He was part of the Rangers team which lifted the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972 and also helped the Ibrox team win the Scottish Cup in 1973, scoring their second goal in a 3–2 final victory over Celtic at Hampden Park.

Tottenham Hotspur

He played for Tottenham Hotspur football club from 1974 to 1977. He was the last player to be signed by their manager Bill Nicholson. Despite playing only 35 games and scoring six goals, he was a huge fan favourite, dubbed the "King of White Hart Lane" after scoring a hat-trick on his debut in a 5–2 win at Newcastle. In the final game of the 1974–75 season at White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur had to beat Leeds United to prevent relegation from the First Division. Conn scored a goal, set up two others and even sat on the ball in a 4–2 victory.[4]

When at Spurs he made two appearances for the Scotland national football team at the end of the season in 1975.

Celtic

He later, in 1977, won another Scottish Cup medal with Celtic when they defeated Rangers 1–0 in the final.[5][6]

Heart of Midlothian

Conn Jr. followed in his father's footsteps by signing for the Tynecastle club in 1980, following a short spell playing indoor football in the United States with Pittsburgh Spirit.[7]

Blackpool and Motherwell

Conn wound down his career with short spells at Blackpool and Motherwell before retiring in 1983.[6]

Legacy

On 5 February 2007 Conn was included in the Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Alfie Conn Jr". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Alfie Conn Jr". motherwellnet.com. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Games Involving Conn, Alfie in season 1968/1969". FitbaStats. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Alife Conn – Tottenham Hotspur". Sporting Heroes. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  5. ^ "The Bhoy in the Picture – Alfie Conn". The Celtic Underground. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  6. ^ a b "History – Alfie Conn". Rangers FC. Archived from the original on 31 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  7. ^ Smith, Aidan (30 January 2015). "Interview: Alfie Conn on crossing Old Firm divide". The Scotsman. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  8. ^ "Hall of Fame". Rangers FC. Retrieved 31 January 2015.