Billy McConnell (field hockey)

Billy McConnell (born 19 April 1956) is a former field hockey player from Northern Ireland who represented both Ireland and Great Britain at international level. He represented Great Britain at the 1984 Summer Olympics when they won the bronze medal. He also represented Ireland at the 1990 Men's Hockey World Cup.

Billy McConnell
Personal information
Full name William David Robert McConnell
Born (1956-04-19) 19 April 1956
Newry, County Down
Northern Ireland
Height 177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 73 kg (161 lb)
Playing position Defender
Senior career
Years Team
19xx–19xx Newry Olympic
198x–198x Belfast YMCA
19xx–19xx → Ulster
19xx–199x Holywood 87
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979–199x Ireland
198x–198x Great Britain
Teams coached
2007–2010 Pegasus
201x–201x Queen's University
Medal record
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1984 Los AngelesTeam
Champions Trophy
Silver medal – second place 1985 PerthTeam
Bronze medal – third place 1984 KarachiTeam
Representing  Ireland
EuroHockey Junior Championship
Silver medal – second place 1978 DublinTeam

Domestic teams

McConnell played club field hockey for Newry Olympic,[1] Belfast YMCA[2] and Holywood 87.[3]

International

Ireland

McConnell was a member of the Ireland team that were silver medallists at the 1978 EuroHockey Junior Championship. Other members of the team included Martin Sloan, Jimmy Kirkwood and Stephen Martin.[4] He made his senior Ireland debut in 1979 against the Netherlands.[5] He subsequently represented Ireland at the 1990 Men's Hockey World Cup.[6] In 2010 he was inducted into the Irish Hockey Association Hall of Fame.[5][7][8]

Great Britain

McConnell represented Great Britain at the 1984 Summer Olympics.[2] McConnell also represented Great Britain in Champions Trophy tournaments, winning a bronze medal in 1984 and a silver in 1985.[9][10]

Tournaments Place Team
1978 EuroHockey Junior Championship[4] 2nd place, silver medalist(s) Ireland
1984 Summer Olympics[2]3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Great Britain
1984 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy[9]3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Great Britain
1985 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy[10]2nd place, silver medalist(s) Great Britain
1986 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy[11]4th Great Britain
1987 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy[12]4th Great Britain
1989 Intercontinental Cup[13] Ireland
1990 Men's Hockey World Cup[6]12th Ireland

Later years

Between 2007 and 2010 McConnell coached Pegasus. At the time, the Pegasus squad included his daughter, Kate McConnell.[14][15][16] Kate was an Ireland women's field hockey international and in 2010–11 was a member of the Pegasus team that won a Women's Irish Hockey League/Irish Senior Cup. She also captained Pegasus.[16][17][18] Billy McConnell has also coached at Queen's University.[19]

References
  1. "Testing times in history of Newry". newsletter.co.uk. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  2. "Billy McConnell". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  3. "RUC to make historic journey for Junior Cup tie". The Irish Times. 12 January 1996. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  4. "Oral History Interview: Stephen (Sam) Martin". hockeymuseum.net. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  5. "Hall of Fame Inductees". irishhockey.newsweaver.ie. 30 May 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  6. "Flying with drunken angels, riot police, dodgy curry, potent 7-Up and spotless trainers as Irish play a lament in Lahore". hookhockey.com. 3 August 2016. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. "Leinster stars feature heavily on Awards night". hookhockey.com. 30 May 2010. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. "Battle for Senior Cup hots up". The Irish Times. 23 April 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  9. "Netherlands v Great Britain". tms.fih.ch. 14 December 1984. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  10. "Great Britain v India". tms.fih.ch. 24 November 1985. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  11. "India v Great Britain". tms.fih.ch. 10 April 1986. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  12. "Champions Trophy". sikhsinhockey.com. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  13. "Men's Hockey road to Rio outlined". olympics.ie. 20 December 2013. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  14. "The symmetry of success". newsletter.co.uk. 29 May 2008. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  15. "Women's Hockey: Pegasus put title bubbly on ice". Belfast Telegraph. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  16. "Kate takes over as the new Pegasus captain". Belfast Telegraph. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  17. "McConnell returns, Clarke in line for 100". hookhockey.com. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  18. "Beaney bashes Pegasus to All-Ireland double". hookhockey.com. 1 May 2011. Archived from the original on 28 May 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  19. "Summer Transfers 2018 Premier League Men". ulsterhockey.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
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