Tommy Coakley
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Coakley[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 May 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Bellshill, Scotland | ||
| Position | Right winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Possilpark Juniors | |||
| –1963 | Bellshill Athletic | ||
| 1963–1966 | Motherwell | 22 | (1) |
| 1966–1967 | Arsenal | 9 | (1) |
| 1968 | Detroit Cougars | 20 | (0) |
| 1968–1970 | Greenock Morton | 44 | (8) |
| 1970–1976 | Chelmsford City | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1976–1983 | Maldon Town | ||
| 1983–1986 | Bishop's Stortford | ||
| 1986–1988 | Walsall | ||
| Blakenall | |||
| Telford United | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Thomas Coakley (born 21 May 1947) is a Scottish former football player and coach. Coakley, who played as a right winger, made 95 league appearances in a professional career which saw him play in Scotland, England, and the United States. After retiring as a player, Coakley became a football coach.
Born in Bellshill, Coakley began his career with local side Possilpark Juniors, later moving to Bellshill Athletic, before making his debut in the Scottish Football League with Motherwell.
Coakley later played in the Football League for Arsenal,.[2] Following the departure of Alan Skirton, Coakley became a mainstay of the Arsenal first team for the start of the 1966–67 season when he made 13 consecutive starts under new manager Bertie Mee. On 8 October 1966. Coakley made his final appearance in an Arsenal shirt in a 2–0 victory over Newcastle United at Highbury.[3] Coakley subsequently moved to the United States, to play in the North American Soccer League for the Detroit Cougars,[4] before returning to Scotland to play with Greenock Morton. In total, Coakley made 95 league appearances for Morton, scoring 10 goals.[5]
In 1970, Coakley signed for Chelmsford City, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 Southern League Cup win against Hereford United on 2 December 1970. In the 1971–72 season, Coakley made 45 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals, as Chelmsford won the Southern League and Non-League Champions Cup double. Coakley retired in 1976, having scored 20 goals in 276 appearances in all competitions for Chelmsford.[6]