Irish sportsman and Olympic official (1919?2006)
Kevin Patrick O'Flanagan
(10 June 1919 ? 26 May 2006) was an Irish sportsman, physician and sports administrator. An outstanding all-rounder, he represented his country at both soccer and
rugby union
. He was also a noted
sprinter
and
long jumper
and as a youth played
Gaelic football
. In his spare time he also played golf and tennis at a decent level. O'Flanagan played soccer for among others,
Bohemian
and
Arsenal
, and as an international he played for both Ireland teams ? the
FAI XI
and the
IFA XI
. O'Flanagan also played rugby union for
UCD
,
London Irish
and
Ireland
.
In 1946 he played rugby for
Ireland
against
France
and then played soccer for the
IFA XI
against
Scotland
seven days later.
[1]
His brother,
Mick O'Flanagan
, was also a notable sportsman and also represented Ireland at both soccer and rugby union. On 30 September 1946 both brothers played together for the
FAI XI
against
England
. A third brother, Charlie O'Flanagan, also played for Bohs.
O'Flanagan subsequently became an Olympic official and served on the
International Olympic Committee
from 1976 to 1994. On his retirement he was made an honorary lifetime member of IOC. He died in a Dublin hospital in 2006, at the age of 86, after being admitted for
heart
problems.
Sporting career
[
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]
Early years
[
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]
O'Flanagan attended
Synge Street CBS
,
[2]
Dublin
where the main sport was
Gaelic football
and he was subsequently included on the minor
Dublin county panel
. The panel also included
Johnny Carey
and together they also played soccer with
Home Farm
. When the
Gaelic Athletic Association
found out, O'Flanagan, but not Carey was dropped from the panel. He continued to play soccer and joined
Bohemian
, making his first team debut at 16. In the summer of 1937 he played for an
Ireland
junior team against a Birmingham FA XI at
West Bromwich
and scored twice in a 4?3 win. His performance resulted in offers from
Liverpool
,
Aston Villa
and
Manchester United
, but his parents insisted that he complete his education.
University years
[
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]
In 1937 O'Flanagan began studying medicine at
University College Dublin
and it was while there that he developed into an all-round sportsman. He continued to play soccer for
Bohemian
and on 7 November 1937, aged 18, he scored on his senior debut for
Ireland
against
Norway
, in a qualifier for the
1938 FIFA World Cup
. In 1945 he also captained Bohs as they won the
Dublin and Belfast Intercity Cup
, beating
Belfast Celtic
3?2 on aggregate in the final.
It was while at UCD that O'Flanagan first took up rugby union, playing for the
university team
, and in 1942 he received his first call up to the
Ireland
squad. O'Flanagan also emerged as a prominent
athlete
and was Irish long jump champion in 1939 and the 60 yards and 100 yards champion in 1941. In 1941 he tied with David Guiney for the long jump title, but with only one gold medal available, he insisted his rival accept it as he already had one. Only the
Second World War
prevented O'Flanagan representing Ireland at a third sport.
London years
[
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]
After qualifying as a doctor from
UCD
in 1945, O'Flanagan was offered a position as a junior
GP
in
Ruislip
,
Middlesex
. He maintained his interest in sport, however, playing soccer for
Arsenal
and rugby union for
London Irish
. Despite being good enough to play soccer as a professional, he remained an amateur so he could continue to play rugby union. In his debut season with Arsenal,
1945?46
, he scored 11 goals in 18
Football League South
appearances, finishing as the club's top scorer; he also played a further two games for Arsenal in the
FA Cup
in a two-legged tie against
West Ham United
that Arsenal lost 6?1 on aggregate.
During the
1946?47
season he made 14
First Division
appearances and scored 3 goals. He made his first-class league debut
[3]
against
Blackburn Rovers
on 4 September 1946. His last appearance for the Arsenal senior team came on 28 December 1946 against
Wolves
. He continued to play for
Arsenal Reserves
until 1948 and later played for both
Barnet
and
Brentford
before his increasing medical commitments and an ankle injury, forced him to retire as a sportsman in 1949. However O'Flanagan, who was now a specialist in sports medicine, had already embarked on his next career. A chance encounter with
FA
chairman
Stanley Rous
led to his appointment to the British Olympic Medical Commission and to him becoming team doctor for
Great Britain at the 1948 Summer Olympics
.
Irish international
[
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]
Soccer international
[
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]
When O'Flanagan began his international soccer career in 1937 there were, in effect, two Ireland teams, chosen by two rival associations. Both associations, the Northern Ireland ? based
IFA
and the
Irish Free State
? based
FAI
claimed jurisdiction over the whole of Ireland and selected players from the whole island. As a result, several notable Irish players from this era, including O'Flanagan, played for both teams.
Between 1937 and 1947 O'Flanagan made 10 appearances and scored 3 goals for the
FAI XI
. He won 7 of these caps while playing for
Bohemian
and made his international debut against
Norway
on 7 November 1937, in a qualifier for the
1938 FIFA World Cup
. O'Flanagan scored in the 3?3 draw. His teammates on the day included fellow debutant,
Johnny Carey
and
Jimmy Dunne
. The highlight of his international career came when he scored twice in a 2?2 away draw against
Hungary
on 18 May 1939. With Hungary 1?0 up at half-time, O'Flanagan turned the game around with two magnificent goals in the 52nd and 77th minutes. He scored the first with his left foot from twenty five yards and the second with his right foot from a similar distance. Only a very late goal denied the FAI XI victory.
In 1939 O'Flanagan also played twice for the
League of Ireland XI
, helping them to 2?1 victories against an
Irish League XI
and a
Scottish League XI
.
[4]
He won his last three caps for the FAI XI while at
Arsenal
. These included the game against
England
on 30 September 1946 when his teammates included his brother,
Mick O'Flanagan
. He made his final appearance for the FAI XI on 4 May 1947 in 2?0 defeat against
Portugal
. In 1946, while at
Arsenal
, O'Flanagan also played in two
Victory internationals
for the
IFA XI
. On 2 February at
Windsor Park
he played for the IFA XI in a 3?2 defeat to
Scotland
. Then on 4 May he helped the IFA XI defeat
Wales
1?0 at
Ninian Park
.
Rugby international
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]
In 1942, while playing for
UCD
, O'Flanagan played for an
Ireland XV
against a
British Army XV
at
Ravenhill
. In 1946, while with
London Irish
, he played on the wing in an unofficial international against
France
. In
1947
he won his only official cap in a Test against
Australia
, a 16?3 defeat at
Lansdowne Road
.
Sports administrator and doctor
[
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]
O'Flanagan returned to
Dublin
in the 1950s and established a successful practice at Upper Fitzwilliam Street. He briefly revived his soccer career with
Bohemian
and remained involved in sport throughout the rest of his life. During subsequent decades he served on numerous bodies and held various positions in the areas of sports and medicine. These include:
|
- President of the Irish Sports Medicine Association:
- Chairman of the Irish National Rehabilitation Board
- President of World Congress for Rehabilitation: 1969
- Council of People for the Handicapped, USA.
- Chief Medical Officer of Athletic Association of Ireland
- Chief Medical Officer at
Bohemian
:196x-197x
- Chief Medical Officer of Irish Olympic Team: 1960?1976
|
Honours
[
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]
Soccer Player
Bohemians
References
[
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]
- Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.).
Arsenal Who's Who
. Independent UK Sports.
ISBN
1-899429-03-4
.
- Cole, Rob (19 June 2006).
"Obituary: Kevin O'Flanagan"
.
The Independent
. Retrieved
9 February
2014
.
- Cotton, Fran (Ed.) (1984)
The Book of Rugby Disasters & Bizarre Records
(Compiled by Chris Rhys. London. Century Publishing.
ISBN
0-7126-0911-3
)
- The Boys in Green ? The FAI International Story
(1997): Sean Ryan
- Soccer at War ? 1939 ? 45
(2005): Jack Rollin
External links
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]