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Player, coach and caretaker manager

Fullname: Francis Connor
aka: Frank Connor
Born: 13 February 1936
Birthplace: Blantyre, South Lanarkshire
Height: 5ft 8"
Signed (as player): 4 Jan 1960 (trial); 19 Mar 1960 (full)
Left (as player): 1 May 1962 (free); Portadown (May 1962)
Position: Goalkeeper
Debut: Partick Thistle 2-3 Celtic, League Cup, 12 Aug 1961
Internationals: none
Coach: 17 Sep 1977 - 6 Nov 1980
Coach-Assistant Manager: 4 July 1983 - 2 Feb 1986 (dismissed)
Coach (3rd spell): 10 June 1993 - [...]
Caretaker Manager: 8-26 Oct 1993

Biog - As a Player

Blantyre-born Frank Connor is best remembered as a Celtic coach but his career with the Bhoys started as a goalkeeper.

After making a name for himself at junior level he signed for the Hoops in March 1960 after several trials at senior clubs.

His first team debut came in a 3-2 League Cup victory at Partick Thistle in August 1961 but at only 5ft 8" Connor was regarded as being just too small to be a top keeper.

He made a total of 8 appearances for Celtic – mostly in the League Cup – before moving to Portadown in May 1962. His whole playing time at Celtic was during the dim days of the long barren years where Celtic achieved next to nothing with no trophies from 1958 until 1964 (inc).

He later enjoyed a successful spell at Derry City, before playing for Portadown. Later he returned to Scotland as player/coach for Albion Rovers & as player/manager for Cowdenbeath.

As Coach

After managing Cowdenbeath Frank went on to play a prominent coaching role at Celtic during three spells with the club between the late 1970s and the early 1990s. He is said to have had a good role in the development of Charlie Nicholas, Pat Bonner, Halpin, and Peter Mackie.

Mark Reid said of him that he was "one of the best motivators of young players there is".

He was asked to leave by Davie Hay after consultation with the Board on 2nd February 1986, Hay apparently making the decision that Frank's role was superfluous. David Hay, with the Board's approval had sacked Frank Connor who had been his assistant and first team coach since his arrival. Hay felt that there was little coming from Frank's involvement with the first team and from 2nd February 1986 Hay had run the first team by himself. This presented a few problems. As Tom Campbell and Pat Woods noted in "Dreams, and Songs to Sing", Danny McGrain pointed out that a knee injury prevented Hay from personally conducting and taking a full part in training sessions. It therefore seems odd that Hay fired Frank Connor.

Frank went to manage Raith Rovers until he came back to Celtic in 1990.

He was brought back to the club in the 93/94 season by Liam Brady as part of the package from Hearts when Joe Jordan, then manager of Hearts with Frank as his first team coach, was recruited as Brady's Assistant Manager. He was credited as being a great motivator for young players, and in the dark years of the early 90's that was a very important talent to have.

As Caretaker Manager

Frank Connor was in charge for 2 league matches (one victory, one draw) and a European tie first leg (won 1-0 v Sporting Lisbon) in the interval between Liam Brady and Joe Jordan's departure and Lou Macari's appointment, and he also picked the team to face Rangers (a 2-1 victory) three days after Macari's arrival. So Connor can claim to have an unbeaten record in charge of the team. Unbeaten at home, in Europe and against the Huns! We all dream of having such a record as Celtic manager.

However, that summary simply understates his performance in the short time he was in charge. The first team was a bit of a laughing stock, and Liam Brady had ended his time leaving behind a mess which few if any would surely want to take over. Frank Connor rallied the players together and was the inspiration for a short spell which was a purple patch amongst most of the gloom of that era in the early 90s. In his short time he managed to remain unbeaten domestically in the league and (at the time unfathomable to our critics) he coached us to win a game against good European opposition.

The game against Rangers (Lou Macari's first as manager) was really Frank Connor's last as caretaker manager, and a wonderful victory against the Dark Side was a great way to cap off his short reign. There was some good football too! A well deserved mark for his efforts.

The players are said to have wanted him to become the new manager, and Peter Grant stated this wonderfully:

"We would say 'Give him the job now.' We all regard him as the boss, and treat him as such. He would make you play during the night for him. Frank has kicked a few backsides around here and we will give our blood, sweat and tears for him."

However, he was likely not the right choice for the full manager's job but better as a coach. He didn't have the management experience from a large club or a big name to buffet him in case things were to change negatively. He took on his next role returning assistant manager with no ails. As he later said:

"Deep down I didn't think I'd ever get the job. Sometimes I think 'what if?' but I'm not bitter about anything."

Despite that, many of the fans who were there through that time will always wish him well for the effort he put in during that difficult period of transition. Sadly, things went back to normal and even got worse under the next incumbent (Lou Macari), but Frank Connor's brief spell helped to put a smile back on our faces for a wee while at least. We'll always respect him for that.

Frank Connor's Record as Caretaker Manager

OCT
9th	Premier Division	Celtic	2	1	Dundee	Report	Pictures
16th	Premier Division	Hibernian	1	1	Celtic	Report	Pictures
20th	UEFA Cup	Celtic	1	0	Sporting Lisbon	Report	Pictures	1st Leg
30th	Premier Division	Rangers	1	2	Celtic	Report	Pictures

Managerial Record (as caretaker)

W3 D1 L0 F6 A3

Quotes

"We would say 'Give him the job now.' We all regard him as the boss, and treat him as such. He would make you play during the night for him. Frank has kicked a few backsides around here and we will give our blood, sweat and tears for him."
Peter Grant (19 Oct 1993)

"According to Mark McGhee, Frank is no stranger to what Kevin McCarra [journalist] calls gnomic utterances; 'We allow laughing and joking but we'll have no joviality'."
From "An Alphabet of the Celts"

"If anyone is looking for an ugly wee man who shouts more than anyone else in Scottish football, I'm there for them."
Frank Connor

Playing Career

Honours with Celtic as a player

none

Pictures

• Player Pics

Neil Lennon would be fired up if Celtic don't choose him as boss, says Frank Connor

Daily Record

May 23 2010 Gavin Berry, Sunday Mail

FRANK CONNOR restored the battered pride of Celtic's dressing-room back in 1993 - only to be overlooked when the Hoops named their new boss.

However, the 74-year-old insists he will always cherish his four weeks at the helm.

And the former Parkhead coach reckons interim gaffer Neil Lennon will feel exactly the same if he misses out on the top job.

Connor helped repair the damage of the Liam Brady era with an unbeaten run that included a 2-1 Old Firm win at Ibrox.

Lou Macari was in the dugout that day after being named gaffer but Connor picked the team and was credited with the victory.

Lennon has also been forced to pick up the pieces after Tony Mowbray's ill-fated reign.

And the players are backing the Irishman for the job after he won eight SPL games on the spin.

Connor knows how much it will hurt Lennon if Celtic opt for a more experienced manager.

But he's sure the 38-year-old would recover and look back on his brief spell as boss with pride.

Connor said: "If Neil doesn't get the job it will spur him on. Being overlooked would give him fire in his belly to bounce back.

"I was manager of Celtic for just four weeks but it was magnificent.

"So, whatever happens, Neil can look back on his time in charge and cherish it forever.

"If Neil doesn't get the job he might be a bit sore and that's only natural. But he can look back with pride on his time in charge - apart from the Ross County blip.

"I took over at Celtic in similar circumstances. But I had been at Parkhead for a long time and had held a lot of positions.

"Neil had to take the chance when it came to him. And if the club are going to go for a younger manager then he's entitled to the job.

"He would need to get a good assistant who has been through the mill and still has the desire - like Craig Brown and Archie Knox at Motherwell.

"Mowbray was relatively inexperienced and look at what happened to him. What people forget about the Old Firm is they are massive jobs.

"Look at the players who were good elsewhere but failed at both clubs. They just couldn't handle it.

"I can't understand the time it has taken Celtic to appoint a boss.

"I'd love to tell you what I think they will do but they're impossible to second guess these days."

Connor isn't bitter at losing out to Macari for the Celtic job but does have one big regret.

He said: "I didn't get the chance to manage the team in the UEFA Cup against Sporting Lisbon.

"Lou was in charge by then and we lost 2-0 in Portugal to crash out 2-1 on aggregate.

"I had enough experience to be manager of Celtic. I had been brought up under Jock Stein.

"I had a good apprenticeship and knew what was right and wrong.

People have said I was too hard on myself and I suppose looking back I could have kept the job until the end of the season.

"But Celtic needed a big name at the top. A massive club needs someone with charisma.

"Tam McAdam was reserve coach at the time and joined me in taking the first team. We beat Dundee 2-1 in our first match but lost a goal early in that game.

"I turned to Tam and said: 'I hope you're wearing a bullet-proof vest'.

"Deep down I didn't think I'd ever get the job. Sometimes I think 'what if?' but I'm not bitter about anything."

Frank Connor leaving to be manager of Berwick Rangers.