Linda Gorman Explained

Linda Gorman
Birth Date:1953 11, df=yes[1]
Birth Place:Dublin, Ireland
Position:Defender
Clubs1:Civil Defence
Clubs2:Avengers
Clubs3:Suffragettes
Clubs4:Tolka Rovers
Clubs5:Belvedere
Clubs6:Elm Rovers
Nationalyears1:1973–1985
Nationalteam1:Ireland
Manageryears1:1991–1992
Managerclubs1:Ireland

Linda Gorman (born 17 November 1953) is an Irish football coach and former player, who managed the Republic of Ireland women's national football team from 1991 until 1992.

As a player she was a tenacious full-back. After watching Ireland's 1–0 1987 European Competition for Women's Football qualifying win over Northern Ireland at Glenmalure Park on 5 May 1985, Con Houlihan praised Gorman in his Evening Press column:[2]

Gorman grew up in Ballygall. She represented several Dublin teams at club level, and made her debut as a player for Ireland in 1973. She won over 20 caps and from retired from international football as captain and Ireland's record cap holder in 1985.[3]

In 1991 she succeeded Fran Rooney to become the first female head coach of the senior Republic of Ireland women's national football team. She left the position a year later, unhappy at poor standards at the Ladies Football Association of Ireland (LFAI) and was replaced by Mick Cooke.

Liam Tuohy approached Gorman to start a women and girls' section at Home Farm. She later moved into coaching the club's boys' teams with great success. In November 2022 Gorman was inducted to the Football Association of Ireland Hall of Fame.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Linda Gorman . . 3 May 2022.
  2. News: Houlihan . Con . Con Houlihan . Fair lassies all striving and swinging in the rain . . 6 May 1985. 16.
  3. News: Fennessy . Paul . How Ireland’s first-ever female manager thrived in spite of everything . 3 May 2022 . The42.ie . . 2 May 2022.
  4. News: Locke . Cian . Shay Given and Linda Gorman inducted into FAI Hall of Fame . 3 December 2022 . . 23 November 2022.