Paul Flood Explained

Paul Flood
Fullname:Paul Anthony Flood
Birth Date:29 June 1948
Birth Place:Dublin, Ireland
Position:Forward
Youthyears1:1964–1965
Youthclubs1:Coventry City
Years1:1965–196?
Goals1:1
Years2:196?–1967
Goals2:9
Years3:1967–1971
Caps3:35
Goals3:7
Years4:1971–197?
Clubs4:Tonbridge
Clubs5:Eastbourne United
Years6:1976–1977
Clubs6:Horsham
Clubs7:Southwick
Clubs8:Worthing
Years9:1983–1984
Clubs9:Horsham
Clubs10:Peacehaven & Telscombe
Nationalyears1:1967
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0

Paul Anthony Flood (born 29 June 1948) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a forward in the English Football League for Brighton & Hove Albion. He was capped by his country at schoolboy, youth and amateur level, appeared in the League of Ireland for Drogheda and Bohemians, and later played non-league football in the Sussex area.

Life and career

Flood was born in Dublin in 1948. He represented his country at schoolboy and youth level, and spent time with English club Coventry City as a youngster.[1] When he returned to Ireland, still only 16, he played and scored for Drogheda in the 1964–65 League of Ireland season,[2] and then moved on to Bohemians. To add to his nine League of Ireland goals in 1966–67,[2] he scored the winning goal in that season's Leinster Senior Cup final,[3] and his performances were rewarded with selection for the Republic of Ireland amateur team for a friendly against England in March 1967.[4]

The 18-year-old Flood returned to England in June 1967 and signed for Brighton & Hove Albion of the Football League Third Division. He never established himself as a first-team regular, contributing eight goals from 39 competitive appearances over four seasons. In 1971, he left the club for Tonbridge of the Southern League: he scored 28 goals from 246 appearances, during which he played in defence and midfield as well as his original forward position, and was a member of the team that won the 1974–75 Kent Senior Cup.[5] He then played for Sussex-based non-league clubs including Eastbourne United, Horsham (two spells[6]), Southwick, Worthinghelping the sixth-tier Isthmian League side reach the second round of the 1982–83 FA Cup[7] and Peacehaven & Telscombe.[8] He worked in insurance.[9]

Notes and References

  1. News: City's youth side show way with cup win at Villa . Coventry Evening Telegraph . 8 December 1964 . 14.
    News: City waste chances to clinch Youth Cup win . Nemo . Coventry Evening Telegraph . 8 January 1965 . 28.
  2. Book: The Book of Irish Goalscorers . Seán . Ryan . Stephen . Burke . Irish Soccer Co-op . 1987 . 224, 226 . B004OJMQMI . Historical-Lineups.com.
  3. Bohemian F.C. Match programme. Vol. 52, no. 17.
  4. Book: Forgotten Glories. British Amateur International Football 1901–1974 . Brian . McColl . Douglas . Gorman . George . Campbell . 2017 . 2nd . Scottish Football Historical Archive . 237 . 978-1-326-35601-9 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170728161609/http://www.scottish-football-historical-archive.co.uk/Forgotten%20Glories.pdf . 28 July 2017.
  5. Web site: Up There Cazaly! . Ernest Wilkinson . 1 . 3–4.
  6. Web site: 1976/77 . none. and Web site: 1983/84 Fixtures & results . Horsham F.C. . 20 September 2018.
  7. News: Worthing FC set to honour Steve Piper and their best ever team . Brian . Owen . The Argus . Brighton . 16 February 2018 . 20 September 2018.
  8. Web site: Player search . English National Football Archive . 20 September 2018.
  9. Book: Tim . Carder . Roger . Harris . Albion A–Z: A Who's Who of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. . Goldstone Books . Hove . 1997 . 85–86 . 978-0-9521337-1-1.