Ken O'Rourke
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kenneth O'Rourke[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 8 December 1949[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Lambeth, London, England[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Leyton Orient | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1967–1968 | Arsenal | 0 | (0) |
| 1968 | Colchester United | 1 | (0) |
| Bedford Town | |||
| Metropolitan Police | |||
| Total | 1 | (0) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kenneth O'Rourke (born 8 December 1949) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League as a forward for Colchester United.
Career[edit]
Born in Lambeth, London, O'Rourke showed great promise as an apprentice at Leyton Orient, leading to Arsenal signing him at the age of 17 in February 1967. Failing to make a first-team appearance for the Gunners, he was released by the club at the end of the 1967–68 season after scoring 12 goals in 42 youth games, joining Ipswich Town on a two-month trial. He again failed to make the grade at Ipswich, joining neighbours Colchester United on a similar trial period in October 1968.[2]
Whilst with Colchester, O'Rourke made his first and only Football League appearance[3] in a 2–0 Fourth Division defeat to Swansea City at Vetch Field on 23 November 1968.[4] He also made one other appearance for the U's in the FA Cup, a 5–0 thrashing of Chesham United in the first round one week prior to his league debut.[5]
O'Rourke was released at the end of his trial period, joining Bedford Town and later the Metropolitan Police for several years after becoming a police officer, playing in the Southern League.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Colchester United – Player profile". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ a b c Whitehead, Jeff; Drury, Kevin (2008). The Who's Who of Colchester United: The Layer Road Years. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 185. ISBN 978-1-85983-629-3.
- ^ "COLCHESTER UNITED:1950/51–1989/90 & 1992/93–2011/12". Post War English & Scottish Football League A – Z Player's Database. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ "Colchester United – Match details – Swansea City 2–0 Colchester Utd". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ "Colchester United – Match details – Colchester Utd 5–0 Chesham United". Coludata.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- 1949 births
- Living people
- Footballers from the London Borough of Lambeth
- People from Lambeth
- English men's footballers
- Men's association football forwards
- Leyton Orient F.C. players
- Arsenal F.C. players
- Colchester United F.C. players
- Bedford Town F.C. players
- Metropolitan Police F.C. players
- English Football League players
- Southern Football League players