Dave O'Callaghan

*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.

Dave O'Callaghan

Appearances: 64 Goals: 17

Date / Year of birth: 20th June 1932

Position: Winger

Season of first appearance: 1951/52

Season of last appearance: 1959/60

Also played for: Fulham (0), Ramsgate Athletic, Snowdown Colliery Welfare and Deal Town

Long-serving diminutive left-sided player who started his career with spells at Fulham and then Ramsgate before joining Margate in April 1952.

Dave made his debut in a 3-2 win over Folkestone in a Kent League game at Hartsdown Park on 14.4.52 and played twice more for the first team before the end of the 1951/52 season.

Dave missed the early part of the 1952/53 campaign as he was completing his National Service but when he returned to the club in late September 1952 he quickly made up for lost time. He was one of Margate's outstanding players during the 1952/53 season, making 22 first team appearances and scoring five times. Dave also scored 11 goals for the reserves. His performances caught the attention of Football League scouts during the campaign and on 9.5.53 Dave was part of the side that drew 1-1 with visitors Folkestone to share the Kent Senior Shield. In its end of season round up the Isle of Thanet Gazette said that he'd "played some wonderful games on the left wing and should be a Margate star next season".

However the 1953/54 campaign wasn't such a successful one for Dave and he only played twice for the first team although he did score 18 goals for the reserves. At the end of the season he was transfer-listed and in May 1954 he signed for Snowdown.

After a season with Snowdown Dave returned to Hartsdown in June 1955 and manager Almer Hall told the local press "Dave has capabilities but he could not synchronise them when he was here before. Now he is more level-headed and should be an asset on the wing."

Dave spent the majority of the first half of 1955/56 in the reserves, making only three first team appearances prior to Christmas. In one of those games - a 2-1 defeat at Snowdown in October 1955 - Dave played the last 20 minutes in goal after Peter Peters was stretchered off and he didn't concede a goal. Dave then made the left wing berth his own from February 1956 to the end of the season and finished the campaign having scored six times in 18 appearances.

Dave spent most of the 1956/57 season back in the reserves and didn't feature in the first team until 24.11.56 when he scored in a 5-2 home win over Gillingham Reserves in the Kent League. Dave then played in a 4-0 defeat at Millwall in the FA Cup 2nd Round on 8.12.56 and made four more senior appearances in the weeks that followed without adding to his goal tally before returning to the reserves for the remainder of the campaign in January 1957.

Dave also spent the vast majority of the 1957/58 season in the reserves and played an entire game in goal for them against Chatham Reserves at Hartsdown on 15.2.58. Despite his small stature Dave managed to keep a clean sheet as Margate won 6-0. He scored 11 goals for the reserves but his first team appearances were again very limited and he played only five games during the season.

During the 1958/59 campaign Dave continued to be principally thought of as a reserve team player and again his first team opportunities were limited. He didn't appear until February but then featured fairly regularly in the side during the closing months of the season. In total Dave played seven first team games and he managed to score five times, including two in a 4-3 win over Tunbridge Wells. He also scored in the Kent League Cup Final on 7.5.59 as Margate went down 3-2 to Sittingbourne.

However he found himself back in the reserves for almost the whole of the 1959/60 season, playing only once for the first team, and had totalled around 250 reserve team games when he was released by the club in the summer of 1960.

Dave joined Deal for the 1960/61 campaign and played for their first team in the Aetolian League. He was still with the club during the 1963/64 season but by then he was playing almost exclusively for their reserve side in the Metropolitan League.

During his time with Margate Dave also played cricket for Margate CC.

In later years he ran 'The Vine' public house in Tenterden with his wife Sheila before returning to Thanet.

After many years living back in Margate Dave died on 8.12.11 aged 79 following a lengthy battle with cancer.

His father Eugene 'Taffy' O'Callaghan was a full Welsh international during the late 1920's and early 1930's who made over 250 appearances for Tottenham before joining Leicester in March 1935.

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

               

FAC

KSC

KLC

KSS

 

1951/52 (MFC)

3 (38)

N/A

0

KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (4TH OF 17)

1QR

2R

1R

N/A

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

              

FAC

KSC

KLC

KSS

 

1952/53 (MFC)

22 (43)

N/A

5

KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (11TH OF 17)

PR

2R

RU

JW

 

     Played in Kent Senior Shield Final (09.05.53 - drew 1-1 with Folkestone to share trophy).
     Played in Kent League Cup Final (06.05.53 - lost 2-0 to Tunbridge Wells).

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

              

FAC

KSC

KLC

KSS

 

1953/54 (MFC)

2 (40)

N/A

0

KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (2ND OF 16)

2QR

1R

W

1R

 

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

             

FAC

KSC

KLC

KSS

 

1955/56 (MFC)

18 (45)

N/A

6

KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (2ND OF 17)

1R

1R

RU

1R
     Played in Kent League Cup Final (10.05.56 - lost 2-1 to Gillingham Reserves).

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

      

FAC

KSC

KLC

KSS

 

1956/57 (MFC)

6 (47)

N/A

1

KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (8TH OF 17)

2R

1R

SF

SF

 

     Played in FA Cup 2nd Round (08.12.56 - lost 4-0 at Millwall).

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

  

FAC

KSC

KLC

KSS

 

1957/58 (MFC)

5 (48)

N/A

0

KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (2ND OF 18)

1R

SF

RU

SF

 

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

 

FAC

KSC

KLC

KSS

TMC

1958/59 (MFC)

7 (51)

N/A

5

KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (5TH OF 18)

1R

3R

RU

1R

GR

     Played and scored in Kent League Cup Final (07.05.59 - lost 3-2 to Sittingbourne).

SEASON (CLUB)

FULL (MAX)

SUB

GLS

 

FAC

SLC

KSC

KSS

 

1959/60 (MFC)

1 (58)

N/A

0

SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (7TH OF 22)

2R

1R

RU

SF