*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.
Mike Flanagan
Appearances: 15 Goals: 4
Date / Year of birth: 9th November 1952
Position: Midfielder / Striker
Season of first appearance: 1990/91
Season of last appearance: 1990/91
Also played for: Tottenham Hotspur (0), Charlton Athletic (378+18,120), New England Tea Men (USA), Crystal Palace (64,13), Queens Park Rangers (86+7,22), Cambridge United (10+2,3), Grays Athletic, Billericay Town, Gillingham (0) and Hornchurch
5' 10" tall England Youth and 'B' international born in Ilford. Mike started his career at Tottenham as a junior and then joined Charlton on a free transfer in August 1971. He became a hugely popular and influential player for the Addicks, winning the club's 'Player of the Year' award for 1976/77 when he was ever-present and scored a career best total of 23 goals to make him the club's leading scorer. In the summer of 1978 Mike was loaned to American club New England Tea Men where he scored 30 goals in only 28 games and he won the North American Soccer League's 'Most Valuable Player' award for the season.
On 9.1.79 Mike was famously sent off along with team-mate Derek Hales after the pair exchanged blows during an FA Cup tie against Maidstone. Charlton exonerated Mike but sacked Hales before being forced to reinstate him. Hales' return was the beginning of the end for Mike at Charlton and after making 254 appearances and scoring 85 goals he joined Crystal Palace for £650,000 in August 1979.
Mike made 64 appearances for the Eagles and scored 13 goals before Queens Park Rangers paid £150,000 for his services in December 1980.
In May 1982 Mike played for QPR in the FA Cup Final against Spurs and its subsequent replay and in total he made 93 appearances for the club (seven as sub) and scored 22 goals before rejoining Charlton for £50,000 in January 1984.
Mike went on to take his total career appearances for Charlton to 396 (18 as sub) and his 120 goals placed him third in the club's all-time goalscorers list before he joined Cambridge United in August 1986.
Mike made 12 first team appearances (two as sub) for Cambridge and scored three goals before injury ended his professional career during 1986/87.
In October 1987 he went back to Charlton and joined the club's coaching staff. Mike also made a few appearances for Grays during the 1987/88 campaign. In March 1990 he turned out for a Charlton X1 in a testimonial match for Joe Radford at Margate and scored a great goal from 25 yards out. In August 1990 Mike left Charlton for the last time after criticising manager Lennie Lawrence in a radio interview and in September 1990 he joined Margate as a player aged 37.
His surprise arrival at Hartsdown Park was heralded by the Adscene as a "star signing" and Margate's chairman Gordon Wallis told the paper "Mike is a big capture for any side...he brings a wealth of experience and professionalism to Margate." He added "we are proud he has signed Southern League forms for us...he will play as a midfield general in our determined quest for promotion over the next few seasons into the Vauxhall Conference League". Explaining why Mike had chosen Margate Wallis said "Mike signed for Margate because he wanted to play for the side. He is a great personal friend of our manager Colin Powell". Powell had been a team-mate of Mike's during his time at Charlton.
Mike made his debut on 9.10.90 and scored with what the Isle of Thanet Gazette called a "stunning" free-kick as Margate beat Corinthian 3-1 at Hartsdown. His low drive beat future Margate keeper Lee Turner and the Gazette's headline was "Maestro Flanagan Rocks Corinthian". The report said Mike gave a "touch of genuine class to the midfield" and that "the accuracy of his passing was a sheer delight to watch". He then featured regularly playing in midfield, as a sweeper or up front. The Thanet Times said that Mike was "invariably prominent" during a 3-0 defeat at Trowbridge on 10.11.90 whilst the Gazette called him a "true professional". On 1.12.90 Mike scored in a 1-1 draw with VS Rugby in an FA Trophy tie at Hartsdown but he had a penalty saved in the replay on 5.12.90 as Margate went down 5-0. He also scored in a 2-1 home win over Andover on 8.12.90 and in a 2-1 defeat against Yate at Hartsdown on 22.12.90. Mike made his last appearance on 1.1.91 in a 1-1 draw at home to Hastings. After being injured for a few weeks he left Margate in February 1991 having scored four times in 15 appearances.
In April 1991 Mike joined Billericay as a player and then in August 1991 he became coach at Southend but still turned out for Billericay occasionally during 1991/92.
In January 1993 Mike left Southend to become assistant manager / youth manager of Gillingham and on 18.3.93 he played aged 40 in a Gills side that lost 2-1 at Herne Bay in the Kent Midweek League Cup. Mike then became Gillingham's first team manager for the 1993/94 season but he was sacked in July 1995 and joined Hornchurch as player aged 42 where he played the last football of his career.
Mike later had a spell at Millwall where he was part of their coaching staff during 1997/98 before taking over as manager of Irish club Waterford in October 1998. He was sacked in May 2000 after the club were relegated from the Eircom League Premier Division.
In the summer of 2002 Mike became coach at Hastings United and his son Adam was on the club's playing staff at the time. He later played for clubs including Folkestone and Dartford.
After a spell out of football Mike returned to Margate in April 2006 when he became caretaker manager Robin Trott's assistant. Trott had played under him at Gillingham. Mike stayed at Margate until the summer of 2007 when a budget cut removed the role of assistant manager.
He returned to football in November 2011 when he became caretaker manager of Isthmian League North club Maldon & Tiptree. Mike's son Adam was a member of the club's squad at the time. Mike remained in charge of Maldon & Tiptree until the end of the 2011/12 season but opted not to make his role permanent and left the club in May 2012.
During his playing days Mike was once called up by the Republic of Ireland but was ruled ineligible as he had already played for England's youth team.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
||
|
1990/91 (MFC) |
15 (54) |
0 |
4 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (10TH OF 21) |
3QR |
3QR |
2R |
1R |