{{short description|English footballer (born 1986)}} {{use British English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Carl Finnigan | fullname = | image = Carl Finnigan.jpg | caption = Finnigan in 2009 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|10|1|df=y}} | birth_place = Jarrow, England | currentclub = Dunston UTS | height = | position = Forward | youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2001 | youthclubs1 = Jarrow | youthyears2 = 2001–2003 | youthclubs2 = Newcastle United | years1 = 2003–2007 | clubs1 = Newcastle United | caps1 = 0 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2007–2011 | clubs2 = Falkirk | caps2 = 113 | goals2 = 25 | years3 = 2011–2012 | clubs3 = St Johnstone | caps3 = 11 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2012 | clubs4 = → Dundee (loan) | caps4 = 5 | goals4 = 3 | years5 = 2012–2013 | clubs5 = Dundee | caps5 = 8 | goals5 = 1 | years6 = 2013–2014 | clubs6 = Chippa United | caps6 = 9 | goals6 = 4 | years7 = 2014–2015 | clubs7 = Gateshead | caps7 = 22 | goals7 = 7 | years8 = 2015–2016 | clubs8 = Township Rollers | caps8 = 21 | goals8 = 9 | years9 = 2016–2019 | clubs9 = South Shields | caps9 = 115 | goals9 = 72 | years10 = 2019–2020 | clubs10 = Whickham | caps10 = 19 | goals10 = 11 | years11 = 2019–2020 | clubs11 = → Morpeth Town (loan)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/morpeth-town/appearances/2019-2020/carl-finnigan/825692 |title=Morpeth Town – Appearances – Carl Finnigan – 2019–2020 |website=Football Web Pages |access-date=17 January 2023}}</ref> | caps11 = 12 | goals11 = 4 | years12 = 2020–2022 | clubs12 = Morpeth Town<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/morpeth-town/appearances/2020-2021/carl-finnigan/825692 |title=Morpeth Town – Appearances – Carl Finnigan – 2020–2021 |website=Football Web Pages |access-date=17 January 2023}}<br>{{cite web |url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/morpeth-town/appearances/2021-2022/carl-finnigan/825692 |title=Morpeth Town – Appearances – Carl Finnigan – 2021–2022 |website=Football Web Pages |access-date=17 January 2023}}</ref> | caps12 = 19 | goals12 = 1 | years13 = 2022– | clubs13 = Dunston UTS<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/dunston/appearances/carl-finnigan/944268 |title=Dunston – Appearances – Carl Finnigan |website=Football Web Pages |access-date=17 January 2023}}</ref> | caps13 = 11 | goals13 = 8 | club-update = 13:17, 17 January 2023 (UTC) }} '''Carl Finnigan''' (born 1 October 1986) is an English footballer who plays for Dunston UTS.
He has played for teams in Botswana, England, Scotland and South Africa during his career.
==Career== Finnigan was born in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear.<ref name=SB>{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=46093 |title=Carl Finnigan |work=Soccerbase |access-date=8 November 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210191801/http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=46093 |archive-date=10 February 2007 }}</ref> As a youngster, he played for Jarrow F.C.'s under-age teams before joining Newcastle United.<ref name=JarrowLad>{{cite news |url=http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/jarrow-lad-joins-bairns-1-1277219 |title=Jarrow Lad Joins Bairns |newspaper=Shields Gazette |via=FindArticles |format=reprint |date=23 January 2007 |accessdate=25 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000200/http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/jarrow-lad-joins-bairns-1-1277219 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He scored 56 goals for Newcastle's reserve and academy teams from 102 starts and 20 substitute appearances, but never appeared in a competitive first-team game.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/articles/striker-to-quit-for-spl-20070123_2240137_969357 |title=Striker To Quit For SPL |publisher=Newcastle United F.C |date=23 January 2007 |accessdate=8 November 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Finnigan joined Scottish Premier League club Falkirk on 23 January 2007, replacing Anthony Stokes who had left the "Bairns" to sign for Sunderland.<ref name=JarrowLad/> He made his Falkirk debut, and his first appearance in a senior league, as a second-half substitute against Kilmarnock on 27 January 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/6300633.stm |title=Falkirk 0–2 Kilmarnock |publisher=BBC Sport |date=27 January 2007 |access-date=8 November 2009}}</ref> The forward scored his first Bairns' goal three weeks later against Rangers, when he "played a neat one-two with Gow and drilled a shot beyond McGregor from the edge of the penalty area".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/6362075.stm |title=Rangers 2–1 Falkirk |publisher=BBC Sport |date=18 February 2007 |access-date=8 November 2009}}</ref> In the 2008–09 season, he played a major role, scoring twice and winning a penalty, in Falkirk's 4–0 victory over rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle in what proved a successful fight against relegation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/7953573.stm |title=Falkirk 4–0 Inverness CT |publisher=BBC Sport |date=21 March 2009 |access-date=8 November 2009}}</ref> He also scored the winner against the same opposition to take Falkirk through to the semi-final of the Scottish Cup,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_cups/7926815.stm |title=Inverness CT 0–1 Falkirk |publisher=BBC Sport |date=7 March 2009 |first=Colin |last=Moffat |access-date=8 November 2009}}</ref> and had a goal disallowed in the Cup final.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_cups/8072822.stm |title=Rangers 1–0 Falkirk |publisher=BBC Sport |date=30 May 2009 |first=Colin |last=Moffat |access-date=8 November 2009}}</ref> Before the 2009–10 season, Finnigan signed a new one-year contract with Falkirk, with an option for a second year.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/f/falkirk/8140471.stm |title=Finnigan handed new Bairns deal |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 July 2009 |access-date=8 November 2009}}</ref>
On 24 June 2011, Finnigan signed for Scottish Premier League (SPL) club St Johnstone.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/13911543 |title=Former Falkirk striker Carl Finnigan joins St Johnstone |publisher=BBC Sport |date=24 June 2011 |access-date=24 June 2011}}</ref> In February 2012, Finnigan signed on loan for Dundee.<ref name = "dundee">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18300618|title=Dundee sign Carl Finnigan and Declan Gallagher|publisher=BBC Sport|date=1 June 2012|access-date=1 June 2012}}</ref> He scored on his debut for Dundee, a late equaliser in a 1–1 draw with Falkirk after coming on as a second-half substitute. Finnigan then scored in a 3–2 win over Livingston. Finnigan returned to St Johnstone in April 2012 following a season-ending cartilage injury, but then signed for Dundee on 1 June.<ref name = "dundee"/>
In August 2013, Finnigan joined South African National First Division side Chippa United on a one-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerladuma.co.za/news/articles/categories/south-africa/chippa-sign-finnigan/136597|title=Chippa Sign Finnigan|publisher=Soccer Laduma|date=19 August 2013|accessdate=11 September 2014}}</ref> He scored on his debut on 6 October 2013 in a 1–1 draw with Thanda Royal Zulu<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.psl.co.za/article.asp?id=2143354|title=Chippa's British import delighted with debut goal|publisher=PSL.co.za|date=7 October 2013|accessdate=11 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911235724/http://www.psl.co.za/article.asp?id=2143354|archive-date=11 September 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> and went on to score a total of 4 goals in 9 league appearances.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/carl-finnigan/13009/|title=C. Finnigan|publisher=Soccerway|accessdate=11 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kickoff.com/news/46464/chippa-united-release-mkhanyiseli-siwahla-and-carl-finnigan|title=Chippa release Siwahla, Finnigan|publisher=Kickoff.com|date=8 July 2014|accessdate=11 September 2014}}</ref>
On 11 September 2014, it was announced that Finnigan had signed for Gateshead until the end of the season subject to international clearance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gateshead-fc.com/5042/gateshead-sign-striker-carl-finnigan |title=Gateshead Sign Striker Carl Finnigan |publisher=Gateshead FC |date=11 September 2014 |accessdate=11 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911185251/http://www.gateshead-fc.com/5042/gateshead-sign-striker-carl-finnigan |archivedate=11 September 2014 }}</ref> He made his debut on 20 September as a half time substitute against Welling United, scoring the equaliser in a 1–1 draw within 5 minutes of coming off the bench.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gateshead-fc.com/5054/welling-united-1-1-gateshead|title=Welling United 1-1 Gateshead|publisher=Gateshead FC|date=20 September 2014|accessdate=20 September 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224128/http://www.gateshead-fc.com/5054/welling-united-1-1-gateshead|archivedate=3 March 2016}}</ref>
On 2 July 2015, Finnigan signed for Township Rollers of the Botswana Premier League scoring 9 goals within 21 appearances.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rollersfc.com/our-new-striker-carl-finnigan/|title=Our New Striker – Carl Finnigan|publisher=Township Rollers FC|date=2 July 2015|accessdate=8 September 2015}}</ref>
On 26 August 2016 he signed for South Shields.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://southshieldsfc.co.uk/carl-finnigan-signs-for-shields/ |title=Carl Finnigan signs for Shields |publisher=South Shields F.C. |date=26 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417190706/https://southshieldsfc.co.uk/carl-finnigan-signs-for-shields/ |archive-date=17 April 2022}}</ref> The club went on a 42-game win streak, getting promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One North and winning 4 trophies in one season.
On 23 May 2019 it was confirmed that Finnigan had joined Whickham.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nonleaguedaily.com/south-shields-striker-finnigan-signs-for-whickham/ |title=South Shields striker Finnigan signs for Whickham |website=nonleaguedaily.com |date=23 May 2019 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523190225/https://nonleaguedaily.com/south-shields-striker-finnigan-signs-for-whickham/ |archive-date=23 May 2019}}</ref> On 14 December 2019, he was loaned out to Morpeth Town for the rest of the season,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.morpethtownfc.com/finnigan-signs-for-the-highwaymen/ |title=Finnigan signs for the Highwaymen |publisher=Morpeth Town A.F.C. |date=14 December 2019 |access-date=17 January 2023}}</ref> and joined them on a two-year contract ahead of the 2020–21 season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thenpl.co.uk/five-commit-to-highwaymen-62144 |title=Five commit to Highwaymen |first=James |last=Gordon |publisher=Northern Premier League |date=26 May 2020 |access-date=17 January 2023}}</ref>
After seven months out with health issues, Finnigan joined Dunston UTS in September 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thenpl.co.uk/experienced-forward-joins-dunston-72595 |title=Experienced forward joins Dunston |first=James |last=Gordon |publisher=Northern Premier League |date=27 September 2022 |access-date=17 January 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerbase}} * [https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/after-ibrox-parkhead-south-africa-13053947 Carl Finnigan Interview]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finnigan, Carl}} Category:1986 births Category:Men's association football forwards Category:English men's footballers Category:English expatriate men's footballers Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Jarrow Category:Dundee F.C. players Category:Falkirk F.C. players Category:Gateshead F.C. players Category:Jarrow F.C. players Category:Newcastle United F.C. players Category:St Johnstone F.C. players Category:Chippa United F.C. players Category:South Shields F.C. players Category:Whickham F.C. players Category:Morpeth Town A.F.C. players Category:Dunston UTS F.C. players Category:National League (English football) players Category:Scottish Football League players Category:Scottish Premier League players Category:English expatriate sportspeople in South Africa Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in South Africa Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Botswana Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland Category:21st-century English sportsmen