{{short description|Scottish footballer}} {{Use British English|date=August 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jon Connolly | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|4|3|df=y}} | birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland | height = | currentclub = Raith Rovers (Goalkeeper Coach) | position = Goalkeeper | youthclubs1 = St Johnstone | youthyears2 = {{0|0000}}–1998 | youthclubs2 = Ipswich Town | years1 = 1998 | clubs1 = Albion Rovers | caps1 = 8 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 1998–2000 | clubs2 = Thorniewood United | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 2000 | clubs3 = → Stenhousemuir (trial) | caps3 = 1 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2000–2001 | clubs4 = Motherwell | caps4 = 2 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2002 | clubs5 = Dumbarton | caps5 = 2 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2002–2003 | clubs6 = Cumnock Juniors | caps6 = | goals6 = | years7 = 2003–2004 | clubs7 = East Stirlingshire | caps7 = 19 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 2004 | clubs8 = Dunipace Juniors | caps8 = | goals8 = | years9 = 2004–2005 | clubs9 = Linlithgow Rose | caps9 = | goals9 = | years10 = 2005–2006 | clubs10 = Dunipace Juniors | caps10 = | goals10 = | years11 = 2006 | clubs11 = Larkhall Thistle | caps11 = | goals11 = | years12 = 2006–2007 | clubs12 = Bo'ness United | caps12 = | goals12 = | years13 = 2007–2008 | clubs13 = Fauldhouse United | caps13 = | goals13 = | years14 = 2008–2010 | clubs14 = Cambuslang Rangers | caps14 = | goals14 = | years15 = 2010–2011 | clubs15 = St. Anthony's | caps15 = | goals15 = | years16 = 2011 | clubs16 = Kirkintilloch Rob Roy | caps16 = | goals16 = | years17 = 2011–2013 | clubs17 = Thorniewood United | caps17 = | goals17 = | years18 = 2013 | clubs18 = → St. Anthony's (loan) | caps18 = | goals18 = | years19 = 2013–2014 | clubs19 = Kilwinning Rangers | caps19 = | goals19 = | years20 = 2014 | clubs20 = Kirkintilloch Rob Roy | caps20 = | goals20 = | years21 = 2014–2016 | clubs21 = Vale of Clyde | caps21 = | goals21 = | years22 = 2016 | clubs22 = Rossvale | caps22 = | goals22 = | years23 = 2016 | clubs23 = St. Anthony's | caps23 = | goals23 = | years24 = 2016– | clubs24 = Fauldhouse United | caps24 = | goals24 = | manageryears1 = 2017–2020 | managerclubs1 = Fauldhouse United | club-update = 19:53, 21 February 2017 (UTC) }}
'''Jon Connolly''' (born 3 April 1981) is a Scottish football goalkeeper and is currently the goalkeeping coach at Raith Rovers. Connolly has previously played in the Scottish Premier League for Motherwell.
==Career== Connolly began his senior career in the academy system at Ipswich Town but returned to Scotland to sign for Albion Rovers in February 1998, making eight league appearances in the Scottish Football League Third Division before the end of the season.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tmwmtt.com/sql/players/profile.phtml?first=Jon&last=Connolly |title=Jon Connolly |publisher=Pride of Anglia |accessdate=5 March 2013}}</ref> After leaving Rovers, he dropped to Junior level with Thorniewood United before being signed by manager Billy Davies for Motherwell in the summer of 2000.<ref name="lang">{{cite news |url=http://www.rutherglenreformer.co.uk/rutherglen-sport/local-rutherglen-sport/2008/08/06/ex-motherwell-keeper-signs-up-63227-21470388/ |title=Ex-Motherwell keeper signs up |author=Kenny Smith |newspaper=Rutherglen Reformer |date=6 August 2008 |accessdate=5 March 2013}}</ref>
With Motherwell releasing a number of high-earning first team players including Andy Goram, Connolly found himself as a second choice keeper at Fir Park behind Stevie Woods.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11796_2209950,00.html |title=Woods signs new Well deal |author=Peter O'Rourke |publisher=Sky Sports |accessdate=5 March 2013}}</ref> He made his Scottish Premier League debut in April 2001 against Dundee United at Tannadice and retained his place in the team for the following weeks match against Aberdeen.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/1302095.stm |title=United hold off Well challenge |publisher=BBC Sport |date=28 April 2001 |access-date=5 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/article/165/7940703/motherwell-0-aberdeen-2 |title=Motherwell 0 Aberdeen 2 |author=Chris Roberts |publisher=Sporting Life |accessdate=5 March 2013}}</ref>
These proved to be his only first team appearances for Motherwell and Connolly left the club on the eve of the January 2002 transfer window, signing for Dumbarton until the end of the season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/1842971.stm |title=Hilcoat joins St Mirren |publisher=BBC Sport |date=26 February 2002 |access-date=5 March 2013}}</ref> A year at Cumnock Juniors was followed by another Scottish Football League spell with East Stirlingshire in 2003–04 where he made nineteen league appearances.
After leaving the Shire, Connolly has enjoyed a peripatetic career in Junior football.<ref name="lang"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/FOOTBALL%3A+Thistle+aim+high%3B+JUNIORS+ROUND-UP+East+%2F+West.-a0120658049 |title=Thistle aim high |newspaper=Daily Record |date=14 August 2004 |accessdate=5 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bonessunited.co.uk/players/z%20player%20overall%20stats.html |title=Website player stats |publisher=Bo'ness United FC |accessdate=5 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rutherglenreformer.co.uk/rutherglen-sport/local-rutherglen-sport/2010/04/21/football-lang-boss-hits-out-at-fixture-madness-63227-26281559/ |title=Lang boss hits out at fixture madness |author=Kenny Smith |newspaper=Rutherglen Reformer |date=21 April 2010 |accessdate=5 March 2013}}</ref> In recent years, he joined Kilwinning Rangers in May 2013 before moving on to Kirkintilloch Rob Roy in January 2014.<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Donnell|first=Jim|title=McDonald: Shotts can rise from ashes|url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/juniors/mcdonald-shotts-can-rise-from-ashes-126484n.21260084|accessdate=6 June 2013|newspaper=Evening Times|date=6 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Connolly coup solves the No.1 problem for Rob Roy|url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/juniors/connolly-coup-solves-the-no1-problem-for-rob-roy-150079n.23299196|work=Evening Times|date=29 January 2014|accessdate=5 February 2014}}</ref> Connolly signed for Vale of Clyde in the summer of 2014 and had short stints at Rossvale and St. Anthony's before joining East Superleague side Fauldhouse United in October 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last1=O'Donnell|first1=Jim|title=Currie's keeping calm as big guns hit the Pail trail to target starlets|url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/juniors/curries-keeping-calm-as-big-guns-hit-the-pail-trail-to-target-starlets-167602n.24508363|accessdate=31 July 2014|work=Evening Times|date=17 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=O'Donnell|first1=Jim|title=Rossvale boss Martin Lauchlan urges his side to get back in thick of promotion race|url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/14281935.Rossvale_boss_Martin_Lauchlan_urges_his_side_to_get_back_in_thick_of_promotion_race/|accessdate=10 August 2016|work=Evening Times|date=17 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=O'Donnell|first1=Jim|title=St Anthony's co-boss Ronnie McDonald happy to get a little help from his friends|url=http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/juniors/14623506.St_Anthony__39_s_co_boss_Ronnie_McDonald_happy_to_get_a_little_help_from_his_friends/?ref=rl&lp=2|accessdate=10 August 2016|work=Evening Times|date=16 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Wilson|first1=Fraser|title=Have gloves will travel: Veteran keeper Jon Connolly happy to have returned home to Fauldhouse United|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gloves-travel-veteran-keeper-jon-9048733|accessdate=21 February 2017|work=Daily Record|date=14 October 2016}}</ref>
Connolly was appointed as player-manager of Fauldhouse in February 2017.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Huddlestone|first1=Dave|title=Official Statement|url=http://www.kick22.com/fauldhouseunitedfc|website=FAULDHOUSE UNITED F.C. – Website|accessdate=21 February 2017|date=21 February 2017|language=en}}</ref>
Big JC is now seen playing Over 35 football for Lanarkshire Forest, in the Central Over 35s league. Forest has successfully won Division 1A of the 2023 season, securing promotion to the Premier Division for 2024. Jon is current the first team goalkeeper coach at Raith Rovers who are based in Kirkcaldy.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerbase}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Jon}} Category:Living people Category:1981 births Category:Scottish men's footballers Category:Scottish Premier League players Category:Scottish Football League players Category:Scottish Junior Football Association players Category:Men's association football goalkeepers Category:Scottish football managers Category:Albion Rovers F.C. players Category:Thorniewood United F.C. players Category:Stenhousemuir F.C. players Category:Motherwell F.C. players Category:Dumbarton F.C. players Category:Cumnock Juniors F.C. players Category:East Stirlingshire F.C. players Category:Linlithgow Rose F.C. players Category:Larkhall Thistle F.C. players Category:Bo'ness United F.C. players Category:Fauldhouse United F.C. players Category:Cambuslang Rangers F.C. players Category:St Anthony's F.C. players Category:Kirkintilloch Rob Roy F.C. players Category:Dunipace F.C. players Category:Kilwinning Rangers F.C. players Category:Vale of Clyde F.C. players Category:Caledonian Locomotives F.C. players Category:Fauldhouse United F.C. non-playing staff Category:21st-century Scottish sportsmen