{{short description|English footballer}} {{use British English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Reece Connolly | image = | fullname = Reece William Connolly | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|1|22|df=y}} | birth_place = Frimley, England | height = | currentclub = Crowborough Athletic | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = 2008–2009 | youthclubs1 = Aldershot Town | position = Striker | years1 = 2009–2012 |clubs1 = Aldershot Town |caps1 = 13 |goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2010 |clubs2 = → Salisbury City (loan) |caps2 = 11 |goals2 = 2 | years3 = 2011 |clubs3 = → Didcot Town (loan) |caps3 = 10 |goals3 = 1 | years4 = 2011 |clubs4 = → Dorchester Town (loan) |caps4 = 13 |goals4 = 4 | years5 = 2011–2012 |clubs5 = → Farnborough (loan) |caps5 = 27 |goals5 = 12 | years6 = 2012 |clubs6 = → Farnborough (loan) |caps6 = 31 |goals6 = 14 | years7 = 2012–2013 |clubs7 = Farnborough |caps7 = 9 |goals7 = 2 | years8 = 2013 |clubs8 = → Forest Green Rovers (loan) |caps8 = 7 |goals8 = 1 | years9 = 2014 |clubs9 = Eastleigh |caps9 = 13 |goals9 = 3 | years10 = 2016 |clubs10 = Basingstoke Town |caps10 = 10 |goals10=1 | years11 = 2016–2017 |clubs11 = Whitehawk |caps11 = 11 |goals11 = 2 | years12 = 2017 |clubs12 = Margate |caps12 = 3 |goals12 = 0 | years13 = 2017–2017 |clubs13 = Eastbourne Borough |caps13 = 8 |goals13 = 0 | years14 = 2017– |clubs14 = Crowborough Athletic |caps14 = 3 |goals14 = 1 | club-update = 15:40, 29 August 2017 (UTC) }} '''Reece William Connolly''' (born 22 January 1992) is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Crowborough Athletic in the Southern Counties East Premier Division.
==Playing career==
===Early career=== Connolly started as a schoolboy at Crystal Palace before joining Aldershot Town. He was a first year scholar with Aldershot Town during the 2008–09 season and he made 14 reserve team appearances and was joint reserve team top scorer with four goals.
===Aldershot Town=== Connolly was an unused substitute for Aldershot's first team on three occasions near the end of 2008–09 season. On 18 August 2009, Connolly made his Football League and first team debut for Aldershot Town, when he came on as a substitute against Bournemouth at the Dean Court.<ref>{{cite news | title = AFC Bournemouth 1–0 Aldershot Town | url = http://www.theshots.co.uk/newspage.ink?nid=31509&newstype=m&matchid=8414 | publisher = Aldershot Town Official Website | date = 18 August 2009 }}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> His home debut was made a month later, when he came on as a substitute against Port Vale, at the Recreation Ground on 12 September 2009.<ref>{{cite news | title = Aldershot Town 1–1 Port Vale | url = http://www.theshots.co.uk/newspage.ink?nid=31630&newstype=m&matchid=8422 | publisher = Aldershot Town Official Website | date = 12 September 2009 }}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> On 28 January 2010, it was announced that Connolly was joining Conference National side Salisbury City on a month's loan deal.<ref>{{cite news | title = Double delight as City poised to sign duo | url = http://www.salisburycity-fc.co.uk/news_article.php?slug=double-delight-as-city-poised-to-sign-duo&id=324 | publisher = Salisbury City Official Website | date = 28 January 2010 | access-date = 29 January 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160915173549/http://www.salisburycity-fc.co.uk/news_article.php?slug=double-delight-as-city-poised-to-sign-duo&id=324 | archive-date = 15 September 2016 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref> Connolly spent further time on loan with non-league club such as Didcot Town, Dorchester Town and Farnborough where he had two loan spells.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/sport/farnboroughfc/s/2122920_connolly_makes_big_farnborough_entrance |title=Connolly makes big Farnborough entrance |publisher=gethampshire.co.uk |date=25 October 2012}}</ref>
On 9 February 2012, Connolly signed a new one-year contract with Aldershot which included the possibility of a second year.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/16964399 |title=Aldershot striker Reece Connolly pens new one-year deal |publisher=BBC Sport |date=9 February 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/sport/aldershottownfc/s/2108003_reece_connolly_marks_birthday_with_shots_contract |title=Reece Connolly marks birthday with Shots contract |publisher=gethampshire.co.uk |date=9 February 2012}}</ref>
===Farnborough=== In December 2012, Farnborough made Connolly's loan a permanent move as they secured the striker for a club record fee of £12,000, as well as making him the highest paid player at the club.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.bluesqsouth.com/story/0,20970,5898_8333879,00.html |title=Boro make Connolly stay permanent |publisher=bluesqsouth.com |date=15 December 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/sport/football/news/farnborough-boss-day-delighted-land-5349093 |title=Farnborough boss Day delighted to land Connolly |publisher=getHampshire |date=15 December 2012|accessdate=13 September 2016}}</ref> In an effort to reduce their wage bill Farnborough allowed Connolly to join Conference National side Forest Green Rovers on loan in March 2013 until the end of the season.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/21971021 |title=Forest Green Rovers sign Reece Connolly from Farnborough |publisher=BBC Sport |date=28 March 2013 |access-date=28 March 2013}}</ref> Despite scoring on his debut on in a 2–0 away win against Ebbsfleet United, Connolly was not offered a full-time contract and returned to his parent club at the end of the season.<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/21909390 |title=Ebbsfleet United 0–2 Forest Green |publisher=BBC Sport |date=30 March 2013}}</ref> It was reported that Connolly was struggling to come to terms with part-time football and in November 2013 he was suspended by Farnborough after failing a drugs test. His contract with the club was subsequently cancelled.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web| url=http://www.gethampshire.co.uk/sport/football/news/boros-reece-connolly-tests-positive-6330469 |title=Boro's Reece Connolly tests positive for cocaine and marijuana |publisher=getHampshire|author=Jon Couch|date=22 November 2013|accessdate=13 September 2016}}</ref>
===Eastleigh=== Connolly signed non-contract terms with Eastleigh in January 2014 while waiting for an FA hearing into the issues at Farnborough. He scored three times in Eastleigh's run-in to the Conference South title, including the winner in the 1–0 home win over Chelmsford on 11 March. On 2 April 2014 Connolly was found guilty of drug use and banned from all football by the FA for six months.<ref name="auto"/>
===Basingstoke Town=== Connolly signed for National League South side Basingstoke Town in January 2016. He was released from his contract by mutual consent at the end of the season.
===Whitehawk=== Without a club at the start of the 2016–2017 season, Connolly became his former manager Richard Hill's first signing for Brighton-based National League South side Whitehawk.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://footballconference.co.uk/news/details.php?news_id=18856 |title=Connolly re-unites with Hill at Whitehawk |publisher=National League|date=12 September 2016|accessdate=13 September 2016}}</ref> Connolly also played for Hill while on loan at Didcot Town from Aldershot.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/11473020.Hill__Reece_deserves_a_second_chance/ |title=Hill: Reece deserves a second chance|publisher=Southern Daily Echo|author=Wendy Gee|date=14 September 2014|accessdate=13 September 2016}}</ref> Connolly left The Hawks in January 2017, despite nine league and cup goals in 21 games, including a hat-trick at Lewes in a Sussex Senior Cup tie.<ref>{{cite web|title=Flitney and Connolly Leave The Hawks|url=http://whitehawkfc.com/flitney-and-connolly-leave-the-hawks/|author=Tom Harris|publisher=Whitehawk F.C.|date=30 January 2017|accessdate=30 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=http://lewesfc.com/fixture_and_result/lewes-vs-whitehawk/ |title=Lewes 0 Whitehawk 3 |publisher=Lewes Community Football Club|date=20 December 2016|accessdate=30 January 2017}}</ref>
===Eastbourne Borough===
In March 2017, Connolly agreed to play for Eastbourne until the end of the season.<ref name="Buzz">{{cite news |url=http://www.eastbournebuzz.co.uk/eastbourne-news.php?eastbourne-news-reports=3332&&New-Striker-For-Eastbourne-Borough |title=New Striker for Eastbourne Borough |publisher=Eastbourne Buzz |date=17 March 2017 |accessdate=19 March 2017}}</ref>
===Crowborough Athletic===
In August 2017, Connolly signed for Southern Counties East Premier Division club Crowborough Athletic. He made his debut in a FA Cup extra preliminary round against Lingfield, where he scored the opening goal in a 2–0 win at Maidstone United's Gallagher Stadium.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/crowboroughathletic/news/new-additions-to-first-team-squad-1908360.html | title=NEW ADDITIONS TO FIRST TEAM SQUAD| date= 8 August 2017 |accessdate=29 August 2017}}</ref>
==Personal life== Connolly was educated at Frogmore Community College in Yateley, Hampshire.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerbase}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connolly, Reece}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Frimley Category:English men's footballers Category:English Football League players Category:National League (English football) players Category:Aldershot Town F.C. players Category:Salisbury City F.C. players Category:Didcot Town F.C. players Category:Dorchester Town F.C. players Category:Farnborough F.C. players Category:Forest Green Rovers F.C. players Category:Eastleigh F.C. players Category:Basingstoke Town F.C. players Category:Whitehawk F.C. players Category:Margate F.C. players Category:Eastbourne Borough F.C. players Category:Crowborough Athletic F.C. players Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Footballers from Surrey Category:21st-century English sportsmen