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John O’Mara

John O'Mara

John O’Mara, born Farnworth, England, March 19, 1947. During his long and somewhat nomadic footballing career, John O’Mara gave service to Gillingham, Dover, Margate, Wimbledon, Brentford, Blackburn Rovers, Chelmsford City, Bradford City, Germiston Callies, Maidstone United and finally Ramsgate.

John O’Mara joined Third Division Gillingham as a youth player in October 1965, but failed to make the first team and was shipped out on loan to Southern League First Division side Dover in February 1967. He then signed up with Margate in the summer of 1967 and amassed 16 first-team appearances for The Gate before moving on to fellow Southern League Premier Division club Wimbledon at the beginning of the 1968-69 campaign. After notching up 50 goals in 121 matches for The Dons, he was lured to Fourth Division club Brentford, then managed by ex-Crewe Alexandra and Chelsea winger Frank Blunstone, for a bargain transfer fee of £1,500 fee at the back end of the 1970-71 season. While at Griffin Park in West London, the massive centre-forward accumulated a respectable 28 goals in 53 Football League appearances for The Bees and was part of the team that gained to promotion to the Third Division in 1972-73.

He was eventually brought to Blackburn Rovers by former Workington and Watford manager Ken Furphy in September 1972 for a then club-record of £50,000 and contributed 10 hits in 35 Division Three outings for The Riversiders before he joined forces with Southern League Premier Division club Chelmsford City at the end of the 1973–74 season. There followed moves to Fourth Division outfit Bradford City and South African side Germiston Callies before he returned to his old club Margate partly into the 1976-77 campaign. Following a relatively short stint with Southern League Premier Division club Maidstone United, he teamed up with Margate for the third time in September 1977 and then had a second spell with Dover in 1978-79 before signing with Kent League First Division Ramsgate where he finally finished his active playing days in 1980. John O’Mara Playing Career: Gillingham, Dover, Margate, Wimbledon, Brentford, Blackburn Rovers, Chelmsford City, Bradford City, Germiston Callies, Margate, Maidstone United, Margate, Dover, Ramsgate.