Carroll Frank Image 2 Manchester City 1920

Description

Bessbrook, County Armagh born inside forward Frank Carroll began his football career with Bessbrook Strollers in 1917 and joined Irish League amateur club Cliftonville in 1918. While at Cliftonville he represented Ireland in an amateur international (almost certainly in the spring of 1919, probably against England, their only amateur international opponents until the late 1920’s), although as it was still wartime, the international is historically unofficial. He then moved to Belfast Celtic in 1919 before being signed by First Division Manchester City in 1920 along with four other Irish League recruits, including two other Belfast Celtic players, Mickey Hamill and Jimmy Mulligan. Carroll made his Football League debut at Huddersfield Town in November 1920, making 13 appearances in his debut season including playing in both Manchester derbies the same month. having a run of 12 straight games through to January before losing his place as a strong Manchester City team finished runners up in the League Championship.

However his opportunities became extremely rare and he made only 7 further first team appearances in four more seasons at Hyde Road before joining Newry Town in 1925, In October 1926 he joined his brother Eddie, who had signed a few weeks earlier, at Dundee United, playing three Scottish League First Division matches that month, but he soon returned to Newry Town where he became player-coach, where the brothers once again played together from 1927 and were notable achievers in the club’s history.

His younger brother Eddie Carroll played for Glenavon, Aberdeen, Dundee United, Dundalk and Newry Town, and won one cap for Ireland in 1925.

NB in the photograph Carroll sits between Fred Fayers and Tommy Browell prior to the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on 20th November 1920, a match which ended in a 1-1 draw.