View source for Liam Buckley

{{short description|Irish former professional football (born 1960)}}
{{use Hiberno-English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Liam Buckley
| image = 
| full_name = 
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|4|14|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Dublin]], Ireland
| height = 
| position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]]
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = 1978–1979
| clubs1 = [[Shelbourne F.C.|Shelbourne]]
| caps1 = 32
| goals1 = 8
| years2 = 1979–1981
| clubs2 = [[Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers]]
| caps2 = 52
| goals2 = 20
| years3 = 1981
| clubs3 = [[Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL)|Vancouver Whitecaps]]
| caps3 = 8
| goals3 = 2
| years4 = 1981–1984
| clubs4 = [[Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers]]
| caps4 = 74
| goals4 = 46
| years5 = 1984–1986
| clubs5 = [[K.S.V. Waregem]]
| caps5 = 25
| goals5 = 5
| years6 = 1986–1987
| clubs6 = [[Racing de Santander]]
| caps6 = 35
| goals6 = 5
| years7 = 1987–1989
| clubs7 = [[FC Montreux-Sports]]
| caps7 = ?
| goals7 = 5
| years8 = 1989–1992
| clubs8 = [[Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers]]
| caps8 = 13
| goals8 = 1
| years9 = 1992–1997
| clubs9 = [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]]
| caps9 = 55
| goals9 = 11
| years10 = 1997
| clubs10 = [[Sligo Rovers F.C.|Sligo Rovers]]
| caps10 = 5
| goals10 = 0
| years11 = 1997–1998
| clubs11 = [[Athlone Town A.F.C.|Athlone Town]]
| caps11 = ?
| goals11 = ?
| nationalyears1 = 1979–1984
| nationalteam1 = [[League of Ireland XI]]
| nationalcaps1 = 4
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1981
| nationalteam2 = [[Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team|Republic of Ireland U21]]
| nationalcaps2 = 1
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 1984
| nationalteam3 = [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]]
| nationalcaps3 = 2
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| manageryears1 = 1997–1998
| managerclubs1 = [[Athlone Town F.C.|Athlone Town]]
| manageryears2 = 1998–1999
| managerclubs2 = [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]]
| manageryears3 = 2000–2002
| managerclubs3 = [[Athlone Town F.C.|Athlone Town]]
| manageryears4 = 2002–2004
| managerclubs4 = [[Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers]]
| manageryears5 = 2008–2010
| managerclubs5 = [[Sporting Fingal F.C.|Sporting Fingal]]
| manageryears6 = 2012–2018
| managerclubs6 = [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's 
Athletic]]
| manageryears7 = 2018–2022
| managerclubs7 = [[Sligo Rovers F.C.|Sligo Rovers]]
| manageryears8 = 2023
| managerclubs8 = [[Cork City F.C.|Cork City]] (sporting director)
| manageryears9 = 2023
| managerclubs9 = [[Cork City F.C.|Cork City]] (interim manager)
}}
'''Liam Buckley''' (born 14 April 1960), is an Irish former professional [[Association football|footballer]] and manager. During his playing career he made two appearances for the [[Republic of Ireland national football team|Republic of Ireland]] national team.

==Playing career==
Buckley began his League of Ireland career with [[Shelbourne F.C.|Shelbourne]] and signed for [[Shamrock Rovers]] as a full-time player in the 1979 close season. He scored his first goal for the Hoops against his former club at [[Glenmalure Park|Milltown]] on 21 October 1979 and he went on to score another seven league goals that season.

On 30 April 1980 he represented the League of Ireland against Argentina at the River Plate Stadium where [[Diego Maradona]] scored in a 1–0 defeat.

Buckley played for the [[Republic of Ireland national under-21 football team]] in 1981.

Following a spell with [[Vancouver Whitecaps (NASL)|Vancouver Whitecaps]] in the 1981/82 season he finished as Rovers' top scorer with 21 goals and had a trial at [[Hannover 96]]. While the following season was a disappointment he still ended up as top goalscorer at Milltown and guested for [[St Patrick's Athletic]] in a friendly with [[Manchester United]].<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1983/0311/Pg003.html#Ar00301:18033923F3831913CD1E73E22923EC2CB4013774823AC49742D50144E51644E50145451636950F37D5243785383AC54E15A3CD1883E2 | newspaper=The Irish Times | title = Irish Times – 11 March 1983 – Page 3 | url-access = subscription }}</ref>

In April 1983 he played for the [[League of Ireland XI]] U21s against their Italian League counterparts who included [[Roberto Mancini]] and [[Gianluca Vialli]] in their team.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1983/1201/Pg003.html | newspaper=The Irish Times | title = Irish Times – 1 December 1983 – Page 3 | url-access = subscription }}</ref>

The 1983–84 season ended in triumph as Rovers won their first League title in twenty years. Buckley had scored 13 League goals before he broke his collar-bone against Waterford at Milltown on 26 February. However, he returned to action less than six weeks later to score the winner in the FAI Cup semi final replay against Shelbourne.

He made five appearances in European competition for the Hoops.

Buckley was capped at full international level against Poland and in July was transferred to Belgian club [[K.S.V. Waregem]] (4451). While there he gained his second international cap against Mexico. With Waregem he reached the semi-finals of the [[1985–86 UEFA Cup]]. He made 25 league appearances, scoring five goals.

He was transferred to [[Racing de Santander]] on loan for the 1986–87 season and made his debut at the [[Camp Nou]] on 30 August. It's a game he fondly remembers: "Gary Lineker and Mark Hughes were making their debut for [[FC Barcelona]] and there I was making my debut for Santander. There was a crowd of around ninety thousand and the atmosphere was tremendous and although they beat us 2–0 I think that occasion is the highlight of my career". He later moved to [[FC Montreux-Sports]] (November 1987–89) where he spent two seasons.

He came home and signed for Rovers again in 1989 but injuries prevented him from establishing a regular first team place. In his final season in the Hoops in 1991–92 he scored once in eleven appearances.

He then transferred to [[St. Patrick's Athletic]] where he went on to win the League in 1996 as an assistant coach. After a decade at Richmond Park, manager [[Brian Kerr (Irish football manager)|Brian Kerr]] left in December 1996 to take up the position of technical director at the [[Football Association of Ireland]]. Buckley wasn't offered the managers job at Pats and he left the club in February 1997 to move to Sligo for the rest of that season and later went on to become player-manager at [[Athlone Town F.C.|Athlone Town]].

==Managerial career==
Buckley guided Athlone to the [[FAI Cup]] semi final in 1998 in his first season as player-manager.

After guiding St. Pat's to the League in 1998 [[Pat Dolan]] stepped down after one game of the 1998/99 season and appointed Buckley as manager. Pats retained their league title but two bad defeats in Europe followed by indifferent domestic form saw Buckley sacked in December 1999.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/news/1999/1231/sport.html |title=St. Pat's sack Buckley and Tracey managerial team |publisher=[[RTÉ]] |date=31 December 1999 |access-date=7 March 2009}}</ref>

He then had another spell as Athlone's manager before being appointed Shamrock Rovers manager in April 2002.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2002/0425/breaking51.htm |title=Buckley named as Shamrock Rovers manager |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |date=4 April 2002 |access-date=7 March 2009}}</ref>

In his first season, he guided Rovers to the FAI Cup Final and 3rd spot thus ensuring European football again after the [[UEFA Cup]] losses to [[Djurgårdens IF Fotboll|Djurgårdens IF]].

Famous wins over [[Odra Wodzisław]] saw Rovers become the first Irish side to win home and away since he himself had played and scored against [[Fram Reykjavik]] in 1982.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/history/european-results |title=European Record 1957 to Date |access-date=23 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625194032/http://www.shamrockrovers.ie/history/european-results |archive-date=25 June 2012 }}</ref>

However Rovers form dropped alarmingly after the [[UEFA Intertoto Cup]] games and a seventh-place finish had the fans worried. In the 2004 season with practically a new team Rovers again struggled and Buckley was sacked in September 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/2004/0907/shamrockrovers.html |title=Buckley and Rovers part company |publisher=RTÉ |date=7 September 2004 |access-date=7 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118024812/http://www.rte.ie/sport/2004/0907/shamrockrovers.html |archive-date=18 January 2012 }}</ref>

<ref>{{cite web |last1=Buckley |first1=Liam |title=Liam Buckley resigns from St Patrick's Athletic |url=http://www.buzz.ie/football/breaking-liam-buckley-resigns-st-patricks-athletic-300710 |website=buzz.ie |publisher=buzz.ie sport |access-date=25 September 2018 |ref=300710}}</ref>
In 2008 Buckley took on the role of manager of [[Sporting Fingal F.C.|Sporting Fingal]] a brand new team that were awarded a licence to play in the [[League of Ireland First Division]]. They finished a creditable 3rd in their first season in senior football. In their second season in 2009, Buckley guided Fingal to promotion through the play-offs,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/1116/braywanderers_sportingfingal.html |title=Bray Wanderers 2–2 Sporting Fingal |date=16 November 2009 |publisher=RTÉ Sport |access-date=26 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091119053905/http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2009/1116/braywanderers_sportingfingal.html |archive-date=19 November 2009 }}</ref> and capped off a superb campaign by also winning the [[2009 FAI Cup Final|FAI Cup]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herald.ie/sport/soccer/oneill-dreams-come-to-a-head-1951504.html|title=O'Neill dreams come to a head |date=23 November 2009|work=The Herald|access-date=26 November 2009}}</ref>

In January 2010 he was awarded the SWAI Personality of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.swai.ie/?q=node/99 |title = Home|date = 25 October 2013}}</ref>

Buckley was appointed [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St.Patrick's Athletic]] manager for the 2012 season on 2 December 2011.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.stpatsfc.com/news.php?id=4594 |title = Saints Appoint New Manager}}</ref> In his first season back at the club, with his side playing some of the best football the club had seen since his own playing days at the club, he guided the Saints to 3rd place in the [[2012 League of Ireland|League of Ireland]] (only six points off 1st place), [[2012 FAI Cup Final|Runners-Up]] in the [[2012 FAI Cup|FAI Cup]] and through two rounds in the [[UEFA Europa League]] to make it to the [[2012–13 UEFA Europa League|Third Qualifying Round]] (knocked out by German giants [[Hannover 96]]).

In September 2018 Liam Buckley resigned from [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St.Patrick's Athletic]] after a 3–1 loss to [[Bohemian F.C.|Bohemians]].

He took over as manager of [[Sligo Rovers F.C.|Sligo Rovers]] in October 2018.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Liam |first1=Buckley |title=St Patrick's Athletic have parted company with manager Liam Buckley. |url=https://www.buzz.ie/football/breaking-liam-buckley-resigns-st-patricks-athletic-300710 |website=buzz.ie |publisher=Buzz.iesport |access-date=27 September 2018}}</ref> Buckley left the club by mutual consent on 22 May 2022 after securing qualification to European football in back to back seasons in his final 2 years at the club. In total he took charge of 118 games with the club.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/sport/soccer/sligo-rovers-announce-departure-of-manager-liam-buckley-41675730.html | title=Sligo Rovers announce departure of manager Liam Buckley }}</ref>

On 3 May 2023, Buckley was named as sporting director of [[Cork City F.C.|Cork City]], with his role focusing primarily on player recruitment, along with supporting management on all football related matters.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.corkcityfc.ie/home/2023/05/03/liam-buckley-appointed-sporting-director/ | title=Liam Buckley Appointed Sporting Director – Cork City Football Club }}</ref> With manager [[Colin Healy]] stepping down on the same day as Buckley's appointment, he took interim charge of the club while the club searched for a new manager, while he ruled out himself taking up the position on a permanent basis.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/arid-41131108.html | title=Liam Buckley will manage City on Friday but rules out permanent touchline role | date=4 May 2023 }}</ref> On 28 September 2023, it was announced that Buckley would step back from the interim manager role in order to step back to his Sporting Director role, with Richie Holland taking over as manager on an interim basis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.corkcityfc.ie/blogs/news/richie-holland-takes-charge-of-first-team|title=Richie Holland Takes Charge of First Team|website=Cork City FC Shop}}</ref> On 24 November 2023, it was announced he had left his role as Sporting Director following the club's relegation to the [[League of Ireland First Division]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/tim-clancy-appointed-as-cork-city-manager-while-liam-buckley-departs-sporting-director-role/a1149074614.html|title=Tim Clancy appointed as Cork City manager while Liam Buckley departs sporting director role|date=24 November 2023|website=Independent.ie}}</ref>

==Managerial statistics==
''Competitive games only – correct as of 28 September 2023.''

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Managerial record by team and tenure
|-
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|From
!rowspan="2"|To
!colspan="8"|Record
|-
!{{Tooltip|G|Games managed}}
!{{Tooltip|W|Games won}}
!{{Tooltip|D|Games drawn}}
!{{Tooltip|L|Games lost}}
!{{Tooltip|GF|Goals for}}
!{{Tooltip|GA|Goals against}}
!{{Tooltip|GD|Goal difference}}
!{{Tooltip|Win %|Winning percentage}}
|-
| [[Athlone Town A.F.C.|Athlone Town]]
| 1997
| 1998
{{WDL|0|0|0|0|for=0|against=0|diff=yes}}
|-
| [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]]
| 1998
| December 1999
{{WDL|0|0|0|0|for=0|against=0|diff=yes}}
|-
| [[Athlone Town A.F.C.|Athlone Town]]
| 2000
| 2002
{{WDL|0|0|0|0|for=0|against=0|diff=yes}}
|-
| [[Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers]]
| 25 April 2002
| 7 September 2004
{{WDL|0|0|0|0|for=0|against=0|diff=yes}}
|-
| [[Sporting Fingal F.C.|Sporting Fingal]]
| January 2008
| 9 February 2011
{{WDL|133|70|36|27|for=169|against=110|diff=yes}}
|-
| [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]]
| 2 December 2011
| 25 September 2018
{{WDL|319|160|60|99|for=511|against=355|diff=yes}}
|-
| [[Sligo Rovers F.C.|Sligo Rovers]]
| 26 October 2018
| 22 May 2022
{{WDL|118|44|28|46|for=145|against=137|diff=yes}}
|-
| [[Cork City F.C.|Cork City]] (interim)
| 3 May 2023
| 28 September 2023
{{WDL|22|8|3|11|for=26|against=34|diff=yes}}
|}

==Honours==

===As a player===
*'''[[League of Ireland]]''': 2
** [[Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers]] – [[1983–84 League of Ireland|1983–84]]
** [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] – [[1995–96 League of Ireland|1995–96]]
*'''[[Leinster Senior Cup (association football)|Leinster Senior Cup]]'''
** [[Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers]] – 1982
*'''[[Dublin City Cup]]'''
** [[Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers]] – 1983–84
*'''[[Shamrock Rovers F.C.#Player of the Year|Shamrock Rovers Player of the Year]]''': 2
** [[Shamrock Rovers F.C.|Shamrock Rovers]] – 1981–82, 1982–83

===As a manager===
*'''[[League of Ireland Premier Division]]''': 2
** [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] – [[1998–99 League of Ireland Premier Division|1998–99]]
** [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] – [[2013 League of Ireland Premier Division|2013]]
*'''[[FAI Cup]]''': 2
** [[Sporting Fingal]] – [[2009 FAI Cup|2009]]
** [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] – [[2014 FAI Cup|2014]]
*'''[[League of Ireland Cup]]''': 2
** [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] – [[2015 League of Ireland Cup|2015]]
** [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] – [[2016 League of Ireland Cup|2016]]
*'''[[FAI President's Cup]]''': 1
** [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] – [[2014 FAI President's Cup|2014]]
*'''[[Leinster Senior Cup (association football)|Leinster Senior Cup]]''': 1
** [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] – [[2014 Leinster Senior Cup|2014]]
*'''[[SWAI Personality of the Year]]''': 2
** [[Sporting Fingal F.C.|Sporting Fingal]] – [[2009 League of Ireland|2009]]
** [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] – [[2013 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season|2013]]
*'''Phillips Sports Manager of the Month''': 1
** [[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] – [[2013 St Patrick's Athletic F.C. season|October 2013]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box|
 before=Pete Mahon|
 title=[[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] [[Coach (sport)|manager]]|
 years=1998–1999|
 after=[[Pat Dolan]]|
}}
{{S-end}}

{{s-start}}
{{succession box|
 before=Pete Mahon|
 title=[[St Patrick's Athletic F.C.|St Patrick's Athletic]] [[Coach (sport)|manager]]|
 years=2012 – 2018|
 after=[[Harry Kenny]]|
}}
{{S-end}}

{{Athlone Town A.F.C. managers}}
{{Shamrock Rovers F.C. managers}}
{{St Patrick's Athletic F.C. managers}}
{{Sligo Rovers F.C. managers}}
{{Cork City F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckley, Liam}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Belgian Pro League players]]
[[Category:Shelbourne F.C. players]]
[[Category:Shamrock Rovers F.C. players]]
[[Category:St Patrick's Athletic F.C. players]]
[[Category:Sligo Rovers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Athlone Town A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Athlone Town A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:St Patrick's Athletic F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Shamrock Rovers F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Cork City F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Cork City F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Sporting Fingal F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada]]
[[Category:K.S.V. Waregem players]]
[[Category:League of Ireland players]]
[[Category:League of Ireland managers]]
[[Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in Canada]]
[[Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in Belgium]]
[[Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Irish expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players]]
[[Category:Association footballers from Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:Racing de Santander players]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland men's association footballers]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland expatriate men's association footballers]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Vancouver Whitecaps (1974–1984) players]]
[[Category:League of Ireland XI players]]
[[Category:Republic of Ireland association football managers]]
[[Category:20th-century Irish sportsmen]]