Andy Rafferty

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Andy Rafferty
Personal information
Full name Andrew James Rafferty
Date of birth (1988-05-27) 27 May 1988 (age 33)
Place of birth Sidcup, England
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Darlington 0 (0)
2007–2008 Crook Town 30 (0)
2008 Horden Colliery Welfare
2008–2010 Guisborough Town 49 (0)
2010–2014 Hartlepool United 5 (0)
2014–2016 Dover Athletic 37 (0)
2016–2017 Spennymoor Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 May 2016 (UTC)

Andrew James Rafferty (born 27 May 1988) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Rafferty played in League One for Hartlepool United making the step up from part-time side Guisborough Town. Following his departure from Hartlepool, Rafferty signed for National League side Dover Athletic before playing for part-time side Spennymoor Town.

Club career[]

Early career[]

Rafferty started his career at Darlington but left the club aged 16. Upon leaving, Rafferty had trials at Southampton, Reading and Wigan Athletic[1] but a broken finger left him unable to sign. He went to play part-time for Crook Town and Horden Colliery Welfare before joining Guisborough Town in 2008 and in two seasons he made 49 appearances for the club picking up the Player of the Year award in both seasons.[citation needed]

Hartlepool United[]

Rafferty joined Hartlepool United in the summer of 2010 from Guisborough Town.[2] Shortly into the new season, Rafferty broke his hand and two bones in his finger in September 2010.[3] When he returned from injury, Rafferty spent the majority of the season as back-up to Scott Flinders before making his Hartlepool United debut in a 1–1 draw against Tranmere Rovers in April 2011.[4]

A knee injury during pre-season in the 2012–13 season ruled Rafferty out for the majority of the season which led to him undergoing an intricate operation to repair the patella tendon in his left knee and return to training for the first time at the start of March.[5] He was named on the Hartlepool team-sheet as a substitute for the first time of the season[6] in a 2–2 draw against Crawley Town on the final game of the season.[7]

In April 2014, Rafferty made his first appearance of the season in a 1–0 defeat to Portsmouth in which he saved a penalty from Ryan Taylor.[8] Rafferty made three further appearances before the end of the season. On 14 August 2014, he left Hartlepool United after his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.[9]

Dover Athletic[]

On 19 September 2014 Rafferty joined National League side Dover Athletic. The team had a run of 16 unbeaten games both home and away, including in two FA Cup shock wins over Football League sides Morecambe and Cheltenham Town. Rafferty did not concede in his first 8 home appearances starting with the match against Alfreton Town and ending against Torquay United. Dover Athletic went on to reach the third round of the FA Cup and played at home against Premier League club Crystal Palace. Dover lost the match 4–0, Rafferty's performance earned him second place in The FA Cup's Third Round Top Five Saves.[10] Dover beat Wrexham 2–0 on 20 January 2015 to maintain their record 13 games unbeaten.

Rafferty was part of the 2015/16 squad which achieved the club's highest finish in the National League, missing out to Forest Green Rovers in the play off semi-finals.

Rafferty was released by Dover at the end of the 2015/16 season.

Spennymoor Town[]

On 1 July 2016, Rafferty moved back to the North East to join newly promoted Northern Premier League Premier Division side, Spennymoor Town.[11]

Rafferty left the club towards the end of the same season by mutual consent to start a new career outside of football.[12]

Personal life[]

In 2017, Rafferty made the switch from playing football to become a paramedic.[13]

External links[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Goalkeeper Andy Rafferty wants to be Hartlepool United's No.1". Hartlepool Mail. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  2. ^ "Andy Rafferty is Hartlepool's first summer signing". BBC Sport. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  3. ^ "Andy Rafferty hand injury rocks Hartlepool". BBC Sport. 6 September 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  4. ^ "Hartlepool 1 – 1 Tranmere". BBC Sport. 22 April 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  5. ^ "Rafferty Set To Step Up Rehabilitation". Hartlepool United. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  6. ^ "Pools Unchanged For Crawley Trip". Hartlepool United. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Crawley 2 – 2 Hartlepool". BBC Sport. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  8. ^ "HALF-TIME: Portsmouth 1 Hartlepool United 0". Hartlepool Mail. 5 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  9. ^ http://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news/article/140814-andy-rafferty-hartlepool-united-contract-cancelled-mutual-consent-1828070.aspx[bare URL]
  10. ^ "The website for the English football association, the Emirates FA Cup and the England football team".
  11. ^ "Former Dover Athletic, Guisborough Town and Hartlepool United keeper Andy Rafferty joins Spennymoor Town". Kent Online. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  12. ^ "Moors Borrow Young Newcastle Keeper". 11 March 2017.
  13. ^ "New College Durham | Ex-student scores an own goal with new career".
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