John Flanagan (born: 15 June 1978) is a right-back/central midfielder who began his career with his hometown club, Drogheda United, in the 1995/96 season when he made his debut under Jim McLaughlin in their ill-fated Premier Division campaign. The following season saw ‘Flano’, along with seven other Youth team members, work under Liam O’Brien and Anto Whelan in the second tier, and he netted his first senior goal with his sole strike in 15 outings for the Boynesiders, as they made a swift return to the top flight. John didn’t go with them, however, after being released by Martin Lawlor, and instead joined Monaghan United, where he made 13 appearances before ending a short spell there by renewing acquaintances with Liam O’Brien at First Division side, Home Farm.
 
An unsuccessful season saw the club finish ninth and O’Brien soon leave, but not before he had told then Dundalk boss Terry Eviston to take Flanagan to Oriel Park. ‘Flano’ arrived for training at the border club and instantly impressed. He was an eye-catching acquisition to the side, as he forged a strong midfield partnership with David Hoey and made 34 appearances in all competitions, during a year which ended in the controversial Fran Carter saga. In one of his first appearances for the club, on 15 October 1999, John managed to strike a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory over Saint Francis at John Hyland Park. Despite that early goal haul, however, he went on to score just two more in the remainder of that season, as Dundalk failed by a single placing to make it into the ‘Promotion/Relegation Playoff’ with Waterford United.
 
John remained at the club for the following year and, under new manager Martin Murray, played a key role in Dundalk’s First Division winning team, making 34 league appearances, five of which came as a substitute. In a year that saw the Lilywhites battle back to overtake Athlone Town from what looked an almost unassailable lead, Flanagan was instrumental, firing seven goals from his midfield berth. Two of those in particular proved crucial, as at home to both Drogheda and Waterford, Flanagan struck the only goal in 1-0 wins. He is also one of just two players now at the club to take part in the 1-0 FAI Cup loss to non-league Portmarnock on April Fool’s Day in 2001.
 
2001/02 saw John return to the Premier League but it proved a bitter sweet season as Dundalk mixed relegation with an FAI Cup triumph. He made 25 appearances in the league campaign and scored three goals, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a painful demotion in Monaghan on 31 March 2002. Seven days later, ‘Flano’ entered the cup decider with Bohemians at Tolka Park and, alongside Ciaran Kavanagh in the middle of the park, played a key role in Dundalk lifting the Blue Riband for a ninth time. That appearance meant Flanagan was one of only four of the squad to have played a part in all seven matches on the way to the cup win. The following season saw the Lilywhites widely tipped to make a quick return to the Premier Division, but following an indifferent start and the resignation of Martin Murray, John fell out of favour under new boss Trevor Anderson.
 
‘Flano’ has admitted that he was pushed out of the club he loved by Anderson, and had no choice but to make a return to Drogheda United at the beginning of 2003. There, he spent two seasons in the top flight, making 42 appearances and scoring one goal, before he was forced to leave the south Louth club after they decided to go full-time. John was unwilling to give up his teaching career and so he made his way to Athlone in 2005, who were at the time managed by his friend, Stephen Kelly. Kelly was sacked midway through the season, however, and after just 16 appearances for the midlands club, Flanagan returned to a Jim Gannon led Dundalk in July 2005 after a near three-year absence.
 
He instantly became a regular in the side and made 18 appearances between then and the end of the season, before Gannon departed. John Gill arrived as the new boss and signed Flanagan for another year, and he made 33 appearances during the 2006 season, scoring three vital goals on the league run-in, including a double against Galway United in Terryland Park on 20 October. ‘Flano’ was key to Dundalk pushing Shamrock Rovers all the way in the First Division title race, and played in both legs of the ‘Promotion/Relegation Playoff’ win over Waterford United. That 3-2 aggregate victory turned out not to be enough to earn promotion, but Flanagan remained at the club for another season. He had been initially employed by Gill as a central midfielder, but soon moved to right-back as Dundalk struggled in the backline, a move which worked well. In the absence of Aidan Lynch, Flanagan captained the side 19 times in all competitions, while he was also chosen in the PFAI First Division Team of the Year for 2006.
 
2007 seen Flanagan play in his seventh season at the club, and he headed his first goal of the campaign with an injury-time winner in the opening day 3-2 win over Finn Harps on 8 March. He went on to score a further four goals in the early stages of the season, however, his last goal of the year came on 17 May at home to Kilkenny City, as an ankle injury soon curtailed his campaign. Having played through the pain barrier for a number of games, Flano was forced to go for an operation in late July. Upon his return, on 30 August, he played two games at centre-half before easily displacing Stephen Quigley from the right-back position for the trip to Finn Harps on 14 September. Missing just one game, through suspension, between then and the end of the season, 2008 sees John fully recovered from his injury, as he is once again the first name on John Gill’s weekly team-sheet.
 
Profile last updated: February 2008