What do Arsenal Football Club, Dublin GAA, the Irish Rugby Team, and Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland soccer teams all have in common?

Dr. Kevin O'Flanagan. Confused? For a bit more context, read the following snippet from Brian Glanville in last week's Sunday Times:

"What should be emphasised, however, is that those footballs of yesteryear picked up both moisture and mud from pitches. Playing against Bolton in 1946, Arsenal’s Irish winger, Dr Kevin O’Flanagan, wiped mud from the ball with his sleeve before scoring with an extraordinary right-footed free kick from 30 yards. The same year, sporting allrounder O’Flanagan turned out for Ireland’s rugby union team against France, then featured for the Northern Ireland football team against Scotland seven days later."

Further investigation shows that O'Flanagan also played with distinction for the Republic of Ireland soccer team, was on the Dublin Minor Football team in the 1930s, and had illustrious spells with London Irish, Lansdowne, and Leinster with the oval ball. Puts a bit of perspective on how worked up punters get when they hear of the dilemmas Tomás O'Leary and Shane Long have had with committing to sporting codes!

During his time on the Dublin minor panel, it emerged that O'Flanagan also played soccer with Home Farm, as did soon-to-be Manhcester United legend Johnny Carey. When the GAA found out, O'Flanagan, but not Carey was dropped from the Dublin panel. After moving to London in 1945 to work as a GP, he divided his spare time between playing soccer for Arsenal and rugby union for London Irish - can you imagine anyone from the current none-too-physical Arsenal crop making the London Irish XV? I sure cant! In his debut season with Arsenal, 1945-46, he scored 11 goals in 18 Football League South appearances, finishing as the club’s top scorer. Despite clearly being good enough to play soccer as a professional, he remained an amateur so he could continue to play rugby union.

For more info on O'Flanagan's extraordinary sporting life, check out the following:

- Obituary in The Independent (he passed away in 2006, aged 86)

- Kevin O'Flanagan wikipedia article (nice summary of his life and times)