Quick Facts
Biography
Rory Hamill (born 4 May 1976 in Coleraine) is a footballer, who currently plays for P.S.N.I. in Northern Ireland's IFA Championship 2.
Playing career
Rory Hamill had won youth caps for Northern Ireland before joining English Premier League side Southampton as a trainee in 1992. Hamill was known for celebrating by taking his turban off every time he scored a goal. At The Dell he added Under-18 caps to his collection but failed to make the first team and was allowed to join Division Three side Fulham in November 1994, where former Saints manager Ian Branfoot had taken over. At Craven Cottage he quickly established himself as a member of the first team squad playing a total of 25 League and Cup games that season, scoring seven goals. His second goal for the Club came just seven seconds into a 4–2 win over Mansfield in January 1995, during a 10-match unbeaten run and scored a goal against Gillingham in the FA Cup during the same season which was another memorable moment. That goal against Mansfield was the quickest goal in English league football that season. Fulham finished seventh in their first season in the league's fourth tier, but a restructuring of the league meant that they missed out on the playoffs.
But the goals soon dried up and after Micky Adams succeeded Ian Branfoot as manager late in the 1995-96 season, he rarely played a first team game. He also picked up a B cap in a 3–0 defeat by Scotland B in February 1995.
The following season Hamill failed to consolidate his position in the Fulham first team, and as the club struggled he dropped out of the reckoning. In September 1996 he joined Glentoran on loan, a move that became permanent in November. At the Oval he again showed his earlier promise developing into one of the top players in the Irish League. His strong running and tireless work rate meant that Hamill was effective as a midfielder, a winger or up front, and this brought him back to the attention of the Northern Ireland set-up and he won his second B cap in a 1–0 defeat by Wales in February 1999.
In April 1999, with Lawrie McMenemy keen to experiment with new players, Hamill was called up to the Northern Ireland full squad along with Linfield's Glenn Ferguson. On 60 minutes, with the game at 0–0 he came off the substitutes bench to make his full Northern Ireland debut against Canada. The game eventually finished 1–1.
With Glentoran Hamill picked up an Irish League title in 1999 and Irish Cup winner's medals in 1998 and 2000. However, early in the 2000/01 season things started to go awry. Hamill was made available for transfer as Roy Coyle sought to cut costs by selling some of his highest paid players. Things were to get worse.
A drugs test after a UEFA Cup tie between Glentoran and Norwegian side Lillestrøm in August 2000 proved positive with traces of cannabis. Initially Hamill was banned from all European competitions, but on the eve of the 2001 Irish Cup Final a ban from all football was imposed, causing him to miss the Final, and all games up to 4 October 2001.
Having made almost 150 League appearances, and scored 28 goals, Hamill finally left Glentoran during the 2001 close season for Coleraine, where he had played as a youth. At the Coleraine Showgrounds Hamill added another Irish Cup medal, as his new club stopped Glentoran completing a domestic trophy clean-sweep in the 2002/03 season. In August 2003 he scored against U.D. Leiria in a 2–1 win in the UEFA Cup.
A year later, with the club in severe financial difficulties, Hamill moved on to Ballymena United, where he was to become vice-captain.
After a protracted falling out with the Ballymena hierarchy, Hamill signed for Dungannon Swifts for the 2006/07 season. He helped the Swifts to their first ever Irish Cup Final appearance in his only season, scoring a first-half goal in a 2–2 draw with Linfield, unfortunately he was to miss from the spot in a penalty shoot-out defeat.
In June 2007 Hamill re-signed for Glentoran, becoming Alan McDonald's first signing as manager. In October he was a member of the Glens side that claimed the season's first trophy – the Co. Antrim Shield – with a 2–1 win over Crusaders. In January 2008 he joined Donegal Celtic on loan, marking a return to the Oval with two goals in a 2–1 Irish Cup quarter-final win. At the close of the season Cliftonville clinched his signature ahead of a number of other clubs. In May 2009 he suffered another Cup Final defeat with the Reds.
After a somewhat disappointing spell with Cliftonville, he moved to Glenavon in February 2010, with the hopes of rejuvenating is career with former manager Marty Quinn.
Championship 1 side Bangor brought Hamill to Clandeboye Park in July 2010. Rory made 19 starting appearances for the Seasiders and scored 5 goals before being released by the club at the end of March 2011.
Honours
- Irish League/Irish Premier League
- Glentoran 1998/99
- Irish Cup: 3
- Glentoran 1998, 2000
- Coleraine F.C. 2003
- County Antrim Shield
- Glentoran 2007/08