Alfie Hale

Doncaster Rovers Hale wished to return home to Waterford but the club was struggling financially at the time, meaning a transfer was not a viable option. Instead, Hale joined fourth-tier Doncaster Rovers in the summer of 1962.

Return to Waterford After a solitary season at Newport County, and seven seasons in total in the English Football League, Hale returned to Waterford in 1966. Together with Johnny Matthews, he became a central figure in a Waterford team that dominated the League of Ireland, winning three titles in a row from 1967–68 to 1969–70. In 1968, Hale and his Waterford teammates took on newly crowned European champions, Manchester United. Former Manchester United player, Shay Brennan, became player–manager of Waterford in 1970. In 1971–72, Hale headed the winner as Waterford beat Cork Hibernians 3–2 in dramatic circumstances at Flower Lodge to claim their fifth league title in six seasons. In both 1971–72 and 1972–73, Hale finished joint top goalscorer in the league as Waterford won the league title, scoring 22 and 20 goals respectively. He was awarded a benefit game in August 1971.

He scored twice against AC Omonia in the 1972–73 European Cup.

Cork Celtic Hale signed for the Cork outfit in February 1974 and scored on his debut against Shamrock Rovers. He made two appearances in the 1974–75 European Cup after guiding the club to their only league title in the 1973–74 League of Ireland season.

International career Between 1962 and 1973, Hale made 14 appearances and scored two goals for the Republic of Ireland national football team. He made his senior international debut on 8 April 1962 in a 3–2 home defeat against Austria. Hale was making his first start alongside another debutant, Tony Dunne, with both men deployed on the right flank; Dunne at right back and Hale on the right wing. Hale's second cap came a few months later, a 4–2 victory at home to Iceland. Hale went on to score twice for the Republic of Ireland, both goals coming in 1968, against Poland and then Austria. He returned to manage the club again between 1991 and 1993 and helped them achieve promotion from the First Division in 1992. In 2005, he briefly returned to Waterford United once again, this time acting as special advisor.

Aside from Waterford, Hale has also coached several other teams in the League of Ireland. He was appointed player/manager of Thurles Town in May 1981 where he made history by becoming the League of Ireland's oldest ever goalscorer, and also the only player to score in four different League of Ireland decades. As manager of Cobh Ramblers, Hale signed Roy Keane upon the recommendation of youth team coach, Eddie O'Rourke.

Timing was everything when it came to Roy becoming a Cobh player. That summer, the Irish government had established a new FÁS academy programme that young League of Ireland players were eligible for. Every club in the league was asked to recommend a player or two for the scheme... Cork City wanted to sign Roy but... the fact that they’d given their FÁS slot to another player played into Cobh’s hands. And once Roy knew he could sit the course through Cobh, that made up his mind. — Alfie Hale — True Blue — The Alfie Hale Story

At the same time as managing various League of Ireland clubs, Hale also established himself as a businessman in the Waterford area. In 1978, he opened a sports shop, later trading under the name Alfie Hale's Intersport and located at Arundal Square. He also owns a chain of pubs including Alfie Hale's Bar in Ballybricken and Alfie Hale's Sports Bar on Lombard Street. In December 2008, he settled with the Revenue Commissioners for over €100,000.

Honours

Player Waterford League of Ireland: 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73 League of Ireland Shield: 1968–69 Top Four Cup: 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1972–73 Munster Senior Cup: 1965–66, 1966–67 SWAI Personality of the Year: 1972–73

Cork Celtic League of Ireland: 1973–74

Manager Waterford United League of Ireland Cup: 1984–85 Munster Senior Cup: 1985–86

Kilkenny City League of Ireland First Division: 1996–97