Andy Rafferty

Andrew James Rafferty (born 27 May 1988) is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Spennymoor Town.

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

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.

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]

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

Dover Athletic

On 19 September 2014 Rafferty joined Conference Premier 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 Football Association'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.

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]

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
  10. http://www.thefa.com/facup
  11. "Former Dover Athletic, Guisborough Town and Hartlepool United keeper Andy Rafferty joins Spennymoor Town". Kent Online. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
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