Sometimes a fleeting moment can define an entire career. Though Mike Conroy made his name as a prolific goalscorer on both sides of the border for numerous well-respected clubs, he'll always be remembered by the PNE faithful for bravely heading the only goal in a televised FA Cup First Round tie against Blackpool in 1994.

"I remember it very clearly," he recalls. "There was a long ball down the middle of the park from Neil Trebble, and given that we were so regimented under John Beck, I ran forward into the channel and took a gamble that it would go straight down the middle. As it came down, I made sure I got to it before the keeper - expecting a big collision as he came out - and my effort beat him for a really important goal. I think it was an especially big one because of the fact that not only was it against our biggest rivals, it was also in the FA Cup which adds that something extra."

It's a goal that can be seen all round the world thanks to the wonders of PNE fans happy to break copyright law and share their moment of glee with anyone possessing a mouse and a keyboard, as the Conroy family found out very recently!

"It's funny but my wife was looking around on Google the other night and she came across the goal on the internet. My daughter wasn't born until that December, and she found it pretty hard to believe that there I was scoring that goal in front of her on the screen!"



It was a significant goal in many ways. Not only did it defeat the men in Tangerine, it also brought under-fire John Beck a temporary stay of execution before his eventual departure two weeks later. Though Beck was the man that brought the Scotsman to Deepdale, Conroy found some of the charismatic manager's methods to be a little unusual.

"Everyone understood the way John wanted to play, which was a very fast game and a very direct style. However, there's a difference between a good deep ball out of defence and pure route one! There was one training session he conducted where he made us all play one touch, and every touch a striker made had to go forward - you can work that one out! There were aspects of his principles that were good, and he was ahead of his time in terms of rehabilitation after games, but I don't think you'll find many players who agreed with his general footballing principles."

Despite the unusual approach he became accustomed to under the manager that brought him to Preston, he left Deepdale for Craven Cottage in 1995 with happy memories, and was more than happy to return to Lancashire with Blackpool when the chance around three years later. Looking back, it was a move that Conroy ultimately lived to regret.



"Kevin Keegan and Ray Wilkins had just arrived at Fulham," he explained. "The offer from Blackpool came in right on the transfer deadline and the chance to come back to the north west was a big driving force. I had a good rapport with the Preston and Burnley fans, and I wanted to go back to a part of the world that I really liked. However, if I'd had my time again, I'd have stayed where I was and seen out the last year of my contract.

"Nigel Worthington was the Blackpool manager at the time, and the only qualm I had about the move was the cost of relocation. He said he'd fix it, but the gentleman's agreement we made that day was broken, and I also discovered that a clause had been inserted into the deal meaning that Fulham were entitled to another £40,000-£50,000 when I'd made a certain number of appearances. If I'd known that I would never have signed because I didn't want to play 49 games and suddenly be told I couldn't play another because it would cost the club so much money.

"The move had turned sour as soon as I'd signed, and I put in a transfer request the very next day - the only time in my career I did. Blackpool turned out to be a terrible move."

In spite of the considerable setback, it eventually led the Glasgow-born forward to head in a new direction - to the other side of the world.

"My wife's Australian and she'd always wanted to head back, and I got the opportunity to move to Melbourne and play for Carlton who were coached by Stuart Munro, the former Blackburn player. I played for them and Eastern Pride, before sadly both teams went bust!

"I've been here eight years now and the UK can't compete in terms of the lifestyle I have. It's great for my family, and even my mother and father think it's been a good move so I can't be that far off the mark! Of course, I miss the football, but things are going really well here.



"I work for Tailor Made Adidas Golf, which is great because I've always had a keen eye for golf. I do a bit of coaching during the soccer season too, but we're currently in the middle of the off-season here. It's good to keep an eye in there, and I was pleased to see a number of junior players I coached at a Melbourne club called Doncaster Rovers have now progressed to their senior team."

With life progressing nicely in the sunny sporting haven of Melbourne, you could forgive Mike for putting memories of the damp, chilly Lancashire air to the back of his mind, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

"It's an honour and a privilege to have played for Preston North End," he claimed. "They and Burnley are two huge clubs with great histories, and the thing I loved about playing for both clubs is that the people who support them are absolutely fantastic. When you scored a goal, you knew that the people celebrating around you were loving watching the goal as much as you'd enjoyed scoring it. I'm glad to be able to say I've played for both clubs - and glad that goal is still remembered!"