| Full name: | Michael Candey |
| Position: | Forward |
| Date of Birth: | 13 February 1938 |
| Place of Birth: | London, England |
| Date of Death: | 21 April 2006 |
| Place of Death: | Nanaimo, British Columbia |
| Height: | 5’10” |
| Weight: | 150 lbs |
Playing career:
| Season | Team | Gpd | Gls |
| Harwich | |||
| 1959-1960 | Hendon | ||
| 1960-1961 | Hendon | ||
| 1961-1962 | Kingstonian | ||
| 1962-1963 | Maidstone United | ||
| 1963-1964 | Maidstone United | ||
| 1964-1965 | Kingstonian | ||
| 1965 | Hamilton Primos | ||
| 1966 | Hamilton Primos | ||
| 1967 | Hamilton Primos | ||
| 1968 | Toronto Celtic | ||
| 1968-1969 | Rochester Lancers | ||
| 1969 | Syracuse Scorpions |
Bio:
Mike Candey was described as a creative winger. He attended Greenwich Central School in London, England. While training to become a mechanical engineer he starred in amateur soccer in London.
He first made his mark with Harwich and then moved to Isthmian League club Hendon. While with Hendon he helped the club win the Football Association Amateur Cup in the 1959-1960 season. On 23 April 1960 Hendon beat Kingstonian at Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd of 60,000 with Mike playing at outside right.
After playing for Isthmian League club Kingstonian in the 1961-62 season he joined Maidstone United in the summer of 1962.
While at Maidstone United he formed a formidable partnership on the forward line, with future Manchester United and England star Dave Sadler. The pair also starred for the England Amateur international team until Sadler joined Manchester United in February 1963.
Mike scored two goals for England in a 3-2 win against Northern Ireland on 29 September 1962. Dave Sadler made his debut in this game, making him the last player who has gone from playing for the England Amateur international team to the full England international team.
On 17 November 1962 Mike played at outside right as Dave Sadler, playing at inside right, scored one goal when England beat Wales 3-2.
On 15 March 1963 Mike scored one of England’s goals as they won 4-2 over Scotland in an amateur international game at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
In May 1963 Mike represented England in the F.A. Centenary Amateur Tournament against France, West Germany and the Netherlands.
Mike played for the Great Britain Olympic team against Iceland on Saturday, 7 September 1963 in Reykjavik in front of a crowd of 7,755. Mike scored one goal in Britain’s 6-0 win in the first qualifying game for the 1964 Olympic Games due to be held in Tokyo. He also played in the second game when England won 4-0 at Plough Lane, Wimbledon in front of a crowd of 3,500.
In August 1964 Mike returned to Kingstonian. In December 1964 it was announced that he was planning to emigrate to Canada. He played his last game for Kingstonian in the their second round F.A. Amateur Cup game against Spennymoor United on Saturday 23 January 1965. The K’s won 11-2 and advanced to the next round.
Mike then moved to Canada as he had accepted a job as an engineer at Niagara Falls.
He signed for Primo Hamilton F.C. of the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League in March 1965. Hamilton Primos reached the 1965 President’s Cup final, emblematic of the league’s playoff championship, but lost to Toronto Italia.
In 1966 Hamilton Primos reached the semifinal of the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League, but lost to Toronto Inter-Roma.
The Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League folded after the 1966 season. Together with former ECPSL club Toronto Inter-Roma, the Primo club joined the Ontario National Soccer League for the 1967 season. The club won the 1967 regular season championship but lost in the playoff finals to Windsor Teutonia.
Mike spent the 1968 season playing for Toronto Celtic, one of the best amateur teams in Canada. On 23 October 1968 he signed for American Soccer League club Rochester Lancers. Then moved to Syracuse Scorpions before the start of the 1969 American Soccer League season.
He later moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he played for the Vancouver Old-timers.
Mike passed away at Nanaimo Hospital on 21 April 2006.
Source for England Amateur international matches:
http://www.englandfootballonline.com/
Photo from the London Evening Standard 28 December 1964.
National Soccer League 