view Fallon's match-by-match record
 
Rory FALLON

A tall striker, Fallon was signed from Barnsley on a two-and-a-half year deal in November 2003 for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £60,000 depending on appearances. He made his debut for the club as a late substitute in a 1-0 win at Oldham on 15th November 2003.

Originally, Fallon found it difficult to break up the established partnership of Sam Parkin and Tommy Mooney, and he was used mainly as a substitute. After scoring his first goal for the club in a 3-2 home defeat by Plymouth on 13th December 2003, he made his full debut on Boxing Day at Rushden and Diamonds, but was sent off after taking a swipe at Rushden captain Barry Hunter after just thirty minutes. When he returned to action, he got his revenge, forcing Hunter to score an own goal which clinched a 4-2 victory for the Town over Rushden in early February.

Fallon came into the side more towards the end of March, either being used as a third striker with the Town chasing the game, or starting in place of Mooney, who began to look jaded during the latter part of the season. The former option was used to great effect at Port Vale, when, with the Town 3-0 down, the introduction of Fallon at half-time inspired the team to a comeback - Fallon grabbing the last goal in a 3-3 draw. It worked again just eleven days later, when Fallon scored one of the best goals ever seen at the County Ground - with his back to goal on the edge of the area, in one movement he controlled the ball with his chest, then executed a perfect overhead scissor kick to level the game with Bristol City.

The goal earned Fallon another chance in the first team, and he took it well, scoring twice in a brilliant 3-0 victory at play-off chasing Luton. He started in all of the last five games of the regular season, but his presence in the side seemed to encourage the Town to abandon the good football that had got them to the play-off places, and revert to a long ball game, utilising Fallon's height. Nevertheless, he scored twice more before the season was out, bringing his total for the season to seven, and including the goal which looked to have booked Swindon a place in the play-off final, before Brighton scored a late equaliser and went on to win on penalties in the semi-final at the Withdean Stadium.

When Mooney departed the County Ground in the close season, it left the Town going into the season with just three recognised professional strikers - and with one of them, Lloyd Opara, only just having been signed from non-league football, Fallon had the opportunity to establish himself as a regular in the side. However, by his own admission, he didn't start the season in the best of form - Fallon later put this down to a change to his regular pre-season routine, when he missed his usual trip to New Zealand to train with his ex-international father and NZ World Cup player, Kevin Fallon. After starting just two games, he was relegated to the substitutes bench - firstly being replaced up front by Brian Howard, and then by the on-loan Darius Henderson. Ten games into the season, Fallon had netted just one goal - and even that was in the wrong net - when he scored a headed own goal in the home defeat by Luton.

It seemed that Fallon could do no right in the eyes of manager Andy King - when he eventually did get on the scoresheet, scoring twice at Stockport in October, King claimed that "he didn't care about the goals", and that he just wanted Fallon to lead the line like a player of his build should - but later in the year, King was quoted as saying that "strikers are judged by their goals", implying that Fallon wasn't contributing in this department. Christian Roberts, Jamie Slabber and Michael Proctor were all brought to the club, and Fallon found himself falling down the pecking order - on the same day that Proctor joined on loan from Rotherham in February 2005, Fallon left to join Yeovil on a month's deal, where he scored on his debut after coming on as a substitute.

Upon his return, a bid from Bristol Rovers to take him on another loan deal was rejected - and Fallon seemed rejuvenated, giving a particularly good performance in the home match with Bristol City, where the width of a post stopped him from scoring another spectacular effort against City - this time a thirty-yard volley. Fallon also came close to receiving international recognition, when he was invited to take part in New Zealand's friendly match against Australia in June 2005, but red tape prevented him from making his debut for the All Whites. Fallon's season was still to end on a low note however - a straight red card for an outrageously high foot, just a minute after David Duke had also seen red in a match at Huddersfield, brought an abrupt end to his season - and with the Town down to nine men, they capitulated in the second half, losing 4-0.

When Sam Parkin inevitably left the club during the 2005/06 pre-season, Fallon was set to take the mantle as the Town's main striker - and he vowed to return in top shape, including the pre-season training with his father that was missing from the previous season. He was true to his word - after an impressive pre-season, Fallon was drafted back into the first team as soon as his suspension was complete, and he celebrated his return with a goal to help the Town to a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest. Fallon's form was one of the few positives in a disastrous start to the season - though goalscoring was restricted to home games only, where he scored seven goals in as many league games, netting just once away from home over the same period. In the only game he didn't score at the County Ground up to the end of October, his energetic style went too far - Fallon losing his head and getting sent off against Scunthorpe.

By the time the transfer window opened in January, Fallon was already attracting interest from other clubs (including a £100,000 bid from Nottingham Forest that was rejected), and with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, manager Iffy Onuora urged the board to tie him down to a new contract. Fallon appeared to be set to sign a two year extension, until Swansea City made a bid of £300,000 for his services - the bid was originally rejected by the board, but after an on-off saga that lasted a few weeks, Fallon indicated that he wished to speak to the Swans, and he eventually moved at the end of the month after signing off with a goal in what proved to be his final match against Bournemouth.

PLAYING RECORD:

Season LEAGUE FA CUP LEAGUE CUP OTHER TOTAL
Played Gls Played Gls Played Gls Played Gls Played Gls
'05/'06 25 12 1 1 (+1) - 2 1 28 (+1) 14
'04/'05 12 (+19) 3 1 (+2) - 1 (+1) - 3 1 17 (+22) 4
'03/'04 6 (+15) 7 - - - - - - 6 (+15) 7
TOTAL 43 (+34) 22 2 (+2) 1 1 (+2) - 5 2 51 (+38) 25


TRANSFER INFORMATION:

DATE IN/OUT TRANSFER DETAIL
11 NOV 2003 IN Barnsley
£60,000
(initial fee of £50,000 plus £10,000 based on appearances, and 20% of any future transfer fee greater than £50,000)
22 FEB 2005 OUT Yeovil Town
(loan)
21 MAR 2005 IN Yeovil Town
(loan return)
25 JAN 2006 OUT Swansea City
£300,000


full name

Rory Michael Fallon


 NEW ZEALAND
international apps

18 apps, 4 goals


 ENGLAND
youth international apps



date of birth
20 March 1982


           
             
             
             
             
             

usual positions
centre forward

youth career
North Shore United 
Barnsley

senior career
Barnsley
Shrewsbury Town (loan)
SWINDON TOWN
Yeovil Town (loan)
Swansea City 
Plymouth Argyle
Ipswich Town (loan)
Yeovil Town
Aberdeen 
St. Johnstone 
Crawley Town
Scunthorpe United
Bristol Rovers

Truro City
player-coach

Torquay United
player

Dorchester Town
player

Plymouth Argyle
youth coach

New Zealand
assistant manager