| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Peter Hinningan [1] | ||
| Date of birth | 3 December 1955 | ||
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) [2] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1972–1975 | South Liverpool | 80 | (10) |
| 1975–1980 | Wigan Athletic | 186 | (18) |
| 1980–1982 | Sunderland | 63 | (4) |
| 1982–1984 | Preston North End | 52 | (8) |
| 1984–1987 | Gillingham | 103 | (7) |
| 1987–1988 | Wrexham | 29 | (1) |
| 1988–1990 | Chester City | 54 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Joseph Peter Hinnigan (born 3 December 1955, in Liverpool) [3] is an English former professional footballer. His clubs included Wigan Athletic, Sunderland, Preston North End, Gillingham, for whom he made over 100 Football League appearances, Wrexham and Chester City. [4]
Hinnigan joined Wigan Athletic from South Liverpool in August 1975 for a fee of £1,200. [5] After initially struggling to make the first team at the club and being transfer-listed, [6] he turned his career around and played in 120 Northern Premier League games before Wigan's election into the Football League. [5]
As well as playing in Wigan's first ever Football League fixture, he was also the scorer of the club's first ever Football League goal, against Newport County on 2 September 1978. [5] Hinnigan soon attracted the attention of bigger clubs and was signed by Sunderland for £130,000.
After finishing his playing career in 1990, Hinnigan began the first of four spells as a physiotherapist and coach with Chester City. He also worked at Wigan Athletic, Rochdale and Bury (all alongside manager Graham Barrow). [7] He re-joined Chester City as an assistant manager in February 2006, [8] before moving to become physio at Shrewsbury Town in October later that year. [9] He became the physio at Accrington Stanley in July 2008. [10]