Mark Farren.
Derry City’s all time top goalscorer Mark Farren is to be inducted into the FAI Ford Cup Final Hall of Fame.
Each year, the two finalists of the FAI Ford Cup are invited to nominate a person associated with their club for induction into the Hall of Fame and this year the board of directors at the Brandywell club have chosen the 32-year-old former Candystripe.
Farren joined City on a free transfer from Monaghan United in 2003, going on to score 113 goals in 313 appearances for City, including 15 goals in 24 appearances in the FAI Ford Cup.
He was named PFAI Player of the Year in 2005 after finishing second top scorer with 18 league goals in 31 appearances and 22 goals in all competitions.
He retired from football in 2008 following the diagnosis of a brain tumour but returned to the game in May 2011 following an astonishing recovery.
Wearing a protective helmet on his head – similar to that worn by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech – he made his comeback for Derry in a crucial away league clash with Sligo in September the same year before going on to replace Liam Coyle as City’s top scorer with 113 goals.
He joined Glenavon at the start of last year, making his debut for the club on 5 January and scoring his first goal at Dungannon Swifts.
However at the start of this year and following a routine six-monthly scan, he was advised he required a further course of preventative radiotherapy.
Former Derry City player and manager, Felix Healy, was inducted into the FAI Cup Final Hall of Fame in 1912.
A member of the historic 1988-89 treble-winning team, Healy scored 38 goals in 162 total appearances for his home town club.
During his four-year (1994-1998) spell as Derry manager, he brought FAI Cup success to the Brandywell club and was last man to manage City to the league title in 1996-1997.
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