Former Athletic star McIlroy dies, aged 86

Former Athletic player and Burnley legend Jimmy McIlroy

Former Athletic, Burnley and Northern Ireland international Jimmy McIlroy has passed away at the age of 86.

McIlroy also played for Stoke City during an 18-year playing career, but it was at Turf Moor where he made his name, making 439 appearances for Burnley.

Born in 1931 in County Antrim, he was introduced to football at an early age by his father and upon leaving school made his debut for Glentoran in Belfast before securing his move to the North West.

While at Burnley he cemented his reputation as one of the finest inside forwards in the game and was dubbed as the ‘Brian’ of Burnley.

In 1959-1960 he helped the club win the First Division title scoring six times in the process and guided them to the FA Cup Final in 1962.

He left the club in 1962 having secured a move to Stoke City for £25,000.

McIlroy made 98 appearances for the Potters, playing alongside legends such as Sir Stanley Matthews and also played during the season where the club won the second division title in 1963, he was also in the line-up which contested the League Cup final in 1964, eventually losing 4-3 to Leicester City.

Then Athletic came calling at the end of 1965, offering McIlroy the role of player manager.

During three seasons as a player, he made 39 appearances for the club, scoring once, while taking the helm of the club for 122 games however he didn’t cope well with the pressure of management and resigned after Latics lost 4-0 against Luton Town on the opening day of the 1968-1969 season.

McIlroy retired from the game in 1970 and returned to Burnley where he remained in the town for the rest of his life.

The Clarets named a stand after him at Turf Moor in the late 1990s after they’d rebuilt the east stand.

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