Jimmy McIlroy

Jimmy McIlroy

Personal information
Full name	James McIlroy
Date of birth	(1931-10-25) 25 October 1931 (age 85)
Place of birth	Lambeg, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Forward/Attacking Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1949–1950	Glentoran	18	(8)
1950–1962	Burnley	439	(116)
1962–1965	Stoke City	98	(16)
1965–1967	Oldham Athletic	39	(1)
Total		576	(133)
National team
1951–1965	Northern Ireland	55	(10)
Teams managed
1966–1968	Oldham Athletic
1970	Bolton Wanderers
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

James "Jimmy" McIlroy MBE (born 25 October 1931) is a former Northern Irish footballer who played for Glentoran, Burnley, Stoke City and Oldham Athletic. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of Burnley, having played 497 matches for the "Clarets" and scoring 131 goals.

McIlroy was born in Lambeg, County Antrim and he was introduced to football at an early age as his father, Harry played for Lisburn Distillery and his uncle, Willie played for Portadown. After leaving school McIlroy played for Glentoran before joining Burnley in March 1950 for £7,000. He soon cemented his reputation as one of the finest scheming inside forwards since World War II. He was dubbed as the 'Brain' of Burnley and was a very composed passer of the ball only releasing it when he was sure of finding a team mate. His neat footwork made him a crowd favourite at Turf Moor and indeed for the Northern Ireland national team where he made 55 caps. He helped Burnley win the First Division in 1959–60 and reach the FA Cup Final in 1962, losing 3–1 to Tottenham Hotspur. After 497 matches for the "Clarets" scoring 131 goals, McIlory was allowed to leave for Stoke City for a cut price £25,000, which came as a shock to the Burnley fans who branded chairman Bob Lord 'insane'.

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