Burnley & Northern Ireland Legend Jimmy McIlroy Has Sadly Passed Away at the Age of 86
Burnley legend Jimmy McIlroy has sadly died at the age of 86.
McIlroy, for whom a stand at Turf Moor is named, was a member of Burnley's famous title winning side in 1960 and made just shy of 500 appearances for the club, scoring 131 goals, during a 13-year spell with the Lancashire side.
Born in Country Antrim in Northern Ireland in 1931, McIlroy arrived at Burnley from Belfast-based Glentoran in 1950 and was immediately a regular in the team.
With Burnley a well established top flight club, never finishing outside the First Division's top seven between 1956 and 1963 at a time when English football could be much more fluid, the inside forward became a star of the 1950s and often scored double figures in the league.
Described as 'wonderfully skilful and creative', he translated his marvellous ability onto the continental stage after the 1960 league triumph, helping Burnley reach the quarter finals of the European Cup the following season.
At international level, McIlroy played 55 times for Northern Ireland and went to the 1958 World Cup.
His departure from Burnley for Stoke in 1963 at the age of 31 came as something of a shock as the Potters were in the Second Division at the time. McIlroy later also turned out for Oldham Athletic, where he served as player-manager for a period.
A Burnley resident for the rest of his life, McIlroy was given the freedom of the Borough of Burnley in 2008, received an MBE in 2011 for services to football and charity and was inducted into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame in 2014.
An obituary published on the club's official website concluded with the line, "The Clarets have lost a true club great and a part of their history, and the club's thoughts are with his family and friends on this sad day."
