Saddest possible news. R.I.P. Jimmy.

[alfinyalcabo]

R.I.P. Jimmy Mac,the best ever player I have seen in a Claret and Blue shirt.. I used to idolise him in my youth..Wonderful memories of a wonderful footballer and a gentleman as well. Thanks for some of the best footballing memories I have had..

[claw84]

R.I.P. Jimmy Mac,the best ever player I have seen in a Claret and Blue shirt.. I used to idolise him in my youth..Wonderful memories of a wonderful footballer and a gentleman as well. Thanks for some of the best footballing memories I have had..

I would like to echo Alfie's words, possibly the best player to pull on a Clarets shirt.

[oldcolner]

Nice to hear his memories
5 min sections of interviews in order Top to bottom
Growing up
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8q6N1BhkaOQ
Time at Burnley
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HMS-0sWh37M
Scoring goals
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9txChL6szjo
Being transfer listed
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VqK1gQhl2nU
Burnley’s adopted son
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=giL0eTJ7qtg
MBE
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZpSUbHWn4w

So understated.

[army88]

Just to say I was never lucky enough to see him play but my dad says he was simply the best ever player we had , against Leeds a few seasons ago he sat with me my dad guests and his daughter I believe, in James Hargreaves stand corporate.
Made my dads day to sit with a legend he’s watched and supported, to sit and reminisce was amazing.
What a gentleman he was as well, can’t fault the man.

A sad day for Burnley and his family, bring us some luck Jimmy when you watching down on us playing this season.

[oldcolner]

In one of the interviews
Jimmy laughed st being Burnley’s greatest player and said a friend called Bob Lord (not him!) then in his 80s told him that he was good but Bob Kelly was a better player - he played for Burnley for over 13 years 1913 - 25 and was capped for England.

He also said he was the worst header of the ball in his home town, he just shut his eyes and hoped,

I had the pleasure of asking for his autograph as a 10 year old on Colne cricket field we were playing Burnley. He gave me it and a smile and made my day. On the field his shimmy flummoxed and often paralysed defenders as he danced round them. A buzz always went up as he got the ball and he often managed to win penalties.

[sinkov]

I can remember sometime in the 50s being taken by my dad to watch Burnley play in a night match at Turf Moor. He was a Blackburn fan and it was made clear that the real reason we were going was so that I could see this player called Jimmy McIlroy, part of my football education I suppose. I don't remember much about the game at all, but what has stuck in my mind is standing on the terraces as the ground filled up, and everyone arriving, most straight from work probably, immediately asking those around them the same question, "Is Jimmy Mac laiking ?" Coming from Accrington I had to ask my dad what 'laiking' (is that how you spell it ?) meant, and it was soon obvious that I wasn't the only one there to see Jimmy Mac, the ground was full of people who had come to see Jimmy Mac, that was all they wanted to know, was Jimmy Mac laiking, nothing else seemed to matter.

This is from Henry Winter in the Times,

" The outpouring of emotion after the death of Jimmy McIlroy, at the age of 86, flowed from far and wide, including from followers of Burnley’s rivals, Blackburn Rovers. The respect for McIlroy stemmed from admiration of his humility, dignity and loyalty, as well as the Northern Ireland inside forward’s many creative gifts.
Yes, McIlroy played for Stoke City and Oldham Athletic after his 12 years at Turf Moor, but his commitment to Burnley was legendary. He loved the area, having lived there since 1950, enjoying the brooding beauty of the moors.
McIlroy was approached by the coach of Sampdoria to play for them in 1962. “He promised me all sorts: a villa overlooking the Mediterranean, an international school for my children, wages way beyond what I was getting in England,” McIlroy recalled in the Belfast Telegraph in 2008. “But when I told my wife she said to me, ‘What would we want to leave Burnley for?’ I’ve never regretted it. From the moment I arrived it felt like home and it has been home.”
He adored Burnley, town and club. Fans cried when he was sold to Stoke by Bob Lord, the owner. One refused to watch Burnley again, but McIlroy was always about, a familiar face around town, always approachable. Burnley’s greatest ever player had many special qualities — on and off the field. RIP."

[oldcolner]

Good story and the word laikin brings back many memories. I wonder where it comes from?

Posted on the clubs website

Burnley Football Club have today opened a Book of Condolence for Jimmy McIlroy who sadly passed away yesterday at the age of 86. The book can be found in the Bob Lord Stand reception and can be signed any time by supporters between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. each day.

[oldcolner]

The funeral of Jimmy McIlroy MBE will take place on Friday, August 31st when a private service will take place at 1pm in the James Hargreaves suite at Turf Moor.
Supporters are therefore invited to pay their last respects as the funeral cortege leaves the stadium, en-route to Burnley cemetery for a private burial.

More details on link

https://www.burnleyexpress.net/news/...moor-1-9313697