Number 33 June 5 2017
Red
Rose County Footballing Legends
(Number 6)
Jimmy McIlroy (Burnley)
No-one
who saw him play will ever forget the footballing intelligence of this genius
from Northern Ireland. With neatly combed hair, a pleasant face and an
extremely ordinary physique, Jimmy McIlroy could have passed for a bank
employee or a school master, but once on the pitch and to use modern day
parlance, he was the play-maker. In the 50s and 60s when Jimmy was plying his
trade, he was an inside right, the guy you gave the ball to, the guy who
dictated the play. He was also an innovator. It was while watching Burnley that
I saw my first ever short corner. As a fan from the enemy down the road, I did
not enjoy his performances but as much as we had to suffer in silence, we had
to begrudgingly acknowledge his talents. He was signed from Glentoran as a 19
year old for £7000 in 1950 and he went on to play 439 league games for the Turf
Moor side, winning a League Championship medal in 1960 and an FA Cup runners-up
medal in 1962 when the Clarets lost 3-1 to Tottenham Hotspur. He was not only
an outstanding passer of a ball. In his career in England which spanned 19 seasons,
he was on the score sheet 151 times. He also scored 10 international goals
including 3 against England and was part of the renowned Northern Ireland side
which reached the Quarter-Finals of the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, drawing 2-2
with World Champions West Germany before finally crashing out against the
French. To the shock and horror of the Burnley fans, Bob Lord, the Claret’s
dictatorial chairman sold “Jimmy Mac” to Stoke City for £25,000 in 1963. He also
excelled in the Potteries, guiding them into the First Division and to the
final of the 1964 League Cup where they lost 4-3 on aggregate to Leicester City
in the 2-legged final. As age began to take its toll, he became player manager
at Oldham Athletic for two and a half seasons and coached at Bolton Wanderers.
But Burnley was home to probably their greatest ever player and for many years,
he was a journalist on the local paper. I was fortunate to have to deal with
him occasionally with regard to schools’ football and was so impressed by his
quiet demeanour and humble manner. The club has named a stand after him at Turf
Moor, a sure indicator of his legendary status in both the East Lancashire town
and throughout the Red Rose County.
Red
Rose Top 100 Order of Merit (as of end of season 2016-17)
|
Team
|
Lge Pos
|
Highest
ever Level – Pos – Year
|
Tier
|
League
|
Current
Years in Lge
|
|
|
1
|
Manchester City
|
3
|
1 – 1
2014
|
1
|
Premier League
|
15
|
|
2
|
Liverpool
|
4
|
1 – 1
1990
|
1
|
Premier League
|
55
|
|
3
|
Manchester United
|
6
|
1 – 1
2013
|
1
|
Premier League
|
42
|
|
4
|
Everton
|
7
|
1 – 1
1987
|
1
|
Premier League
|
63
|
|
5
|
Burnley
|
16
|
1 – 1
1960
|
1
|
Premier League
|
1
|
|
6
|
Preston North End
|
11
|
1 – 1 1890
|
2
|
EFL Championship
|
2
|
|
7
|
Blackburn Rovers
|
22
|
1 – 1 1995
|
2
|
EFL Championship
|
5
|
|
8
|
Wigan Athletic
|
23
|
1 – 10 2006
|
2
|
EFL Championship
|
1
|
|
9
|
Bolton Wanderers
|
2
|
1 – 3 1925
|
3
|
EFL Division 1
|
1
|
|
10
|
Fleetwood
|
4
|
3 – 4 2017
|
3
|
EFL Division 1
|
3
|
|
11
|
Rochdale
|
9
|
3 - 2* 1927
|
3
|
EFL Division 1
|
3
|
|
12
|
Oldham Athletic
|
17
|
1 – 4 1914
|
3
|
EFL Division 1
|
20
|
|
13
|
Bury
|
19
|
1 – 4 1926
|
3
|
EFL Division 1
|
2
|
|
14
|
Blackpool
|
7
|
1 – 2 1956
|
4
|
EFL Division 2
|
1
|
|
15
|
Accrington Stanley
|
13
|
4 – 4 2016
|
4
|
EFL Division 2
|
11
|
|
16
|
Morecambe
|
18
|
4 – 4 2010
|
4
|
EFL Division 2
|
10
|
|
17
|
Barrow
|
7
|
3 - 5 1932
|
5
|
National League
|
2
|
|
18
|
Southport
|
23
|
3 - 4 1939
|
5
|
National League
|
7
|
|
19
|
AFC Fylde
|
1
|
6 – 1 2017
|
6
|
National League 1 North
|
3
|
|
20
|
Salford
City
|
4
|
6 – 4 2017
|
6
|
National League 1 North
|
1
|
|
21
|
Chorley
|
6
|
5 – 17 1989
|
6
|
National League 1 North
|
4
|
|
22
|
FC
Utd of Manchester
|
13
|
6 – 13 2017
|
6
|
National League 1 North
|
2
|
|
23
|
Curzon Ashton
|
14
|
6 – 11 2016
|
6
|
National League 1 North
|
2
|
|
24
|
Warrington Town
|
10
|
7 –
10 2017
|
7
|
Northern Premier League
|
1
|
|
25
|
Ashton United
|
11
|
6 –
21 2005
|
7
|
Northern Premier League
|
12
|
|
26
|
Marine
|
18
|
7 -
1+ 1995
|
7
|
Northern Premier League
|
38
|
|
27
|
Skelmersdale United
|
24
|
7 – 6 2014
|
7
|
Northern Premier League
|
11
|
|
28
|
Lancaster
City
|
1
|
6 – 13 2005
|
8
|
Northern Premier League 1 North
|
10
|
|
29
|
Colne
|
5
|
8 – 5 2017
|
8
|
Northern Premier League 1 North
|
1
|
|
30
|
Trafford
|
6
|
7 – 10 2014
|
8
|
Northern Premier League 1 North
|
2
|
|
31
|
Clitheroe
|
7
|
8 – 6 2011
|
8
|
Northern Premier League 1 North
|
13
|
|
32
|
Bamber
Bridge
|
11
|
7 - 1+ 1996
|
8
|
Northern Premier League 1 North
|
12
|
|
33
|
Droylsden
|
13
|
5 – 24 2008
|
8
|
Northern Premier League Division 1
|
3
|
|
34
|
Ramsbottom United
|
14
|
7 – 17 2015
|
8
|
Northern Premier League 1 North
|
1
|
|
35
|
Prescot
Cables
|
16
|
7 – 5 2005
|
8
|
Northern Premier League 1 North
|
8
|
|
36
|
Mossley
|
17
|
7 - 1+ 1980
|
8
|
Northern Premier League Division 1
|
10
|
|
37
|
Radcliffe
Borough
|
20
|
7 – 9 2005
|
8
|
Northern Premier League 1 North
|
3
|
|
38
|
Burscough
|
22
|
6 – 8 2008
|
8
|
Northern Premier League 1 North
|
5
|
|
39
|
Atherton
Collieries
|
1
|
9 – 1 2017
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
2
|
|
40
|
Bootle
|
2
|
9 – 2 2017
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
8
|
|
41
|
West
Didsbury & Chorlton
|
6
|
9 – 5 2016
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
4
|
|
42
|
Padiham
|
7
|
8 – 19 2014
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
2
|
|
43
|
Irlam
|
8
|
9 – 8 2017
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
1
|
|
44
|
Ashton
Athletic
|
9
|
9 – 5 2015
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
3
|
|
45
|
Barnoldswick
Town
|
11
|
9 – 4 2012
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
7
|
|
46
|
AFC
Liverpool
|
12
|
9 – 7 2014
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
6
|
|
47
|
Abbey
Hey
|
14
|
9 – 10 2016
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
7
|
|
48
|
Maine
Road
|
15
|
9 – 2 2013
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
9
|
|
49
|
AFC
Darwen
|
18
|
9 – 18 2017
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
2
|
|
50
|
Squires
Gate
|
19
|
9 – 6 2015
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
15
|
|
51
|
Nelson
|
21
|
9 - 1+ 1952
|
9
|
North West Counties Premier League
|
3
|
|
52
|
Widnes
|
1
|
10 – 1 2017
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
4
|
|
53
|
Charnock
Richard
|
2
|
10 – 2 2017
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
1
|
|
54
|
Litherland
REMYCA
|
3
|
10 – 3 2017
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
3
|
|
55
|
City
of Liverpool
|
4
|
10 – 4 2017
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
1
|
|
56
|
Prestwich
Heys
|
8
|
9 – 12 1972
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
1
|
|
57
|
Chadderton
|
9
|
9 – 3 1993
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
19
|
|
58
|
St
Helen’s Town
|
13
|
9 – 3 2005
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
2
|
|
59
|
Daisy
Hill
|
16
|
10 – 8 2015
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
39
|
|
60
|
Holker
Old Boys
|
17
|
9 – 11 1996
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
9
|
|
61
|
Bacup
Borough
|
18
|
9 - 1+ 1947
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
2
|
|
62
|
AFC
Blackpool
|
19
|
9 – 9 2012
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
1
|
|
63
|
Atherton
Laburnum Rov
|
20
|
8 – 10 1996
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
5
|
|
64
|
Ashton
Town
|
22
|
10 – 5 1972
|
10
|
North West Counties League 1
|
31
|
|
65
|
Aigburth People’s Hall
|
1
|
11
– 1+ 2017
|
11
|
Liverpool
County Premier League
|
9
|
|
“
|
Longridge Town
|
1
|
11
– 1 2017
|
11
|
West
Lancashire Premier League
|
5
|
|
”
|
Rochdale Sacred Heart
|
1
|
11
- 1+ 2017
|
11
|
Manchester
League
|
4
|
|
68
|
Blackpool Wren Rovers
|
2
|
9
– 4 1992
|
11
|
West
Lancashire Premier League
|
16
|
|
“
|
Lower Breck
|
2
|
11
– 2 2017
|
11
|
Liverpool
County Premier League
|
3
|
|
“
|
Mossley Hill Athletic
|
2
|
11
– 2 2017
|
11
|
West
Cheshire League 1
|
6
|
|
“
|
Wythenshawe Ams
|
2
|
11
- 1+ 1993
|
11
|
Manchester
League
|
30
|
|
72
|
Denton Town
|
3
|
11
- 3 2017
|
11
|
Cheshire
Premier League
|
6
|
|
“
|
Fulwood Amateurs
|
3
|
11
- 1+ 1999
|
11
|
West
Lancashire Premier League
|
2
|
|
“
|
South Liverpool
|
3
|
11
- 1+ 2016
|
11
|
West
Cheshire League
|
3
|
|
“
|
Springhead
|
3
|
11
- 1+ 1998
|
11
|
Manchester
League
|
29
|
|
“
|
Waterloo Dock
|
3
|
11
- 1+ 2011
|
11
|
Liverpool
County Premier League
|
11
|
|
77
|
Garstang
|
4
|
11
- 1+ 2008
|
11
|
West
Lancashire Premier League
|
3
|
|
“
|
Liverpool NALGO
|
4
|
11
– 4 2017
|
11
|
Liverpool
County Premier League
|
2
|
|
”
|
Manchester Gregorians
|
4
|
11
- 1+ 2009
|
11
|
Manchester
League
|
11
|
|
“
|
Rainhill Town
|
4
|
11
– 4 2017
|
11
|
West
Cheshire League 1
|
2
|
|
81
|
East Villa
|
5
|
11
– 2 2015
|
11
|
Liverpool
County Premier League
|
11
|
|
“
|
Euxton Villa
|
5
|
11
– 3 2011
|
11
|
West
Lancashire Premier League
|
13
|
|
“
|
Hindsford
|
5
|
10
– 6 1951
|
11
|
Manchester
League
|
12
|
|
“
|
Maghull
|
5
|
10
- 1+ 1993
|
11
|
West
Cheshire League 1
|
18
|
|
85
|
AFC Monton
|
6
|
11
– 2 2014
|
11
|
Manchester
League
|
6
|
|
“
|
Redgate Rovers
|
6
|
11
– 6 2017
|
11
|
West
Cheshire League 1
|
1
|
|
“
|
Tempest United
|
6
|
11
– 6 2017
|
11
|
West
Lancashire Premier League
|
1
|
|
“
|
Waterloo GSOB
|
6
|
11
– 6 2017
|
11
|
Liverpool
County Premier League
|
2
|
|
89
|
Hesketh Bank
|
7
|
11
– 7 2017
|
11
|
West
Lancashire Premier League
|
3
|
|
“
|
Old Xaverians
|
7
|
11
– 2 2011
|
11
|
Liverpool
County Premier League
|
11
|
|
“
|
Richmond Raith Rovers
|
7
|
11
– 7 2017
|
11
|
West
Cheshire League 1
|
1
|
|
“
|
Royton Town
|
7
|
11
- 1+ 2004
|
11
|
Manchester
League
|
15
|
|
“
|
Wythenshawe Town
|
7
|
11
– 4 1995
|
11
|
Cheshire
Premier League
|
1
|
|
94
|
Byrom
|
8
|
11
– 8 2017
|
11
|
Liverpool
County Premier League
|
2
|
|
“
|
Vickerstown
|
8
|
11
– 4 2015
|
11
|
West
Lancashire Premier League
|
8
|
|
96
|
Coppull United
|
9
|
11
– 3 2004
|
11
|
West
Lancashire Premier League
|
14
|
|
“
|
Page Celtic
|
9
|
11
– 3 2014
|
11
|
Liverpool
County Premier League
|
9
|
|
“
|
Walshaw Sports
|
9
|
11
– 2 2015
|
11
|
Manchester
League
|
10
|
|
99
|
East Manchester
|
10
|
11
– 1+ 1992
|
11
|
Manchester
League
|
1
|
|
“
|
Turton
|
10
|
11
– 3 2005
|
11
|
West
Lancashire Premier League
|
1
|
·
Only 1 promoted from Division 3 North + Finished 1st but not promoted
Quiz of the Week (Answers at the foot of the Blog)
Each question has a Red Rose County club connection
1
The last player at a
Red Rose County club to score in a Champions’ League Final did so in 2011. Who
was he?
2
Who with 24 goals
was the second leading Premier League goal-scorer in the 2016-17 season?
3
Who managed Bury
twice, Blackpool twice and Rochdale twice but is most famous for managing the
side that unexpectedly beat Leeds United to win the FA Cup in 1973?
4
His League 1 side
struggled to stay up but with 24 goals he was the League 1 second leading goal
scorer in 2016-17. Who is he?
5
Who in 2015 replaced
Steven Gerrard as club captain of Liverpool FC?
6
Shay McCartan and
Billy Kee both reached double figures for goals scored for which Red Rose County
club in season 2016-17?
7
Who was the
Manchester City manager who gained successive promotions from the 3rd
to the 1st Tier of English football in 1999 and 2000?
8
Promoted as North
West Counties League Champions in 2016, which club reached the Play-Offs of the
Northern Premier League North this season?
9
Neil Lennon guided
Hibernian to the Scottish Championship this season but had been in charge of
which relegated Red Rose Club the previous season?
Post Weekend Musings
Wigan Athletic has named Paul Cook as its new manager, the
caretaker boss Graham Barrow having left the club. Cook has returned to the
north-west having managed Portsmouth to the League 2 title. With the Latics
having been relegated to League 1,
his new club will quickly be going head to head with his ex-team, so it is
perhaps safe to assume that Wigan were able to offer him a far more lucrative
contract than Pompey. There may be another reason however for the move. Paul
Cook is Liverpool born, Wigan was his first professional club and he also
played at Burnley, Tranmere Rovers, Stockport County and Accrington Stanley in
the second half of his 22 year career. As a manger, he was also in charge of
Stanley so at the age of 50, he possibly feels that the time is right to return
to his roots. The new manager is the 12th permanent incumbent in 17
seasons, about par for the course in this day and age; 7 having been sacked. Of
the other 4, Jewell will be remembered for taking them from Tier 3 to the dizzy
heights of the Premier League, Martinez for winning the FA Cup at Wembley and
Caldwell for promoting them back into the Championship.
List of Previous permanent Wigan Athletic
Managers this century.
|
Year
|
Manager
|
Reason for Leaving
|
|
2000
|
Bruce Rioch
|
Sacked
|
|
2001
|
Steve Bruce
|
Resigned to go to Crystal Palace
|
|
2001
|
Paul Jewell
|
Resigned
|
|
2007
|
Chris Hutchings
|
Sacked
|
|
2007
|
Steve Bruce
|
Resigned to go to Sunderland
|
|
2009
|
Roberto Martinez
|
Resigned to go to Everton
|
|
2013
|
Owen Coyle
|
Left by mutual agreement (sacked?)
|
|
2013
|
Uwe Rosler
|
Sacked
|
|
2014
|
Malky McKay
|
Sacked
|
|
2015
|
Gary Caldwell
|
Sacked
|
|
2016
|
Warren Joyce
|
Sacked
|
Paul Cook; will he be any more
successful than his 5 immediate predecessors?
The best ever winning
Champions’ League side from the Red Rose County
As
May fades into June, the eyes of the football world turn to the Champions’
League Final and two incontrovertible facts emerged from Saturday’s
final in Cardiff. Real Madrid are streets ahead of any other club in the world
in terms of achievement. This was the 62nd staging of the
continent’s top club competition and it was Real’s 12th victory in their 15th
final. Then there is Cristiano Ronaldo. He arrived at Old Trafford as a flying
winger in 2003, signed as a replacement for David Beckham. It was when he was
transferred to the Madrid club that he became recognised as a striker and since
then, he has been unable to stop scoring goals. Is he the best player in the
World? The argument continues to rage with some favouring Lionel Messi, but
Ronaldo’s 2 goals on Saturday will no doubt have cemented his 5th
Ballon d’Or at the year’s end and he must now be ranked amongst the Top Ten
players of all time. During the game I began to think about how the current
Real Madrid would have fared against the top Red Rose County sides who have
also won this trophy. Liverpool and Manchester United have each been
multiple winners, Liverpool in 77, 78, 81, 84 and 2005 with United coming out
on top in 68, 99 and 2008. If we talk in terms of the most dramatic game, it is
a toss-up between the Manchester club’s come from behind at the death victory,
beating Bayern Munich 2-1 in Barcelona or Liverpool’s epic penalty decider v AC
Milan in Istanbul when, 3-0 down at half time and totally outclassed, Gerrard
somehow inspired a victory. But if we are looking for the best-ever performance
we also have 2 choices. Was it the 68 final at Wembley which saw George Best go
head to head with Eusebio to determine Europe’s top player? It was a
sensational performance from the Old Trafford Reds, winning 4-1 after
extra-time. However Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach in Rome
in 77 was also as good as it gets. The Germans had at least 5 world class
players in their side while the Merseysiders were spearheaded by Kevin Keegan,
soon to be voted European Player of the Year in the next two seasons.
Liverpool’s incredible 4 victories in 8 years proves without doubt that they
were Europe’s outstanding club side through this period but it must also be
remembered that the Old Trafford side which won in Barcelona was without 2 of
their best players. Unsurprisingly Roy Keane and Paul Scholes were both suspended.
Would they have won more comfortably if they had been at full strength? It is a
question which can never be answered. Of course any win at this level has to be
most worthy but I remember that Liverpool’s 1981 1-0 victory over Real Madrid
was a dour affair as was their win by a similar margin over a less than
outstanding FC Bruges in 78. Equally penalty shoot-out wins do tend to detract
from the glorious finale, which rules out United’s win over Chelsea in Moscow
as well as Liverpool’s 1984 triumph in Rome against Roma. Therefore is the best
ever Red Rose County’s Champions’ League winning side the Manchester United XI which
ultimately hammered Benfica in 1968 at Wembley or the Liverpool side that took
on the might of Germany, comfortably defeating Borussia Monchengladbach in Rome
in 1977? Put it another way, a Busby or a Paisley. It’s too difficult a choice
for me so you choose.
The
Vanarama National
League North sits at Tier 6 of the English Football Pyramid and
promotes to the National
League (ex-Conference); in sniffing distance of the Football League
itself. Yet again AFC Fylde and Chorley plus the fast-improving Salford City were in contention. The
Fylde Coast outfit led virtually from day 1 and in Danny Rowe, they had a
striker who scored 46 goals, 19 more than his nearest rival. Kidderminster
Harriers pushed them all the way, but the Coasters scored 109 goals and won by
a 6 point margin. They join the elite of the non-league world, replacing fellow
Red Rose club Southport. Chorley and
Salford were prominent throughout
the season and both finally qualified for the Play-Offs. Salford edged into 4th
place, drawing AFC Halifax Town in the semi-final. Both legs were extremely
close but the extra experience of the former Football League club counted as
they edged through after penalties. Chorley finished 6th at the end
of the 42 game season but Darlington’s ground failed to meet the National
League grading criteria, The Magpies took their place and they certainly made it count, eliminating the
favourites from Kidderminster on penalties. The Play-Off Final was just as
competitive but once again the White Rose proved superior to the Red as Halifax
went through with a late, late extra-time winner. Salford are already
pre-season favourites to win the title next season and with the Class of 92
involved, a city the size of Salford could soon have the opportunity of supporting
a Football League club. Both Curzon
Ashton and FC United of Manchester
attained mid-table respectability. Curzon had a tremendous FA Cup run,
valiantly going down to AFC Wimbledon from League 1 by a 4-3 margin in Round 2
after leading 3-0 on the hour mark. The Ashton side finished in 14th
spot, a very commendable performance considering their low average home gate of
405. FCUM struggled at times but a strong late run saw them well clear of
relegation, equalling their best ever placing of 13th. But with over
2,6000 spectators regularly turning up at Broadhurst Park giving them a huge financial
advantage, the fans must feel disappointed that their progress during their
early years has stalled somewhat.
Danny Rowe; AFC Fylde’s prolific goal scorer
Quiz
Answers
1
Wayne Rooney, 2 Romelu Lukaku, 3 Bob
Stokoe, 4 James Vaughan, 5 Jordan Henderson,
6 Accrington Stanley, 7 Joe Royle, 8 Colne, 9 Bolton Wanderers, 10 Everton.
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