McIlroy was born in Northern Ireland and played for Glentoran until he was snapped by Burnley where he played 497 times scoring 131 goals from inside forward.
The Burnley side, master minded by Harry Potts and owned by Lancashire butcher Bob Lord also got to the FA Cup final in 1962, unfortunately meeting the famous Spurs in their pomp at Wembley, losing 3-1.
Jimmy went on to Stoke where he joined the Potters along with Stanley Matthews, Jackie Mudie, Dennis Violet and several other seasoned pros. The club won the Second division title in 1962-3 and the League Cup in 1964.
McIlroy turned out 98 times for Stoke and then went to Oldham totalling 655 games in his career and scoring 151 goals. At Oldham he managed the side in 1966-8, then went to Bolton to work with Nat Lofthouse in 1970.
Jimmy was awarded the MBE for services to football, especially that of Northern Ireland for whom he played 55 times amassing 10 goals. This team won its way to the 1958 World Cup finals in Sweden and in April 2015 at the Belfast Film festival a film called the Spirit of 58 followed the team in their success and other players starring were Billy Bingham, Peter McParland and Harry Gregg. Peter Doherty managed this side and he was an Irish legend himself.
You may know that McParland ruined Manchester United's chances of winning the FACup final in 1957 when he barged the United goalkeeper Ray Wood, into the net and reduced the United side to 10 men. Lofthouse, of Bolton Wanderers, of course, another sturdy forward put pay to the Busby babes chances of winning the 1958 FACup when he smashed into Harry Gregg and reduced the young "Babes" to ten men again.
Turf Moor has a stand named after Jimmy, christened in the 1990s.
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