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Glentoran Football Club is a professional football club, based in East Belfast, that plays in the NIFL Premiership. The club was founded in 1882 and have since won more than 130 major honours, making them one of the most successful football clubs in the world.
Linfield Football Club is a Northern Irish professional football club based in south Belfast which plays in the NIFL Premiership – the highest level of the Irish League. The fourth-oldest club on the island of Ireland, Linfield was founded as Linfield Athletic Club in March 1886 by workers at the Ulster Spinning Company's Linfield Mill. Since 1905, the club's home ground has been Windsor Park, which is also the home of the Northern Ireland national team and is the largest football stadium in Northern Ireland. The club's badge displays Windsor Castle, in reference to the ground's namesake.
Dungannon Swifts Football Club is a Northern Irish, semi-professional football club playing in the NIFL Premiership. The club, founded in 1949, has risen from the Mid-Ulster league to the top tier in Northern Ireland since its election to the Irish League First Division in 1997. Dungannon earned promotion from Irish League First Division to the Premier Division in the 2002–03 season.
David Jonathan Healy is a Northern Irish former professional footballer and now football manager who is in charge at NIFL Premiership club Linfield.
William Laurence Bingham was a Northern Ireland international footballer and football manager.
Thomas Arneill Dickson was a Northern Irish international footballer who most notably played with Linfield from 1948 to 1965. He played 660 times for Linfield, scoring 454 goals. He has been cited as one of the greatest Irish League players of all time. His popularity among Linfield fans led to him being nicknamed The Duke of Windsor.
William John Irvine is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a centre forward. Born in Eden, County Antrim, into a large family, he grew up in the nearby town of Carrickfergus. He did well at school, but chose to pursue a career in professional football and initially played for local club Linfield. After a spell in amateur football, Irvine travelled to England for a trial with Burnley at the age of 16. He was offered a professional deal and spent three years playing for the youth and reserve teams, before making his senior debut at the end of the 1962–63 season. Over the following seasons, Irvine became a regular feature of the Burnley team and in the 1965–66 campaign, he scored 29 goals and was the highest goalscorer in the Football League First Division.
Alan Blayney is a retired professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper and is now the first team goalkeeper coach at NIFL Premiership side Larne.
Matt Doherty is a Northern Irish former professional footballer.
Stephen Robert Ward is a retired Irish professional footballer who played as a left-back and is currently assistant manager at Brackley Town.
Matthew James Hill is a Northern Irish former footballer and manager. A winger, he scored 66 goals in 242 league appearances in an 11-year career in the Football League. He also won seven caps for Northern Ireland.
Tom (Thomas) Willighan was an Irish full-back football player. He was capped twice for the Ireland national football team, played five seasons for Burnley FC and won leagues and cups during his early days in his hometown of Belfast.
Jonathan "Jonny" Tuffey is a Northern Irish footballer and manager who plays as a goalkeeper for NIFL Premiership side Crusaders and is manager of Women's Premiership side Crusaders Strikers. He has also appeared for the Northern Ireland national football team.
Samuel McKee McCrory was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, most notably spending five years with Southend United and scoring the first goal at their Roots Hall stadium.
William Emerson was an Irish football player, who played as a midfielder for Burnley and Glentoran.
Thomas Morrison, also known as Ching Morrison, was a footballer for Glentoran, Burnley, Celtic and Manchester United, and for the Ireland national team.
Robert James Irvine is a Northern Irish former footballer who played in the Football League for Stoke City. His younger brother Willie was a star striker for Burnley in the sixties.
Ryan McGivern is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for NIFL Premiership club Newry City. He can play as a left-back or a central defender, and has represented Northern Ireland in international football.
George Bray was an English professional footballer who played as a wing half. He played his entire senior career with Burnley, making more than 250 appearances for the club in all competitions and forming part of the renowned defence known as the "Iron Curtain". After retiring from playing he remained at Burnley, firstly on the coaching staff and later as kit man before departing in 1992. In total, his association with the club as a player, coach, kit man and supporter spanned seven decades.
William Dougall was a Scottish association football player and manager. He played as a left half. He spent the majority of his playing career with Falkirk and Burnley. A qualified physiotherapist, Dougall later coached at a number of clubs and was appointed manager of Burnley in 1957. However, he held the position for only seven months before he was forced to retire through ill health.
References
- Simpson, Ray (2007). The Clarets Chronicles: The Definitive History of Burnley Football Club 1882–2007. ISBN 978-0-9557468-0-2.
- Interview with Billy Wilson at the Linfield official website