Funeral today for NI and Burnley legend Jimmy McIlroy

Jimmy McIlroy, described by Burnley as their “greatest ever player”, died on August 20 aged 86.

He was one of the heroes of Northern Ireland’s 1958 World Cup squad that made it all the way to the quarter-finals before being knocked out by France.

In his international career, he won 55 caps and scored 10 goals and is remembered as one of the finest players to have worn the jersey.

For Burnley, whom he joined from Glentoran in 1950, McIlroy won the First Division title in 1960 and reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup the following season.

He played for the Clarets for 13 years, scoring 131 goals over the course of 497 matches, and has a stand in the Turf Moor stadium named in his honour.

His funeral takes place at Turf Moor today. The cortege will pass along Harry Potts Way between 12-30pm and 12-45pm, before a private ceremony takes place in the James Hargreaves Stand.

Those wishing to pay their respects are expected to line Harry Potts Way, which will be closed to traffic from midday for the occasion. Others can pay their respects from a barriered position will also be available within the footprint of the stadium, in front of the Jimmy McIlroy Stand.

Following the service, which will be broadcast live on BBC Radio Lancashire, the funeral cortege will leave Turf Moor at approximately 2pm and travel along Harry Potts Way on Jimmy’s final journey.

The cortege will then make its way along Centenary Way, en-route to a private burial at Burnley Cemetery.

Burnley players wore black armbands in the Europa League match with Olympiakos at Turf Moor last night, with a minute’s silence to take place on Sunday ahead of the match with Manchester United.