15/10/2003
McIlroy resigns as NI manager
Northern Ireland football manager Sammy McIlroy has resigned today following speculation last night that he had agreed a three-year deal to take over English second division side Stockport County.
McIlroy has cited his desire to return to the day-to-day management of club football as the main motivation for his decision. He is believed to have been given permission to speak to Stockport on Tuesday.
Earlier this morning, IFA President Jim Boyce said that he had been "kept in the dark" while McIlroy arrived at his decision.
The news will be a shock to most fans as, despite Northern Ireland's poor run of 13 games without a goal, McIlroy remained hugely popular with the Windsor Park faithful.
While on field problems have plagued Northern Ireland's recent Euro 2004 qualifying campaign, interest in the national team had reached levels not seen since the heyday of manager Billy Bingham in the 1980s. Supporters clubs have blossomed in recent months - foremost among which is the newly establishment Queen's University club, now the biggest in the country.
However, it seems the day-to-day involvement in league management has been too much of a lure for the former Manchester United player who previously guided non-league Macclesfield into club football prior to the Northern Ireland job.
(MB)
McIlroy has cited his desire to return to the day-to-day management of club football as the main motivation for his decision. He is believed to have been given permission to speak to Stockport on Tuesday.
Earlier this morning, IFA President Jim Boyce said that he had been "kept in the dark" while McIlroy arrived at his decision.
The news will be a shock to most fans as, despite Northern Ireland's poor run of 13 games without a goal, McIlroy remained hugely popular with the Windsor Park faithful.
While on field problems have plagued Northern Ireland's recent Euro 2004 qualifying campaign, interest in the national team had reached levels not seen since the heyday of manager Billy Bingham in the 1980s. Supporters clubs have blossomed in recent months - foremost among which is the newly establishment Queen's University club, now the biggest in the country.
However, it seems the day-to-day involvement in league management has been too much of a lure for the former Manchester United player who previously guided non-league Macclesfield into club football prior to the Northern Ireland job.
(MB)
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McIlroy fuming as NI Euro preparations disrupted
Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy's run of back luck continued today when the squad's luggage failed to arrive on the team's flight to Spain in the early hours of this morning. This calamity followed a four-and-a half-hour delay at Heathrow Airport last night which left both McIlroy and IFA President Jim Boyce fuming.
McIlroy fuming as NI Euro preparations disrupted
Northern Ireland manager Sammy McIlroy's run of back luck continued today when the squad's luggage failed to arrive on the team's flight to Spain in the early hours of this morning. This calamity followed a four-and-a half-hour delay at Heathrow Airport last night which left both McIlroy and IFA President Jim Boyce fuming.
24 June 2019
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21 July 2014
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County Down golfer Rory McIlroy has won the Open championship at Royal Liverpool. The win makes McIlroy, who was born in Holywood, the third golfer ever to win three major tournaments by the age of 25, after Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
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04 January 2013
McIlroy May Sit Out 2016 Games
Rory McIlroy has revealed he may decide to sit out the 2016 Olympics Games over uncertainty as to which country to represent. The world number one golfer from Holywood, County Down, said his role in the Games at Rio de Janeiro is as yet undecided, as he considers whether to play for Britain, Ireland or not at all.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.