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It is as far back as 1948 when Jimmy started his football career at Glentoran in Belfast and was signed by Burnley in 1950. Over the next 17 years, with Burnley, Stoke City and Oldham Athletic, he played over 600 league and cup games and won 55 international caps for Northern Ireland.
During the 1970s he covered a wide range of sports for the local papers and was respected for his fair and accurate reporting. Jimmy also actively supports the Pendleside Hospice in Burnley, the British Heart Foundation, Alzheimer's research and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.
Jimmy was given the Freedom of the Borough of Burnley in December 2008, a wonderful and fully deserved honour, and now that's been topped with this recognition from Buckingham Palace.
Clarets Mad have sent their congratulations to Jimmy. I'm sure every Burnley supporter will wish to do so and to raise a glass to James McIlroy MBE.