Skip to main content

Billy McKeag

Name: William McKeag
Born: c. 1946, Belfast
Height: 5.08 ft
Weight: 10.05 st
Position: Full-Back

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 2 Full Caps (1967-1968), 2 Under-23 Caps (1967-1968); Irish League: 3 Caps (1967-1970).
Club Honours: (with Glentoran) Irish League Champion 1966/67, 1967/68, 1969/70, 1971/72; Irish Cup Winner 1972/73, Runner-Up 1966/67; Gold Cup Winner 1966/67; City Cup Winner 1966/67, 1969/70, 1972/73; Ulster Cup Winner 1966/67; Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1970/71.

Club Career:
Teams
Seasons
Signed
Fee
League
FA Cup
Europe
Other
Willowfield
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Glentoran
64/65-78/79
-64
-
*430(3)/10
-
16(0)/0
-
Detroit Cougars
1967
May-67
Guest
10(-)/ 0
-
-
-
TOTALS
-
£-
190/61
-
-
-
* all games.

Biography:
Billy McKeag emerged as one of the Irish League’s most highly-rated defenders of the late-sixties. Linked at various times with moves to Rangers, Stoke, Fulham, Everton, Charlton and Arsenal, none were prepared to meet Glentoran’s £15,000 valuation. He stayed with Glentoran until 1979, aside from a three year spell out of the game, and won every domestic honour available as well as being a member of the Cougars side that played in America in 1967.

Capped twice at Under-23 level (both against Wales, in the 2-1 ‘abandoned’ win of 1967 and a 1-0 victory the following year), McKeag won his first Full cap, as stand-in right-back for the injured Dave Craig, in the George Best inspired 1-0 win over Scotland in October 1967. His second and final cap was won four months later at left-half in a 2-0 defeat by Wales. In addition he played three inter-League games, all at left-back, in 3-1 (1967) and 2-0 (1970) wins over the League of Ireland and in a 5-0 defeat by the Football League (1970).
More to follow.


Glentoran Heroes

Northern Ireland Cap Details:21-10-1967 Scotland H W 1-0 ECQ/BC
28-02-1968 Wales... A L 0-2 ECQ/BC

Summary: 2/0. Won 1, Drew 0, Lost 1.


Northern Ireland Under-23 Cap Details:
22-02-1967 Wales... H W 2-1 FR
20-03-1968 Wales... A W 1-0 FR

Summary: 2/0. Won 2, Drew 0, Lost 0.

Comments