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Hugh McKelvey

Name: Hugh McKelvey (McKelvie)
Born: 9 November 1879, Comber
Died: 6 May 1940, Belfast
Position: Centre-Forward

Representative Honours: Ireland: 2 Full Caps (1901-1902); Irish League: 3 Caps (1902-1903).
Club Honours: (with Glentoran) Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1901/02; Belfast Charity Cup Winner 1901/02.

Club Career:
Clubs..... --Seasons-- Signed Games
Glentoran. 00/01-02/03 ...... 73/52 (all competitions)
Distillery 03/04...... Nov-03 ??/10 (all competitions)

Biography:
By kind permission of ForzaGlens:

Born in Comber on 9th November 1879, Hugh McKelvey played for both Glentoran and Distillery during his short but successful career. In his first season with the Glens, Hugh, a centre forward, played 20 games and scored 11 goals. His first goal came in an Irish League game against Belfast Celtic that the Glens won 3-1. He followed that up with 2 more the following week away to Linfield (W 3-1) and another brace a week later when Distillery were the visitors to the Dee Street Oval. Glentoran’s only trophy that season was the Co Antrim Shield but although McKelvey scored in both the semi-final and semi-final replay he missed out on the final victory against Cliftonville. In March 1901 Hugh McKelvey won his solitary cap against Wales in Belfast; a match won 1-0 by the visitors.

The following season Hugh scored at Solitude in both the Charity Cup final (2-0 v Linfield) and the final of the Co Antrim Shield (2-1 v Distillery) as the Glens picked up another two trophies. He scored a total of 23 goals in 25 matches that season and netted another 18 times in the following campaign (1902-03). McKelvey also won Inter-League honours in both the 1901-02 and 02-03 seasons. The last record of Hugh McKelvey’s career was the 1903-04 season when he turned out for Distillery.

He died in Belfast on 6th May 1940.


Ireland Cap Details:
23-03-1901 Wales... H L 0-1 BC
09-08-1902 Scotland H L 0-3 FR

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

Comments

kelly james said…
Hugh mc kelvy is my great grandfather, I knew of his football career by his daughter Clara mckelvy (my lovely nan) but to see & read about him was amazing, would love photo, more info etc probably impossible. If anyone knows more my email is Kelly.james@inavatech.com :)
kelly james said…
Hugh Mc Kelvey is my great grandfather, I was told of his football career years ago by his daughter Clara McKelvey, my lovely nan, who married Leslie and became Mrs McKeag whom both moved from Belfast to kingston, England in 1946 amazing to see Hugh's football career in detail, would have been great to see photo's but I'll keep searching! Kelly james