Dickie Horner

Name: Richard Horner
Born: Belfast
Height:
Weight:
Position: Inside-Right

Representative Honours: Ireland: 1 Amateur Cap (1939), 2 Schoolboy Caps (1933).
Club Honours: (with Ballymena) Irish Cup Runner-Up 1938/39.

Club Career:

Clubs	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	Other
10th Old Boys	-	-	Amateur	-	-
Belfast Celtic	-	-	Amateur	-	-
Ballyclare.Comrades	-	-	Amateur	-	-
Aircraft Works	-	-	Amateur	-	-
Ballymena United	38/39-39/40	c/s-38	Amateur	*51/6	-
TOTALS		£-		-	-

* all games

Biography:
To follow.

Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
18-02-1939 England H L 0-1

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

Willie Moore

Name: William Moore
Born:
Height:
Weight:
Position: Outside-Left

Representative Honours: Ireland: 4 Amateur Caps / 1 Goal (1938-1939); Intermediate League representative.
Club Honours: (with Broadway United) Intermediate Cup Runner-Up; (with Belfast Celtic II) Intermediate League Champion; Steel & Sons Cup Runner-Up.

Club Career:

Clubs	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	Other
39th Belfast Boys’ Brigade Company			Youth	-	-
Broadway United	-	-	-	-	-
Ballyclare.Comrades	-	-	-	-	-
Belfast Celtic	-	-	Amateur	-	-
Ballymena United	-	1935	Amateur	-	-
TOTALS		£-		-	-

Biography:
In the mid-30s two William Moores played for Ballymena United.

To follow.

Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
19-02-1938 England. A D 1-1
13-04-1938 Scotland H W 2-1 1 goal
18-02-1939 England. H L 0-1
19-04-1939 Scotland H D 1-1

Summary: 4/1. Won 1, Drew 2, Lost 1.

Mick McWilliams

Name: Michael McWilliams
Born: Ballyclare
Height:
Weight:
Position: Centre-Half

Representative Honours: Ireland: 1 Amateur Cap (1947).
Club Honours: ... (with Ballymena) Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1947/48

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	Other
Belfast Celtic	-	-37	Amateur	-	-	-
Linfield	-	-42	Amateur	-	-	-
Ballymena United	47/48-48/49	-47	-	10/0	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		-	-	-

Biopgraphy:
Ballyclare-teacher Mickey McWilliams' playing career with Belfast Celtic, Linfield and Ballymena United spanned the Second World War.

More to follow.

Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
08-02-1947 England. A L 1-3

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

Charlie McIlroy

Name: Charles McIlroy
Born: Ballymena
Height:
Weight:
Position: Outside-Right

Representative Honours: Ireland: 1 Amateur Cap (1934).
Club Honours: (with Belfast Celtic) Irish League Champion; Irish Cup Winner 1936/37, 1937/38; Gold Cup Winner; City Cup Winner; Belfast Charity Cup Winner; Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1938/39.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	Other
Summerfield	-	-	Amateur	(Intermediate League)
Ballymena	32/33-33/34	-	Amateur	*41/12	-	-
Belfast Celtic	-	-	-	-	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		-	-	-

Biography:
Signed by Ballymena from their near-neighbours, Summerfield, Charlie McIlroy was greatly eulogised in the press. A profile in Ireland's Saturday Night noted:

“A quick-working brain and a pair of nimble feet, he can give any defender a lively afternoon. He is not the type of player with whom liberties can be taken. Possessed of a fine turn of speed, and excellent ball control, he takes a deal of stopping”.

Still a relative youngster when selected at outside-right for Amateur Ireland's trip to face England at Ilford in February 1934, McIlroy readily attracted the attentions of cross-channel scouts. Instead, in the fallout that followed Ballymena's expulsion from the Irish League and re-formation as Ballymena United, he joined Belfast Celtic. Just 21 years-old when he moved to Paradise, Mcilroy won all of the available honours through to the early 1940s, featuring mainly on the left-wing. He was one of the "other" scorers in a 13-0 win over Glenavon in January 1940, Peter O'Connor claiming eleven!

Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
17-02-1934 England A L 0-4

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

Details and picture kindly supplied by Jim Murphy.

Ossie Bailie

Name: Oswald Bailie
Born: c.1923, Ballymena
Died: 5 December 2015, Antrim (age 92)
Height:
Weight:
Position: Goalkeeper

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 1 Amateur Cap (1955).
Club Honours: (with Ballymena) Festival of Britain Cup Winner 1951/52.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	Other
Ards	-	-	Amateur	-	-	-
Belfast Celtic	48/49	-48	Amateur	-	-	-
Cliftonville	-	-	Amateur	-	-	-
Ballymena United	51/52-52/53	-	Amateur	13/0	6/0	10/0
Distillery	-	-	Amateur	-	-	-
Cliftonville	-	-	Amateur	-	-	-
TOTALS	-	£0		-	-	-

Biography:
Ossie Bailie was picked-out as a goalkeeper with potential by the legendary Elisha Scott who signed him for Belfast Celtic from Ards IIs. Bailie made his debut for Celtic on Christmas Day 1948 in a 5-0 win away to his hometown team, Ballymena United. Two days later regular custodian Kevin McAlinden returned to the side that faced Linfield for the infamous Boxing Day clash that preempted Belfast Celtic's withdrawal from the Irish League. Injuries sustained by McAlinden during the riot gave Bailie a run in the firstteam. Much to Bailie's regret, the return to fitness of McAlinden denied him a place in Celtic's "farewell tour" of America in the summer of 1949.

A multi-talented sportsman, Bailie chose to remain an amateur so that he could continue to play representative tennis. He also played cricket, notably as an opener for the Cregagh team that won the Senior League in 1947 and, in later life, bowls. Following Belfast Celtic's resignation from the Irish League he signed with Cliftonville, then the only all-amateur club playing in senior football. 

In May 1952 Bailie was a member of the Ballymena side that won the one-off Festival of Britain Cup as he kept a clean-sheet in the 3-0 final win over Crusaders. Around this time he was still playing cricket for Mid-Antrim (later Ballymena) CC, with whom he would feature in the 1958 Junior Cup and 1974 Senior Cup finals. Indeed, he was still featuring on the crease as he approached his sixtieth year.

Bailie was capped once at Amateur level in 1955 while back playing with Cliftonville. It proved an inauspicious occasion as a visiting England team cruised to a 4-1 victory in front of 8,000 fans at Solitude.

Ulster Cricketer 

Northern Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
17-09-1955 England. H L 1-4

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

Ballymena career details courtesy of Neil Coleman - The Official History of Ballymena United FC. 

Barney Donaghey

Name: Bernard Donaghey
Born: 23 December 1882, Londonderry
Died: 1 July 1916, KIA Somme (France)
Height: 5.04 ft
Weight: 10.10 st
Position: Inside-Left

Representative Honours: Ireland: 1 Full Cap (1902); Irish League: 2 Caps (1902-1905); Derry representative.
Club Honours: (with Derry Celtic) North-West Senior Cup Winner 1900/01, 1901/02; (Belfast Celtic) City Cup Runner-Up 1902/03.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	Other
Derry Celtic	00/01-01/02	-	-	/ 3	/2	-
Ulster	01/02	Apr-02	-	-	-	/1
Belfast Celtic	02/03-03/04	-	-	/ 8	/1	-
Glentoran	03/04	Feb-04	-	* 2/ 0	-	-
Hibernian	04/05	-	-	15/ 8	2/0	-
Derry Celtic	05/06	-	-	-	-	-
Manchester Utd	05/06	Nov-05	-	3/ 0	-	-
Derry Celtic	06/07	Aug-06	-	-	-	-
Burnley	07/08	Jul-07	-	5/ 2	-	-
Derry Celtic	08/09-12/13	-	-	/17	/4	/3
Dumbarton Harp	-	Feb-14	-	-	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		/38	/7	/4

* all games

Biography:
Born at Walker's Place, Londonderry to Edward and Bridget (nee Doherty), Barney Donaghey started his playing career with Derry Celtic as an 18 year-old. Not a prolific goalscorer, he managed about 50 goals in a career that took him from Derry to Belfast and on to Edinburgh, Lancashire and back to Derry again.

Donaghey opened his goalscoring account for Derry Celtic with 2 goals in the 3-3 draw with Cliftonville in the Irish League in September 1900. In his short spell with Ulster he scored a goal in a Charity Cup match in April 1902 while on his debut for Belfast Celtic on 30/08/1902 he scored a goal in the 4-2 defeat of Linfield and followed up with another goal in the 2-0 defeat of his previous club Derry Celtic on the 4th October 1902.

Undoubtedly the most famous player at Derry Celtic he played twice for the Irish League team while in their colours. His one full International appearance possibly brought him under notice from Hibernian in Scotland as three of their players were in the Scottish team. After playing for the Irish League against the Football League at Manchester on the 14th October 1905 he was signed by the United club to the end of the season.

During the Great War Donaghey served in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme on 1st July 1916, leaving behind his wife of two years, Sarah (nee Maguire). He is buried at Mill Road Cemetery, Thiepval.

MUFC Info
Diamond War Memorial
Commonwealth Graves Commission
BBC Article

Ireland Cap Details:
09-08-1902 Scotland H L 0-3 FR* (19 years, 229 days)

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

*As this match was held outside the International Championship it is often overlooked in the record books. It is however recognized as an official international by FIFA.

Additional details and photo supplied by George Glass. Club details by Martin O'Connor.