Tommy Lowry

Name: Thomas Lowry
Born: c.1937, Ballymacarrett, Belfast

Died: September 2004, Lurgan
Height: 6.00 ft

Weight: 10.06 st
Position: Centre-Half

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 1 B Cap (1960), 4 Schoolboy Caps (1949).
Club Honours: (with Ballymena) Irish Cup Winner 1957/58, Runner-Up 1958/59.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	FL Cup	Other
Doncaster Rovers	-	-53	-	-	-	-	-
Distillery	53/54	-	-	-	-	-	-
Glentoran	54/55-55/56	-	-	*32/ 1	-	-	-
Larne	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ballymena United	57/58-59/60	-	-	*100/13	-	-	-
Falkirk	59/60-63/64	£4k	-	81/ 0	2/0	13/0	10/0
Glenavon	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		-	-	-	-

* all games.

Biography:
Tommy Lowry was the most notable member of a famous east-Belfast footballing family, his brothers Sammy (Glentoran), Hugh (Ards) and John (Ards Reserves) all playing to a high standard.

As a teenager Tommy was scouted by Doncaster manager Peter Doherty, who offered Lowry a trial. During his time in England he lodged with Harry Gregg who took the youngster under his wing. It didn't work out for Lowry in England and he returned home for spells with Distillery, Glentoran, Larne and, most notably, Ballymena. He particularly enjoyed playing against Jackie Milburn, not giving the the ex-Newcastle forward an inch during his time at Linfield. It was while with the Braidmen that Lowry was first touted as a potential Ireland international, but he was never to win a cap.

Eventually Lowry was given another chance across the water when signed by Falkirk mid-way through the 1959/60 season. As his stature as one of the finest centre-backs in Scotland grew, Lowry was linked with moves to Newcastle, Sunderland and Rangers. He was the "Toast of Falkirk" until a bitter fall-out precipitated his exit from Brockville. Again he was linked with a host of clubs, Middlesbrough and Leyton Orient among them, but instead he returned "home".

Lowry settled in Lurgan and played for Glenavon. He was briefly caretaker manager at Mourneview, but refused a permanent position because he didn't want the hassle from colleagues at his job in a local creamery. He did later manage Distillery from February to September 1981.

Tommy Lowry remained outspoken in his views on local football up until his death in 2004.

More to follow.

NI Soccer Magazine (late 1980s) click to enlarge

Northern Ireland 'B' Cap Details:
16-03-1960 France A L 0-5

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

With thanks to John Meffen (Falkirk FC Historian)

Billy Leslie

Name: William Leslie
Born: 17 September 1866, Dundonald, Ayr (Scotland)
Died: September 1938, Bournemouth (England)
Position: Centre-half

Representative Honours: Ireland: 1 Cap (1887); Ulster representative
Club Honours: (with Glentoran) Charity Cup Finalist 1885/86; (with Y.M.C.A.) Irish Cup Finalist 1888/89; Charity Cup Finalist 1886/87; County Antrim Shield Finalist 1888/89.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	Irish Cup	Other
Glentoran	82/83-85/86	-	Amateur	-	/3	-
Y.M.C.A.	86/87-88/89	-	Amateur	-	-	*1/0
Cliftonville	89/90-90/91	-	Amateur	-	-	*2/0
Y.M.C.A.	91/92	-	Amateur	-	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		-	-	-

* English FA Cup

Biography:
Billy/Billie Leslie was one of a family of five born in Dundonald, Ayr to John Leslie and Agnes (nee Murray). The family had moved to Belfast by 1871.

Leslie started his playing career at full-back for Glentoran and soon became a regular in the team and over a three year period managed to score a goal on three separate occasions for them in Irish Cup matches. His final match for Glentoran was in the Charity Cup Final on the 1st May 1886 which Glentoran lost 5-1 to Cliftonville. Prior to leaving Glentoran Leslie represented Ulster against Staffordshire and Lancashire.

The Young Mens Christian Association was based at their headquarters on the Mountpottinger Road in Belfast. When Leslie joined them for the 1886/87 season they were active in all available competitions, as they had been since December 1883. Leslie played at centre-half with YMCA in three cup finals, finishing on the losing side on each occasion. He scored six goals for them including two in the 5-0 defeat of Oldpark in the County Antrim Shield semi-final on the 12th January 1889.

Leslie was one of four new caps selected in Ireland's forward line to play England at Bramall Lane, Sheffield on the 5th February 1887. Playing at inside-left was a strange selection for a centre-half and inevitably the Irish were defeated 7-0. Leslie was never afforded another chance in international football.

In October 1888 Leslie featured in YMCA's 5-0 "English" FA Cup defeat by Cliftonville at Shafesbury Park. In 1889 YMCA were "amalgamated" into Cliftonville, and it was for his new club that Leslie enjoyed two FA Cup match wins, 4-3 against Macclesfield and 2-1 against Leek in late 1890. Cliftonville were unable to progress any further in the Cup as they scratched from the competition due to prohibitive costs.

YMCA re-emerged on the local football scene in 1891, joining the Irish League with Leslie among their ranks. Sadly, they were unable to complete the season and withdrew on 19th December 1891. Leslie appears to have retired from the game in 1892, by which time he was a fully qualified Chartered Accountant.

Ireland Cap Details:
05-02-1887 England A L 0-7 BC (20 yrs, 141 days)

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


Biography and personal details by George Glass.

Wes Lamont

Name: Wesley Lamont
Born: 5 April 1964, Belfast
Height: 6.01 ft
Weight: 13.00 st
Position: Goalkeeper

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 2 B Caps (1995-1997).
Club Honours: (with Linfield) Irish League Champion 1992/93, 1993/94; Irish Cup Winner 1993/94, 1994/95; Irish League Cup Winner 1993/94; Floodlit Cup Winner 1993/94; Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1997/95; (with Coleraine) Ulster Cup Winner 1996/97.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	FL Cup	Europe	Other
FC Enkalon	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Linfield	90/91-95/96	Jul-90	-	118(0)/0	-	-	10(0)/0	-
Coleraine	96/97-99/00	Aug-96	-	83(0)/0	-	-	2(0)/0	-
Crusaders	00/01-01/02	Aug-00	-	26(0)/0	-	-	-	-
Ballymoney United	01/02	Oct-01	Loan	-	-	-	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		227(0)/0	-	-	12(0)/0	-

Biography:

A late developer in the game, Ballymena-labourer Wes Lamont played junior football in his hometown until, as a 26 year-old, he was signed by Linfield. A highly consistent goalkeeper, good in both the air and on the ground, he gained rapid elevation to the Blues' first eleven and in six seasons at Windsor Park he earned every honour in the local game with the exception of the Gold Cup and Ulster Cup (he missed the 1992 final due to injury, with on loan Stoke City-veteran, Peter Fox taking his place).

In September 1994 Lamont, by then 30, was called into the Northern Ireland squad for the first time, taking his place on the bench for a Euro '96 qualifier against Portugal at Windsor Park as back-up to Alan Fettis. A month later, with both Fettis and Tommy Wright unavailable, he was again called into the squad, but it was Ards' Paul Kee that was preferred for the matches with Austria and the Republic of Ireland. Lamont was rewarded by Bryan Hamilton with a B cap the following February, coming on as a substitute against Scotland.

In 1996 Lamont left Linfield for Coleraine. His form for the Bannsiders, who put in a concerted challenge for the 1997 Irish League title, again placed him in the thoughts of Bryan Hamilton. In February 1997 Lamont kept a clean sheet for Northern Ireland B against Portugal Under-21s and come the following August, with Fettis and Wright again unavailable, it was expected that he would be included in the squad to face Germany at Windsor Park. It was not to be however, as Aiden Davison and Roy Carroll where the 'keepers included in the squad.

In 2000 Lamont joined Crusaders, but his career at Seaview was brought to a close following the arrival of none-other than Paul Kee in 2001. He later joined the coaching staff at Ballymena and re-registered as a player in January 2014 when the club was suffering an injury crisis.

Linfield FC Interview (Feb 2008)

Northern Ireland B Cap Details:
21-02-1995 Scotland.... A L 0-3 FR sub
28-03-1997 Portugal U21 H W 2-0 FR

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

Gerard Lyttle

Name: Gerard Lyttle
Born: 21 November 1977, Belfast
Height: 5.07 ft
Weight: 11.02 st
Position: Defender/Midfielder


Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 8 Under-21 Caps (1998-1999).

Club Career:

Clubs	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	FL Cup	Europe	Other
Star of the Sea	-	-	Youth	-	-	-	-	-
Celtic	-	Dec-94	Youth	0 (0)/ 0	-	-	-	-
Peterborough United	98/99-99/00	Jul-98	Free	0 (0)/ 0	-	0(1)/0	-	-
Kingstonian	99/00	Dec-99	Loan	1 (0)/ 0	-	-	-	-
Ballymena United	00/01	Aug-00	Free	20 (5)/ 3	2(0)/0	1(0)/0	-	3(0)/0
Newry Town	01/02	Aug-01	-	6 (4)/ 0	-	2(2)/0	-	-
Cliftonville	02/02-02/03	Nov-01	-	46(11)/ 4	3(0)/1	3(2)/1	-	-
Lisburn Distillery	03/04-04/05	May-03	Free	/ 6	-	-	-	-
Cliftonville	05/06	Jun-05	Free	0 (0)/ 0	-	-	-	-
Newington YC	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
TOTALS		£-		73(20)/13	5(0)/1	6(5)/1	-	0(0)/0

Biography:
To follow.

Lyttle took charge of Malchians in 2009. He then joined the coaching set-up at Cliftonville, taking temporary charge following Tommy Breslin's resignation in September 2015. He was awarded the post permanently the following month. He led the Reds to the NIFL Cup in 2016, but resigned in April 2017 to take the post of full-time manager of Sligo Rovers.

Celtic Wiki

Northern Ireland Under-21 Cap Details:
21-04-1998 Switzerland H W 2-1 FR
20-05-1998 Scotland... N D 1-1 PT
04-09-1998 Turkey..... A L 0-2 ECQ sub
17-11-1998 Moldova.... H D 1-1 ECQ
31-03-1999 Moldova.... A D 0-0 ECQ
04-06-1999 Scotland... A D 1-1 PT
07-09-1999 Germany.... A L 0-1 ECQ
08-10-1999 Finland.... A L 1-2 ECQ

Summary: 7(1)/0. Won 1, Drew 4, Lost 3.