Louis Rooney

Name: Louis Rooney
Born: 28 September 1996, Plymouth (England)
Height: 5.11 ft / 1.80 m
Weight: 11.00 st / 70 kg
Position: Forward

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: Under-21, Under-19

Club Career:
Plymouth Argyle 15/16-16/17
Truro City .... 16/17 ..... Sep-16 loan 
Hartlepool Utd. 16/17 ..... Jan-17 loan
Linfield ...... 17/18 ..... Aug-17 free
Truro City .... 18/19- date

Biography:
To follow.

Louis Rooney's younger brother Dan also came through the ranks at Plymouth and has been capped by Northern Ireland at youth level.

Wikipedia

Northern Ireland Under-21 Cap Details:
02-09-2016 Iceland H L 0-1 ECQ sub

Ben Reeves

Name:
Born: 19 November 1991, Verwood (England)
Height: 5.10 ft
Weight: 10.07 st
Position: Midfielder


Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: Full.
Club Honours: (with Southend) Football League Trophy Runner-Up 2012/13.

Club Career:

Teams...... --Seasons-- Signed -Fee- League FA Cup FL Cup Other

Southampton 11/12-12/13 Aug-10 Youth 0(5)/0 1(2)/0 3(2)/1

Dag. & Red. 11/12 ..... Feb-12 .Loan 5(0)/0

Southend U. 12/13 ..... Jan-13 .Loan 7(3)/1 ............. 2(1)/1

MK Dons ... 13/14-16/17 Jul-13 .Free
Charlton A. 17/18- date Aug-17 .Free

Biography:
Midfielder, first called-up by Northern Ireland for a March 2014 friendly in Cyprus. He made his debut as a late substitute in a famous win over Greece in Athens.

Wikipedia
Soccerbase
MKDons
IrishFA

Northern Ireland Cap Details:
14-10-2014 Greece.. A W 2-0 ECQ sub
25-03-2015 Scotland A L 0-1 FR
still active

Patrick Roche

Name: Patrick James Roche
Born: 19 September 1909, Fivemiletown
Died:
Height:
Weight: 
Position: Left-Half

Representative Honours: Ireland: 2 Amateur Caps (1929-1930).

Club Career:
Teams ... --Seasons-- Signed --Fee--
St Albans City ............. Amateur (Isthmian League)
Uxbridge .............. 1930 Amateur

Biography:
To follow.

Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
12-10-1929 Scotland H L 0-3
20-09-1930 Scotland A L 0-2

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

With thanks to Patrick's son Johnny for forwarding the picture and personal details.

Jamie Reid

Name: Jamie Tyrrell Reid
Born: 15 July 1994, Torquay (England)
Height:
Weight:
Position: Forward

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: Under-21, Youth.

Club Career:
Teams ......... --Seasons-- Signed -Fee- League FACup FLCup Other
Exeter City ... 12/13- date Apr-12 Youth 
Dorchester Town 12/13 ..... Jul-12 .Loan 12(-)/3 (Conference South)
Weymouth ...... 14/15 ..... Jan-15 .Loan ....... (Southern League)
Torquay United. 14/15 ..... Feb-15 .Loan .1(1)/0 (Football Conference)
Truro City..... 15/16 ..... Sep-15 .Loan .5(-)/3 (National League South)
Torquay United. 15/16 ..... Jul-16 .Loan .-(-)/- (National League)

Biography:
To follow.

Wikipedia
Soccerbase

Northern Ireland Under-21 Cap Details:
30-05-2013 Cyprus A L 0-3 ECQ sub
still active.

Jordan Robertson

Name: Jordan Robertson
Born:
Died:
Height:
Weight:
Position: Inside-Right

Representative Honours: Ireland: 4 Amateur Caps / 1 Goal.
Club Honours: (with Cliftonville) Irish League Champion 1905/06 (shared), 1909/10; Irish Cup Winner 1906/07, 1908/09, Runner-Up 1909/10; ...

Club Career:
Cliftonville
Belfast Celtic

Biography:
To follow.

Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
07-12-1907 England. A L 1-6
20-11-1909 England. A D 4-4 1 Goal
18-11-1911 England. A L 0-2
05-10-1912 England. H W 3-2

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

Eddie Russell

Name: W. Edward Russell
Born:
Height:
Weight:
Position: Outside-Left

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: Amateur
Club Honours: (with Ballymena) Irish Cup Winner 1957/58, Runner-Up 1958/59.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	Other
Ballymena United	57/58-65/66	-	Amateur	*333/76	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		-	-	-

Biography:
Eddie Russell established himself in senior football with Ballymena mid-way through the 1957/58 season. He quickly gained Amateur international recognition.

More to follow.

Northern Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
18-01-1958 Wales... H W 3-1 1 goal
22-02-1958 Scotland A W 3-1 1 goal
27-09-1958 England. A L 2-6

Summary: 3/2. Won 2, Drew 0, Lost 1.

Billy Reid

Name: William Reid
Born: Bangor
Position: Right-Half

Representative Honours: Ireland: 2 Amateur Caps (1923-1924), Junior.

Club Career:
Teams ........ Signed
Clifton (Bangor)
Belfast Celtic
Bangor ....... (Intermediate League)
Ards ........... 1923

Biography:
"Reid is a half-back of real quality. He is not a giant in stature, but is a burly and determined tackler. Fear does not enter his vocabulary, and as a worker he is one who gives his club a full ninety minutes of enthusiastic and determined effort. His capabilities do not rest with untiring endeavour to do his share for his club's success, as he has capable ideas of the needs of his forwards in front and does not hesitate to put them quickly on the offensive. In other words, he is a [...] player with both constructive and destructive qualifications."

So read an Ireland's Saturday Night profile of William Reid, a new signing for Ards as they embarked on their first season as a senior club in 1923/24. A postman by day, it was reckoned that the constant movement aided his condition and stamina. Previously with Belfast Celtic II, it was with hometown side, Bangor, that Reid first came to prominence. With the Seasiders he finished a runner-up in both the Intermediate League and Steel Cup during the 1922/23 season and also claimed a Junior Cap in a 4-0 defeat by Scotland in Dundee where, despite the scoreline, he did not disgrace himself.

Reid played in Ards' first "senior" league game, a 2-1 win away to Barn on 25th August 1923. The team made a steady if unspectacular start to life at the highest level and Reid became the first Ards player to gain an Amateur cap when selected for Ireland's trip to Crystal Palace for a match against England that November. He retained his place for the following year's return fixture at Solitude. Seldom among the goals, one of the highlights of Reid's time at Castlereagh Park was a brace in a 7-0 victory over a much-fancied Belfast Celtic in February 1924.

Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
10-11-1923 England A L 0-3
08-11-1924 England H L 2-3

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

ISN profile, including picture, kindly forwarded by Jim Murphy.

John Richardson

Name: John Richardson
Height: 5.10½ ft
Weight: 11.00 st
Position: Goalkeeper

Representative Honours: Ireland: Amateur Representative (1925); Junior Shield Representative XI.
Club Honours: (with Ormiston) Steel & Sons Cup Winner 1924/25

Club Career:
Victoria Amateurs 20/21
Mountpottinger... 21/22
Distillery....... 21/22
Glentoran........ 22/23
Willowfield...... 23/24
Ormiston......... 24/25
Linfield......... 24/25-??/??

Biography:
John Richardson first appeared as a goalkeeper with Mountpottinger in the 1921/22 season, earning selection for a representative side of Junior Shield clubs that faced the Randalstown & District League. By the spring of 1922 he was turning out for Distilley II and the following season he was an ever-present for Glentoran II. Another move took him to Willowfield in 1923/24 but injuries put him out of the game for a lengthy spell. In 1924/25 he was part of the Ormiston team that defeated Ballyclare Comrades in the final of the Steel Cup following a second replay but it was his starring performance in a Co. Antrim Shield match against Belfast Celtic that drew the attentions of Linfield.

The Blues chased hard for Richardson's signature for some weeks before getting their man. They had been struggling for a consistent 'keeper throughout the 24/25 season, indeed they had tried three others between the sticks before signing Richardson. A "rough diamond", it was felt that Linfield had "unearthed a custodian with intuition and general ability to safely entrust him with the work of looking after the most important position on an Association team - goal."

Regarded as a "goalkeeper of class", Richardson appeared for Amateur Ireland in a match against the Irish League which was one of the first to be played under the then new offside rules, i.e. the "two opponent" rule rather than the old "three opponent" version.

Ireland Amateur Representative Appearances:
11-05-1925 Irish League H D 2-2

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

Photo and details from ISN article kindly forwarded by Jim Murphy.

Kevin Ramsey

Name: Kevin Ramsey
Born: 18 September 1984, Londonderry
Height: 6.00 ft
Weight: 12.13 st
Position: Forward

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 1 Under-21 Cap (2006); Under-19.
Club Honours: (with Limavady) North West Cup Winner 2004/05; (with Institute) IFA Intermediate League First Division Champion 2006/07; Intermediate League Cup Winner 2006/07.

Club Career:
Teams .......... --Seasons-- Signed -Fee- -League- FA Cup FL Cup -Other-
Trojans ........................... Youth
Celtic............................. Youth .0(0)/ 0
Ballymena United 03/04 ..... c/s-03 .Free .4(1)/ 0 ...... 2(1)/2 .0(1)/0
Limavady United. 03/04-04/05 Jan-04 ..... ??(?)/20 .............. ?(?)/3
Institute....... 05/06-06/07 c/s-05 ..... 27(3)/11 1(0)/0 5(1)/8 11(0)/3
Finn Harps...... 2007 - 2008 Jul-07 .Free
Institute....... 08/09- date Sep-08 .Free

Biography:
Kevin Ramsey won a single Northern Ireland Under-21 cap when he played in the first half of a 1-0 win over Scotland at his home ground, Drumahoe, in May 2006.

A former Celtic youth team player, Ramsey returned to Northern Ireland in 2003 when he joined Ballymena United. Big things were expected from the teenager but, although given an early chance, he stayed only briefly at Warden Street before moving closer to home to play with Limavady. In 2004/05, his only full season with the Roesiders, Ramsey scored twenty goals and claimed a North West Cup winner's medal following a 2-0 final win over Institute.

Ramsey moved on to Stute that summer and although he managed a respectable tally of seven goals in 21 games, the club were relegated from the Premier League. He remained at Drumahoe for the following season firing home a total of 15 goals as an immediate return to the top-flight was secured. He also claimed five goals when coming from the bench as Stute came from behind to win 7-2 in a Carnegie Intermediate League Cup match against Queen's. Dundela were defeated 2-1 in the final at Dungannon.

In July 2007 Ramsey joined Finn Harps. He suffered an early set-back as he suffered a fourth broken ankle in two years and he never really hit form during eighteen months at Finn Park. A return to Institute in January 2009 saw a return to form as he managed eleven goals in the second half of the 2009/09 season. In May 2010 Ramsey missed a penalty in the promotion/relegation play-off against Donegal Celtic as Stute lost 1-0 on aggregate to go down.

Northern Ireland Under-21 Cap Details:
16-05-2006 Scotland H W 1-0 FR

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

Jimmy Rosbotham

Name: James Rosbotham
Born:
Height:
Weight:
Position: Left-Half

Representative Honours: Ireland: 3 Amateur Caps (1936-1937); Irish League: 2 Caps (1938-1939); Intermediate League Representative.
Club Honours: (with Linfield) Irish Cup Winner 1938/39; City Cup Winner; Co. Antrim Shield Winner 1937/38.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	Other
Belfast Celtic	32/33	-	-	-	-	-
Brantwood	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ards	-	-	-	-	-	-
Brantwood	-	-	-	-	-	-
Glenavon	-	-1934	-	-	-	-
Linfield	-	-1937	-	-	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		-	-	-

Biography:
A "player with a big heart, Rosbotham is a capable and trustworthy defender and capable and resourceful in initiating and backing up an attack."

Jimmy Rosbotham's career stuttered its way to the senior ranks. He was briefly on the books of Belfast Celtic and played a few games as an outside-left with Ards in between spells with Brantwood. It was while while with Brantwood that he featured for the Intermediate League against the Glasgow Central League at Clydeside in March 1933. It was shortly after this match that Glenavon showed an interest in him and it was as left-half at Mourneview that he first enjoyed a settled period in the Irish League proper. "Not afraid of legitimate shoulder work", Rosbotham was first selected for Ireland Amateurs in April 1936 and he retained his place in the side for the next two internationals. In the late-1930s Rosbotham joined Linfield where he claimed his only major honours, including the Irish Cup after a 2-0 final win over Ballymena in 1939. He also made two inter-league appearances while at Windsor Park.

Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
22-04-1936 Scotland H L 3-5
13-02-1937 England. H W 5-1
21-04-1937 Scotland A L 0-3

Summary: 3/0. Won 1, Drew 0, Lost 2.

Details kindly supplied by Jim Murphy.

John Rafferty

Name: John Rafferty
Born: Belfast
Died:
Height:
Weight:
Position: Outside-Right

Representative Honours: Ireland: 1 Amateur Cap (1928).
Club Honours: (with Distillery) Gold Cup Winner 1929/30; Belfast Charities Cup Winner 1930/31.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	Other
Albert Foundry	-	-	-	-	-	-
Larne	28/29	1928	Amateur	-	-	-
Distillery	29/30-31/32	1929	Amateur	-	-	-
Glentoran	32/33	1932	-	* 7/1	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		-	-	-

* all games

Biography:
John Rafferty played his early football in the Shankill district of Belfast. He was spotted by Larne playing with Albert Foundry and was selected for Ireland’s Amateur international against England during the 1928/29 season, his first in senior football.

Signed by Distillery in the summer of 1929, in his first season he was part of the Whites team that claimed the Gold Cup with a 3-0 final win over Bangor at Solitude. The following season he won a second senior honour, Distillery defeating Belfast Celtic 4-2 in the Charity Cup final.

In 1933 Rafferty was on the move again, this time joining Glentoran. He played just seven times for the Glens, scoring his only goal in a 2-1 win at Coleraine.

Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
10-11-1928 England. H L 0-2

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

Based on information kindly supplied by Jim Murphy.

Roy Rea

Name: Robert Rea
Born: 28 November 1934, Belfast
Died: 5 April 2005, Toronto (Canada)
Height: 5.09 ft
Weight: 11.00 st
Position: Goalkeeper

Representative Honours: Northern Ireland: 1 ‘B’ Cap (1957), 4 Amateur Caps (1956-1957), Junior, Youth, 2 Schoolboy Caps (1949); Irish League: 13 Caps (1956-1959); Intermediate League Representative.
Club Honours: (with Glenavon) Irish League Champion 1956/57, 1959/60; Irish Cup Winner 1956/57, 1958/59; Gold Cup Winner 1956/57; Ulster Cup Winner 1958/59; City Cup Winner 1955/56, 1960/61; (with Glentoran) Gold Cup Winner 1962/63.
Awards: Ulster Footballer of the Year 1963.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	Europe	Others
Banbridge Town	-	-	-	(Mid-Ulster League)
Glenavon	53/54-61/62	1953	Amateur	* 219/0	*	3/0	*
Glentoran	62/63	c/s-62	-	* 44/0	*	2/0	*
Toronto Italia	-	1963	-	(Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League)
TOTALS	-	£-		263/0	-	5/0	-

Biography:
Roy Rea was a star with Banbridge Town, one of the leading Irish Junior teams, in the early 1950s, gaining recognition from the Irish FA at Youth and Junior level to add to the Schools honours he had won as a boy. His potential was spotted by Glenavon, who signed him as goalkeeping cover for Walter Durkan for the 1953/54 season.

It took Rea a few years to establish himself at Mourneview, but by Glenavon’s historic 1956/57 “Double” winning campaign he had finally displaced his good friend Durkan. Widely considered the finest ‘keeper in the Irish League through the late-fifties, Rea’s name was constantly linked with moves across the water. He established himself in the Irish League side ahead of Linfield’s Alex Russell and also made the Northern Ireland Amateur team’s number one shirt his own. He won rave reviews for his performance in Glenavon’s first ever European game, a 0-0 Champion’s Cup draw with Aarhus in Denmark, but could do little to prevent the Danes running out 3-0 victors in the second leg at Windsor Park.

In 1957 Peter Doherty made it clear that he considered Rea a potential Full international when he was included in the ‘B’ game against Rumania – he had little to do in a 6-0 victory. Rea was also included in Northern Ireland’s squad for the 1958 World Cup Finals (though he didn’t travel to Sweden) and was in the party that travelled to Spain for a friendly in October 1958. In 1959 Rea won a second Irish Cup winner’s medal as Ballymena were defeated 2-0 in a replayed Final, and the same season also helped Glenavon claim the Ulster Cup

By the end of the ‘fifties it became clear that Rea was unlikely to live up to the predictions of those who compared him to Elisha Scott, “slim, wiry and daring”. Cliftonville’s Jack Milligan and Coleraine’s Vic Hunter were now challenging Rea for his place as the Irish League’s number one number one. At Glenavon he was being challenged for his starting place by young Jack McClelland, only to be given a reprieve thanks to McClelland’s transfer to Arsenal in 1960. Things began to go wrong again for Rea mid-way through the 1960/61 season when injury ruled him out and Jimmy McAlinden signed Joe Kinkead as stand-in. Kinkead impressed enough to earn a place in that season’s Irish Cup Final team, ahead of the fit-again Rea, as Glenavon shocked Linfield 5-1 at Solitude. It was to be a month into the following campaign before Rea regained his firstteam place.

Rea was allowed to leave Glenavon in 1962, the club feeling a serious knee injury had signalled the end of his top-class career. He was one of Isaac McDowell’s first signings as boss at the Oval, as Glentoran sought to recover from one of the most disappointing seasons in their history – not only had they finished 1962 in seventh place in the Irish League, but arch-rivals Linfield had claimed a seven trophy “clean-sweep”. In what was a generally disappointing season for Glentoran, though undoubtedly an improvement on the one before, Rea put in some stunning performances, notably in a 1-0 win at ex-club Glenavon, and in a 1-1 Co. Antrim Shield draw with Linfield. He also played in Glentoran’s 3-1 Gold Cup Final victory over Derry City, and in Glentoran’s first ever European outing, an 8-2 aggregate Fairs’ Cup defeat by Real Zaragoza which was described as a “footballing lesson”.

With almost a month of the season remaining, and in the wake of his naming as Ulster Footballer of the Year, Roy Rea departed Belfast for Toronto Italia. His final game on Irish soil was, appropriately enough, against Linfield at the Oval. He put in a magnificent performance as the Co. Antrim Shield second round replay match ended 1-1; indeed one of his saves is still talked about. Rea left the pitch with a guard of honour from both teams’ players, the fans’ applause ringing in his ears. A week later, with Rea already in Canada, Glentoran lost the second replay 3-1.

Roy Rea remained in Toronto after his playing days were over, and died there in 2005.

Northern Ireland B Cap Details:
23-10-1957 Romania H W 6-0

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

Northern Ireland Amateur Cap Details:
21-01-1956 Wales... H W 2-1
25-02-1956 Scotland A W 3-1
19-01-1957 Wales... A L 1-3
23-02-1957 Scotland H W 4-1

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

Irish League Representative Appearance Details:
31-10-1956 Football League.. A L 2-3
21-11-1956 Western Command.. H W 3-1
18-03-1957 League of Ireland A D 2-2
22-04-1957 League of Ireland H L 1-2
09-10-1957 Scottish League.. A L 0-7
30-10-1957 Football League.. H L 2-4
13-11-1957 Western Command.. H W 6-0
17-03-1958 League of Ireland A D 2-2
03-09-1958 Scottish League.. H L 0-5
29-10-1958 League of Ireland H L 2-3
12-11-1958 Football League.. A L 2-5
23-09-1959 Football League.. H L 0-5
14-10-1959 Scottish League.. A L 1-7

Summary: 13/0. Won 2, Drew 2, Lost 9.

Picture kindly sent by Nils Johansson

Sam Russell

Name: Samuel R. Russell
Born: 2 January 1900, Downpatrick
Died:
Height:
Weight:
Position: Right-Back

Representative Honours: Ireland: 3 Full Caps (1929-1931); League of Ireland: 2 Caps (1925-1926).
Club Honours: (with Shelbourne) League of Ireland Champion 1925/26; (with Bradford City) Division Three (North) Champion 1928/29.

Club Career:

Clubs	Seasons		Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	Other
Royal  Irish Fusiliers			-	-	-	-	-
Old Park Corinthians			-	-	-	-	-
Distillery		-	-	-	-	-	-
Newcastle Utd		20/21-24/25	Aug-20	£200	28/0	3/0	-
Shelbourne		-	May-25	-	-	-	-
Bradford City		26/27-29/30	Dec-26	-	134/1	11/0	-
Derry City		-	Jun-31	-	-	-	-
Newry Town		-	Oct-32	-	-	-	-
TOTALS			£200		162/1	14/0	-

Biography:
A stylish full-back, Sam Russell earned Distillery a £200 fee when he transferred to Newcastle United in 1920, a route taken by Bill McCracken sixteen years previously. Unfortunately his five years at St James’ Park were ravaged by injury so he never really established himself in the first eleven. He did play three matches in Newcastle’s run to a 1924 FA Cup success, though he missed the final portion of the season.

In 1925 Russell returned to Ireland to join Shelbourne. While with the Shels he claimed a Free State League title and inter-league honours. Still effectively a Newcastle player, in 1926 Russell joined Bradford City where he established himself as a regular at right-back. While the Bantams suffered relegation from Division Two in 1927 he was an ever-present as they bounced back as Division Three (North) Champions in 1929.

It was while with Bradford City that Russell earned his first Full international recognition, featuring in defeats by England and Scotland in the 1929/30 Home Nations Championship. It was after joining the fledgling Derry City that Russell won his third and final cap, thus, along with Jimmy Kelly, becoming the first Derry player to gain Full international recognition.

Ireland Cap Details:
19-10-1929 England. A L 0-3 BC
22-02-1930 Scotland A L 1-3 BC
17-10-1931 England. H L 2-6 BC

Summary: 3/0. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 3.

Additional club career details courtesy of Martin O'Connor.