After Burnley
Many Burnley fans viewed his 1963 transfer to Stoke City as an act of treachery by club chairman Bob Lord. McIlroy learned that Lord had sold the player by reading of it in a newspaper; Lord had not even told McIlroy himself. After McIlroy's time at Stoke, he had a period managing Oldham, followed by a few weeks in charge of Bolton, a period that brought an end to a great footballing career. He retired to the Burnley area and is still a regular attender of Burnley home matches. He was given Freedom of the Borough in December 2008 and was given a testimonial match by Burnley FC in 2009.
McIlroy was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to football and to charity, and arranged to receive the honour at Burnley's Turf Moor ground rather than at Buckingham Palace.
Read more about this topic: Jimmy McIlroy