He was last of the Busby Babes and scored on his debut in the Manchester derby as a 17-year-old.
Now Sammy McIlroy has joined the chorus line pleading for Morecambe, the Shrimpers he brought into the Football League as manager 17 years ago, to be saved after the directors issued the ultimate prawn ultimatum.
Gypsy King and dethroned world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury ’s home-town club have no manager, no chief executive, only five players left on the books - and the board have published an open letter to owner Jason Whittingham, calling for him to sell up. They warn of a “catastrophic outcome” if Whittingham doesn’t hand over the keys, with a US-based potential buyer the only credible saviour to date unless Fury finds a spare £10 million down the back of the sofa.
On the promenade, there is a statue of comedian Eric Morecambe, the town’s favourite son (no offence, Tyson).
Bring me sunshine? You’re having a laugh. There are only dark clouds scudding across the cockles, winkles, mussels and shrimps of Morecambe Bay this summer, and McIlroy - the last player signed by Sir Matt Busby at Old Trafford before he retired in 1969 - fears his old club would struggle to rise from the ashes if the Grim Reaper claims another scallop.
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“The day we brought Morecambe into the League by winning the play-off final against Exeter in 2007 was one of my greatest days in football,” said the former Manchester United midfielder, who made 419 appearances for the club. “Our bus broke down on the way to Wembley, and I can remember Exeter’s flash executive coach, with its blacked-out windows, going past us as we were marooned on some sort of wasteland on the edge of London.
“Luckily our driver got our bus going again, but when we walked out to look at the Wembley pitch, Exeter’s players were already there in their trendy suits and sunglasses because their manager, Paul Tisdale, was best mates with the owner of the Ted Baker fashion chain.
“We managed to do a deal with a menswear store called Slater in Manchester, and we got our Wembley suits for £25 each. Our fans were heavily outnumbered and I remember saying to our physio, ‘They are here expecting to walk up those steps and get promoted’ but we put a spanner in their works.”
Danny Carlton’s last-minute winner sent McIlroy charging on to the pitch in celebration until he took a tumble in his winkle-pickers. But it was a super game of football - unlike the FA Cup final 24 hours earlier, where Chelsea and United had unfurled a monument to tedium and Roman Abramovich turned up in his jeans.
Famous fan: Tyson Fury (right) sponsored Morecambe (@ShrimpsOfficial/Twitter)McIlroy, now 69, said: “We were the underdogs, and we even missed a penalty, but our spirit got us into the League that day, and it has been a great achievement to stay there for 17 years against the odds and on wafer-thin budgets. It would break my heart to see Morecambe being chucked out of the League, having points deducted or, worst of all, going to the wall because it’s such a long way back.
“It would be a terrible shame if nobody comes to the rescue. I hope they are not just waiting for Tyson Fury to bail them out because he’s got other things on his mind at the minute, like trying to win his world title back. Hopefully someone from the business community will step in and see the potential. It’s a smashing little club and they may not have a big-city following in numbers, but the supporters are loyal and passionate about their club.”
McIlroy scored for United in the FA Cup final 45 years ago as they fought back from 2-0 down against Arsenal, but his joy was short-lived.
Seconds later, Alan Sunderland snatched the Gunners’ last-gasp winner in a crazy finish, but McIlroy has known worse heartache. Three years after the Shrimpers arrived in League Two, they made the playoffs again, only to suffer a 6-0 hammering at Dagenham & Redbridge in the semi-final first leg.
Sammy McIlroy scored for United in the 1979 FA Cup final (Bob Thomas/Getty Images)More upsetting than the score for McIlroy was the stream of “diabolical” abuse aimed at him throughout the match from former rail union leader Bob Crow, who was a sponsor’s guest in the VIP seats directly behind the dugouts. “He slagged off what I was wearing, told us we shouldn’t have been there, asked why I was managing such a small club like Morecambe - it was relentless, his language was appalling and it really affected me," said McIlroy.
“It was one of my worst moments in the game, and I was surprised the stewards didn’t see fit to intervene. It was dreadful. But that’s not how I want to remember my time with Morecambe. It’s a terrific club and I hope they find a way out of this predicament - I didn’t realise it was so serious.”
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