Thornley, Irvine - Golden Goals and a Nice Bit of Rump

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IRVINE THORNLEY is one of the select group of men born in Derbyshire to play association football for England. Described as 'a thrustful centre-forward apt to give defences the run-around', he played once for his country in a 1-1 draw against Wales on 18 March 1907. He was a great favourite at his principal club Manchester City.

Irvine Thornley was born in 1883 in Hayfield, near Glossop, in the extreme north of the county of Derbyshire. He began playing football locally with Glossop Villa and Glossop St. James before signing for Glossop North End in 1901 - at that time they played in the Second Division of the Football League. In three seasons there he played 79 League games and scored 42 goals.

By trade he was a butcher in Glossop, and chose to combine that career with his football. In 1904 he achieved his 'big transfer' when he was sold to Manchester City for £800. By the time he moved on to South Shields in 1912 he had played 204 League games for City and scored 93 goals. He was immensely popular at Hyde Road (City's then ground) and his benefit match proceeds of £1036 were a record at the time for any League player.

Thornley left South Shields for the Scottish club Hamilton Acadamical and faded quietly from mainstream football.

The only Glossop butcher to play centre-forward for England died on 24 April 1955, aged 71.

The official England archive has no photograph of Irvine Thornley - if you are able to source one, why not add it to the You and Yesterday picture gallery and attach it to this article.

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County: Derbyshire

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