Noel Brotherston
Northern Irish footballer
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Noel Brotherston (18 November 1956 – 6 May 1995) was an international footballer for Northern Ireland.[3]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Noel Brotherston[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 18 November 1956[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Dundonald,[1] Northern Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 6 May 1995 (aged 38)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Blackburn,[1] England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[2] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1974–1977 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1 | (0) |
| 1977–1987 | Blackburn Rovers | 317 | (40) |
| 1987–1989 | Bury | 38 | (4) |
| 1988 | → Scarborough (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 1989 | Motala AIF | ||
| International career | |||
| 1978 | Northern Ireland U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 1980–1985 | Northern Ireland | 27 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
A winger, Brotherston played in the Football League for Tottenham,[4] Blackburn Rovers,[5] Bury,[6] and Scarborough.[7]
Noel was well remembered for his characteristic hairstyle that seemed to emphasise his jinking runs down the wing. He was a fans' favourite at Blackburn.[8]
International career
Brotherston made his debut for Northern Ireland in a May 1980 friendly match against Scotland and won 27 international caps, scoring three goals. He represented his country in three FIFA World Cup qualification matches[9] and played at the 1982 World Cup.
Brotherston played in a famous 1–0 win for Northern Ireland over Israel[10] that helped the team to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time in 24 years. He also scored the winning goal against Wales in 1980[11] to give Northern Ireland the Home Internationals Championship trophy in the Irish Football Association's centenary year.[12]
Personal life
Brotherston grew up in the town of Dundonald,[13] in the east of Belfast. He lived in Bright Street, East Belfast when he was a small boy. He attended Dundonald High School.[14]
He became a painter and decorator in Blackburn[8] when he retired as a player, and had two sons, Lee and Ryan. He died of a heart attack aged just 38.[8]
