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Peter McParland, a true Newry sporting legend has passed away today, 4 May, at the age of 91. Born in Newry in April 1934 he presently lived in Bournemouth.
In the world of football Peter McParland did it all. He played in the League of Ireland for Dundalk at the age of 17 and on a trip to England an Aston Villa talent spotter noticed his potential and signed him up.
He is best known for his time at Aston Villa where he played from 1952 to 1962. With Villa he won the FA Cup against Manchester United in 1957 and the League Cup against Rotherham in 1961. Scoring twice in the 1957 FA Cup and once in the 1961 League he was the first ever player to score in and win both finals.
In 341 appearances McParland scored an amazing 121 Goals!
His international career saw him play for Northern Ireland from 1954 to 1962 representing the team 34 times. While playing for them scoring an incredible five goals in the 1958 FIFA World Cup campaign ensuring his team got to the quarter finals. The 1958 competition also saw an appearance from a young chap called Pelé who managed to score just one more goal than McParland in the Campaign!
His senior career also saw him make appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Plymouth Argyle, Worcester, Peterborough, Glentoran and even a spell in the USA with Atlanta Chiefs.
McParland was back in Newry in 2022 for the first Football Film Festival held at Newry City AFC.
In a social media post a spokesperson for Aston Villa recalled the legend "Aston Villa Football Club is profoundly saddened to learn that Peter McParland, the last surviving member of the club’s 1957 FA Cup-winning team, has passed away."
