Noel Brotherston

Noel Brotherston (18 November 1956 – 6 May 1995) was an international footballer for Northern Ireland.^[3]

Noel Brotherston

Personal information
Full name	Noel Brotherston[1]
Date of birth	(1956-11-18)18 November 1956[1]
Place of birth	Dundonald,[1] Northern Ireland
Date of death	6 May 1995(1995-05-06) (aged 38)[1]
Place of death	Blackburn,[1] England
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[2]
Position(s)	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,^{[citation needed]} Blackburn Rovers,^{[citation needed]} Bury,^{[citation needed]} and Scarborough.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[4]

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^[5] and played at the 1982 World Cup.

Brotherston played in a famous 1–0 win for Northern Ireland over Israel^{[citation needed]} 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^{[citation needed]} to give Northern Ireland the Home Internationals Championship trophy in the Irish Football Association's centenary year.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Brotherston grew up in the town of Dundonald,^{[citation needed]} in the east of Belfast. He lived in Bright Street, East Belfast when he was a small boy.

He became a painter and decorator in Blackburn^[4] when he retired as a player, and had two sons, Lee and Ryan. He died of a heart attack aged just 38.^[4]