'A legend' - Irish League clubs pay tribute to trophy-winning manager Roy Welsh
Newry City have paid their condolences to former manager Roy Welsh, who has sadly passed away.
Welsh managed the club - when they were called Newry Town - at the beginning of the 1979/80 season following the departure of Jimmy Brown.
A club statement called Roy as "a legend" for his playing career before building "a magnificent Newry team" that won the Irish League B Division Championship and Irish Intermediate Cup in 1980/81.
A spokesperson for Newry said that Welsh was "bitterly disappointed" that the club were then denied subsequent promotion to the Irish Senior League.
They further added how he had "a great ambition" to manage in the Senior League, which he did when he joined Distillery during 1982.
He left the Newry Showgrounds after winning 69 out of his 91 games that he managed, losing on just 14 occasions.
The club stated how they were delighted to welcome Welsh to their Centenary Dinner in the Canal Court Hotel during 2019, where he got to got to reconnect with old friends and familiar faces.
They also shared their condolences to his family and friends.
It marks the second heartbreaking loss for those connected with Newry after the passing of club man Sean Gaffney last week.
Gaffney dedicated 44 years of his life at the Newry Showgrounds in various roles and the club stated he leaves with “a lifetime of memories”.
Meanwhile, a tribute to Welsh on Lisburn Distillery's Facebook page reads: "We are shocked and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of an immense Distillery FC and Irish League LEGEND, Roy Welsh.
"Our deepest sympathies to, and our thoughts are with, Evelyn and the wider family circle.
"A full tribute will follow to an outstanding player, manager, friend and person in the coming days."
A striker in his playing days, Welsh started his career at Distillery, before representing Glentoran and Ards before returning to his beloved Whites.
Ards posted their own tribute on social media: “Everybody at Ards FC is saddened to learn of the passing of our former player Roy Welsh.
"Roy signed from Glentoran and made his Ards debut on 9 August 1969 against Derry City at the Brandywell, Ards won 3-0 - the television cameras were at the game as it featured in the very first BBC NI 'Match of the Day'. Roy played in both European ties against AS Roma in his debut season.
"Roy made 70 appearances and scored three goals before returning to Distillery, the club he was associated with for many decades as a player and a manager.
"Our thoughts are with his wife Evelyn and the wider family circle.”
Funeral details have yet to be confirmed.