Northern Irish footballer, Arthur Stewart, Died at 76

Arthur Stewart was born on 13 January 1942 in Ballymena, County Antrim and died on 3 March 2018.

He was a Northern Ireland former international footballer

Stewart played with, among others, Glentoran, Derby County and Ballymena United in the 1960s and 1970s.

Stewart won seven full international caps for Northern Ireland as well as five amateur caps and five inter-league caps for the Irish League.

After two-and-a-half seasons, in August 1970 he returned to Northern Ireland to rejoin Ballymena.

Stewart was appointed player-manager in 1971 and won the City Cup in his first season in charge: Ballymena’s first trophy for eleven years

In March 1976, he signed as a player with Distillery but departed for a lucrative five-month spell in the American Soccer League with New Jersey Americans.

Stewart returned to the Irish League early in the 1976/77 season, taking in brief spells with Bangor and Cliftonville before he accepted a return to Glentoran as player-manager in May 1977.

His role as both experienced tactician and seasoned player aided Glentoran to some early successes.

Together they embarked on a European Cup campaign which would take them past Icelandic side Valur and within a whisker of a famous draw with Juventus.

The Gold Cup was won again, but the League title lost to Linfield.

During December 1978, he resigned as Glentoran manager to take the over as head coach at New Jersey Americans.

Stewart returned to Northern Ireland as manager of Ballyclare Comrades in 1981 and later managed Ballymoney United.

Arthur Stewart died at 76 years old.