William “Willie” McFaul
Lisburn Distillery FC is saddened to learn of the passing of our former Club Scout, William “Willie” McFaul.
Most remembered for his association with Newcastle United, where he played almost 400 times as goalkeeper and went on to manage the North East of England club.
Willie also played six times for Northern Ireland but was largely kept out of the international side due to his playing time co-inciding with that of the legendary Pat Jennings.
Iam, as he was also known, joined the Whites in September 2009 when one of his former Newcastle players, Tommy Wright, took over as manager.
That season Distillery looked nailed on for relegation but went unbeaten in their last 11 games to pull off “The Great Escape” and retain Premiership status.
The following season Willie’s contributions were vital as the club had their best season in recent years; finishing in the top half of the table, participating in the Setanta Cup and of course winning the League Cup in April 2011.
Willie remained at the club after Tommy Wright left and continued in his important scouting role under John Cunningham during the 2011/2012 season, which once again saw memorable Setanta Cup exploits and Premiership survival following a play-off against Newry City.
In short, Willie was a much valued member of the club backroom staff and a great servant to Northern Irish football.
Our thoughts today are with William’s family and friends.
