Patrick Reilly (11 February 1873 – 6 April 1937) was a Scottish football manager, who was the first ever manager of Dundee Hibernian, forerunner of Dundee United.

Pat Reilly
Personal information
Full name Patrick Reilly
Date of birth 11 February 1873
Place of birth Dundee, Scotland
Date of death 6 April 1937 (age 64)
Place of death Dundee, Scotland
Managerial career
Years Team
1909–15 Dundee Hibernian
1917–22 Dundee Hibernian

Early life and business career edit

Reilly was born to Irish parents in Dundee, the eldest of five children. He was a bicycle trader and manufacturer together with his father and his two younger brothers. The family lived in the West End of the city, where Reilly had a cycle shop on Perth Road.[1]

Career edit

He became manager-secretary from the initial forming of Dundee Hibernian in 1909. A two-year spell aside, when he remained club secretary, Reilly was in charge for the first thirteen years of Dundee Hibs' existence, leaving just before the name change to Dundee United. It is widely acknowledged that Reilly was instrumental in forming the club, and that without him, there would have been no Dundee United.[2]

He donated a bicycle to the player who scored the first goal at Tannadice Park, John O'Hara of Hibernian.[3]

In February 2015 Reilly was inducted into the Dundee United Hall of Fame, the first non-player to be inducted along with manager Jim McLean.

References edit

  1. ^ "St Johnstone v Dundee United - Scottish Cup Final, Celtic Park, Saturday 17 May 2014". Scotland's People. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  2. ^ "Dundee United A - Z ( R )". Dundee United FC website. Archived from the original on 25 October 2007.
  3. ^ Pattullo, Alan (18 August 2009). "Unique Tannadice ushers in century". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. Retrieved 20 November 2011.