Career
He learned the game as a youth and was selected to Scottish Junior League on a tour of the North of Scotland. McIlvenny excelled with the Philadelphia Nationals of the American Soccer League, where he teamed up with United States national team captain Walter Bahr, and was selected to join the national team during their 1950 World Cup appearance. He was given the honour of being captain for the game against England "because he was British", and in that game, it was his throw-in that led to the United States goal.
Although he was not a United States citizen, he had declared his intention of becoming one and thus was eligible to play, according to the rules of the United States Soccer Football Association at the time.
However, he never did gain citizenship. Earlier that same year, he had played in an All-Star game against Manchester United and his play attracted the attention of United manager Matt Busby, who offered him a spot on the team after the World Cup.
Upon his return to England, the English press called him "The Yank from the Tail of the Bank" (a reference to the sand bank that finishes at Greenock). He only had two appearances for them, however, and transferred to Waterford United of the League of Ireland instead.
He played for them for four years and then returned to England to play for Headington United, after which he retired from playing and ran a football school.
In the movie The Game of Their Lives that depicted the United States victory over England, McIlvenny (played by United States soccer player John Harkes) was given a much smaller role and the captainship was given to Walter Bahr instead. McIlvenny"s widow, Sheila, was reported as saying: "lieutenant"s disappointing, but what do you expect from Hollywood?. lieutenant is not the true story, not at all.
I think he would have accepted it, but I don"t think he would have been happy with it because it wasn"t the truth."
He is also featured in the Scottish Football Museum.
