Career
He also made appearances in the Football League for Crystal Palace and Reading. Irwin began his career at West Bromwich Albion, but did not make a first team appearance for the club He signed for Crystal Palace in 1921, as understudy to Jack Alderson.
After two seasons he moved on to Reading where he spent a further three seasons before retiring as a player.
Irwin returned to Crystal Palace, as coach, in 1937 before being appointed manager in 1939. He remained with Palace during the years of wartime football winning regional league titles in 1940, 1941 and 1946.
However the first post-war season (1946–1947) resulted in a disappointing eighteenth place in the Third Division South and Irwin resigned thereafter. He remained at Crystal Palace as a scout before being appointed manager of Darlington in 1950, where he remained for two seasons.