Everyone at Fulham was saddened to learn of Jimmy Conway’s passing at the age of 73.
The Whites legend had been battling dementia for more than a decade, and passed away in Oregon earlier today.
The eldest of 12 children, Jimmy was born in Dublin and made his professional debut for Bohemians before joining Fulham as a 19-year-old in May 1966 for a fee of £12,000.
A versatile player, he made his debut as half-back in a League Cup meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and capped it with a fine goal in a 5-0 victory at Craven Cottage.
He would go on to spend 10 years in South-West London, playing alongside the likes of George Cohen, Bobby Robson, Steve Earle, Graham Leggat, Les Barrett, Alan Mullery, Les Strong and Johnny Haynes, to name a few.
Jimmy’s first two seasons with Fulham were spent in the top flight, but the Club suffered successive relegations after that. He stuck with the Club, though, and scored eight times in 29 appearances during our 1970/71 promotion campaign.
His most prolific spell came in 1969/70 when he was shifted to the right wing, ending up as top scorer with 23 goals in all competitions, while he also got the chance to play alongside his brother John, who joined the Whites in 1971.
In 1975, Jimmy featured in 10 of our record-breaking 12 FA Cup matches, including the Final at Wembley.
His last match was a goalless draw with Plymouth Argyle at the Cottage, and he departed having scored 76 goals in 360 games.
Due to his decade-long spell in SW6, Jimmy was offered a testimonial, but turned it down as he felt that the Fulham supporters had given up enough of their money keeping him in a job over the years.
Jimmy moved to Manchester City for £40,000 and was part of the side that missed out on the Division One title by a point.
After a brief stay at Maine Road, an opportunity presented itself to join the Portland Timbers, the club where Jimmy ended his career – one which also saw him win 19 caps for the Republic of Ireland.
Jimmy enjoyed the United States so much that he never moved back to the UK or Ireland.
Our thoughts are with Jimmy’s wife Noeleen, children Paul, Laura and Mark, and his considerable family and friends at this tragic time.
