About Roy Rea
Lived 1934 – 2005 (aged 70). Roy Rea was a British association football player.
Robert "Roy" Rea (28 November 1934 – 5 April 2005) was a Northern Ireland international footballer who played in the Irish League as a goalkeeper with Glenavon and Glentoran. He won one 'B' cap, and four amateur caps for Northern Ireland and thirteen inter-league caps for the Irish League in the 1950s.
With Glenavon, he won the Irish League championship in 1956/57, two Irish Cups (1956/57 and 1958/59), one Gold Cup and one Ulster Cup. With Glentoran he won the Gold Cup in 1962/63; the same year in which he was named Ulster Footballer of the Year. In 1963, he played in the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League with Toronto Italia.
Although he never won a full international cap, Rea was a member of the Northern Ireland squad at the 1958 World Cup, as the second reserve goalkeeper, but did not travel to Sweden.
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Important facts
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Roy Rea's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Roy Rea?
Northern Irish footballer (1934-2005)
When was Roy Rea born?
Roy Rea was born on 28 November 1934 in Belfast.
When did Roy Rea die?
Roy Rea died on 5 April 2005 in Toronto.
What was Roy Rea's occupation?
Roy Rea was an association football player.
What nationality was Roy Rea?
Roy Rea was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Roy Rea. https://biography.guide/roy-rea/
MLA: "Roy Rea." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/roy-rea/.
Chicago: "Roy Rea." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/roy-rea/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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