Former Town Striker O'Rourke Dies - Ipswich Town News

Former Town striker John O’Rourke died in hospital in Dorset on Thursday aged 71 after battling liver cancer.

O’Rourke joined the Blues from Middlesbrough for £30,000 in February 1968 for the final months of the Division Two championship-winning season and went on to score 31 goals in 72 appearances for Town before departing for Coventry City for £80,000 in November 1969.

Northampton-born O’Rourke was a youth player with Arsenal and then spent time with Chelsea before breaking into senior football with Luton in 1963 before joining Boro three years later.

After his spell with the Sky Blues, he spent time with QPR, AFC Bournemouth, Poole Town, South African side Johannesburg Rangers, Weymouth and Dorchester Town. Following his retirement, he ran a newsagents on the south coast.

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