Tyrone icon Frank McGuigan faces “big battle” after heart attack

TYRONE GAA legend Frank McGuigan has survived a heart attack but faces a “big battle” ahead of him.

BBC Reporter Thomas Niblock said this afternoon on X/Twitter that: “Frank McGuigan is currently ill in hospital. He’s survived a heart attack and despite rumours to the contrary, he’s fighting back with some signs of marginal improvement. He has a big battle on his hands and the entire Ardboe family have asked for prayers.”

Ardboe and Tyrone legend Frank McGuigan, widely regarded as one of the most gifted and talented footballers ever to lace a pair of boots, turned 70 last November.

Mr McGuigan’s eleven point haul (all from open play) in the 1984 Ulster Senior Championship Final against Armagh at Clones is deemed the most brilliant individual performance of all time by any Tyrone player, and still sparks a ‘Where were you’ discussion when talked about by Gaels of a certain generation.

He first rose to prominence captaining the Tyrone senior team at the age of just 19 in 1973 leading them to the Ulster title for only the third time in the county’s history. Twelve months earlier he had also captained the Tyrone minors to the Ulster crown, and all the way to the All-Ireland Final.

Sadly months after that stellar showing in the Red Hands provincial success of ’84, which helped earn him an All-Star Award, Mr McGuigan’s playing career was ended as a result of a serious car crash, which almost claimed his life.

All four of Frank’s sons, Brian, Tommy, Frank Jnr and Shay, played for Tyrone at the highest level.