As a soccer player, he played professionally for Bolton Wanderers, Rochdale, Plymouth Argyle and Peterborough United, and was capped six times by Northern Ireland.
[2] They carried their good league form into that year's Ulster Championship; defeating Armagh and Tyrone comfortably to set up a decider with Cavan.
[2] Despite playing through the pain barrier with a troublesome hamstring, McElhinney completed the match and helped Derry win back-to-back Ulster titles.
McElhinney spent a lot of time in the United States in the late 1970s and soon would become a professional soccer player, and he played his last game for Derry in 1978.
Unable to make a regular start at Parkhead he returned to Ireland initially on loan to Finn Harps, and then spent some time in the US with FC Berne and Chicago Sting, before signing with Distillery.
His robust style of defending brought the attentions of English clubs, and in August 1980 he made a £25,000 move to Bolton Wanderers.
In 1986 McElhinney captained the club's promotion to Division Two, and proved a steadying influence as they finished in seventh place in their first season.
While at Bolton Wanderers McElhinney figured in the plans of Northern Ireland manager, Billy Bingham, who included him in a number of pre-1982 World Cup squads.
He lives near Derby where he works in construction and for Bolton Wanderers as part of the matchday hospitality team at the Macron Stadium.