[4][5] Having moved from Newtongrange Star to Blackburn Rovers as a teenager in January 1908,[6] he was often a reserve for the likes of Eddie Latheron, Jock Simpson, Danny Shea and compatriot Walter Aitkenhead, but had a role in the squads which won the English Football League championship in 1911–12 and 1913–14.
[7] Towards the end of the latter season, he was selected for the Home Scots v Anglo-Scots international trial match,[8] but this did not lead on to a full cap.
The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 disrupted football and led to official competitions in England being cancelled a year later; during the conflict, Orr agreed to play some matches for Blackburn's local rivals Burnley[9] and also featured for Preston North End, but otherwise missed out on what would probably have been the peak years of his sporting career, and joined the British Army in 1917.
[10][11] He remained on Blackburn's books until the end of the 1919–20 season, but made only three post-war league appearances due to injury[12] (despite some callous newspaper reports having predicted that after demobilisation from the armed forces, "he is certain of his place now" – Latheron having been killed in the war).
[15] His uncle Willie Orr was also a football player (Celtic, Scotland) and manager (Airdrieonians, Leicester City).