 Irvine played his last match for Brighton on 18 November 1972, when the team lost 0–1 at home to his former club Burnley.After turning down potential transfers to West Ham and Torquay, because neither he nor his wife wanted to live in either place, Irvine decided to sign for Third Division outfit Halifax Town in December 1972.Despite taking a considerable pay cut, he chose Halifax to enable his family to return to live near Burnley.