BYRNE, ROGER WILLIAM

Full back 1951-58
5ft 9" 10st 12lbs
b.Gorton, Manchester, 8th Feb 1929
d.Munich, 6th February 1958

Debut v Liverpool (a) 24/11/51

Career:
Abbey Hey Junior School Burnage Grammar School / Ryder Brow Youth Club
UNITED March 1949 to his death

Roger Byrne signed for UNITED from Ryder Brow Youth club where his wing partner was a player who also found fame, but in another support. Brian Statham decided to concentrate on cricket and went on to play in 70 Tests for England and was awarded the CBE during RAF National Service Byrne was away for two years. Amazingly, he was not considered good enough for the station football team, and ended up in the rugby side.

Back at OT and in the juniors he played inside-forward, left half-back and then by accident, found his niche at left full-back in a practice game. Shortly afterwards he was selected as full-back for the Central League team and he was on his way to stardom. His League bow came in 1951, at left full-back, but he played in the last 6 games of the season at outside-left, scored 7 goals and helped clinch the League Championship.

He began the following season at outside-left, but disliked playing on the wing and in October asked for a transfer. He was quickly re-instated at left-back and developed into one of the fastest and most accomplished backs in the country. His rapid reading of the game and calm, uncanny anticipation of danger gave him a masterful air and a genuine edge over opponents. Flexible and adaptable too, he was also an attacking overlapping full-back long before anyone coined the phrase. A charismatic natural leader, whose young charges undoubtedly benefited from his discipline, honesty and superb example, he was made captain in February 1954 of a much re-shuffled team with an average age of just 22!

He led them to consecutive League Titles in 1956 and 1957 and to the FA Cup Final of 1957, in which their Double Hopes were dashed by Aston Villa. Roger Byrne won 33 consecutive caps for England, played 3 times for England "B" and made 6 appearances for the Football League.

He was two days short of his 29th birthday when he perished in the Munich disaster of 58. It was a bitter blow for both UNITED and England who lost a man who was, arguably, one of the most outstanding defenders in the history of the game.

UNITED NOTE: It is perhaps a measure of the enormous confidence throughout UNITED's great side of this era that "skipper" Roger Byrne felt able to comment cheerfully:

"Never mind, we'll be back next year"

after defeat in the 1957 FA Cup final.

With hindsight, it was a painfully poignant remark as of course, UNITED bravely returned to Wembley in 1958 but, Byrne, killed in Munich, did not.

Appearances:
FL 245 - 17 g
FAC 18 - 2 g
EUR 14 - 0 g
Total: 277 apps 19 goal

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