- Roger Byrne
Infobox Football biography
playername = Roger Byrne
fullname = Roger William Byrne
dateofbirth = birth date|1929|2|8|df=y
cityofbirth =Manchester
countryofbirth =England
height = convert|5|ft|9|in|m|2|abbr=on
dateofdeath = death date and age|1958|2|6|1929|9|8|df=y
cityofdeath =Munich
countryofdeath =Germany
position = Full back
currentclub =
clubnumber =
youthyears =
youthclubs = Ryder Brow Boys Club
years = 1949-1958
clubs = Manchester United
caps(goals) = 245 (17)
nationalyears = 1954-1957
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 33 (0)
pcupdate =
ntupdate =Roger William Byrne (
8 February 1929 –6 February 1958 ), was an English footballer and a captain ofManchester United F.C. He was one of the eight Manchester United players that lost their lives in the
Munich air disaster on6 February 1958 . He made 33 appearances for the England team, and was captain of Manchester United from the 1953-54 season onwards, the legendaryBusby Babes era, playing as a full-back of the traditional style, similar to a modern day sweeper. He had previously been fielded at wing-half and outside left and it was a testament to his versatility that, despite being naturally right sided, he should have been a success in a variety of positions.Byrne was never considered the most gifted of footballers. His tackling could be suspect and his aerial ability was described as no better than average, but his incredible work ethic and footballing intelligence allowed him to position himself and react to danger swiftly. Innovatively, he was also adept at making forward runs and joining attacks at a time when full-backs were expected only to stand back and defend. Perhaps his best asset was his ability to inspire players with his charismatic leadership. Even today, he is counted among one of Manchester United's greatest captains.
He gained League Championship medals in 1952, 1956 and 1957, and was a
FA Cup runner-up toAston Villa in 1957.Byrne was also a regular member of Walter Winterbottom's England team during the 1950s and was expected to captain the national team at the 1958 World Cup.
He was only 28 when he died in the
Munich air disaster , and on arriving home he would have received the news that his wife Joy was expecting their first child. Eight months after his death, Roger's son Roger junior was born, and during the 1970s was a ball boy atOld Trafford .Notes
Several sources report his date of birth as "September 8, 1929", they include :-
Arthur, Max: "The Busby Babes : Men of Magic", page 115. Mainstream Publishing, 1998
Roberts, J: "The Team That Wouldn't Die - The Story of the Busby Babes", page 70. Methuen, 1988;
Arthur, M: "The Manchester United Aircrash", page 16. Mainstream Publishing, 1983.
A 25th Anniversary Commemorative edition of the
Manchester Evening News , entitled "We Remember: Munich 1958-1983", also states on page 9 that Byrne was born in September 1929.External links
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=26320&GRid=14760450& findagrave]
* [http://www.englandstats.com/playerreport.php?pid=194 englandstats]
* [http://www.mufcinfo.com/manupag/a-z_player_archive/a-z_player_archive_pages/bryne_roger.html Manchester United stats]
* [http://manchesterunited.y2u.co.uk/MU45_Roger_Byrne.htm]
* [http://www.mirror.co.uk/munich/news/2008/02/05/munich-air-disaster-roger-byrne-s-son-on-the-father-he-lost-89520-20310010/]
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