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Johnny Byrne (footballer)
Encyclopedia
John Joseph "Budgie" Byrne (13 May 1939 – 27 October 1999) was an English
professional football
player.
Johnny started his career playing for Epsom Town
, and then Guildford City Youth
, before moving to Football League club Crystal Palace
, signing a professional contract on his 17th birthday. After a steady first two seasons, Byrne became a first team regular, and quickly became popular with the Palace faithful, setting the Fourth Division
alight. In the 1960–61
season, Byrne scored 31 of Palace's 110 goals (his strike partner Roy Summersby netted 25), as Palace reached the Third Division
. In the November of that first season in Division Three, Byrne was called up to the England
team, despite playing outside the top two divisions at the time, one of only five post-war players to achieve this. Byrne played the whole of the 1–1 draw against Northern Ireland
, part of the 1962 British Home Championship
, at Wembley Stadium
.
Following this, he did not stay a Third Division player for long, and the First Division
beckoned, as Ron Greenwood paid a British record transfer fee
of £65,000 to take "Budgie" to West Ham United
in 1962. The fee being made up of £58,000 plus ex-Palace striker Ron Brett
who was valued at £7,000. He left Palace having scored 96 goals, then a post-war record.
At the Hammers, Byrne's career flourished. He got his first (and second) England goal in the 1–8 win over Switzerland
, and he then pipped the likes of Bobby Moore
, Geoff Hurst
and Martin Peters
(all would go on to win the 1966 FIFA World Cup
) to the "Hammer of the Year" award for the 1963–64
season, as West Ham won the FA Cup
. In May 1964, possibly Byrne's greatest achievement came, as he scored a hattrick in England's 4–3 win over a Portugal
team that contained the likes of Eusébio
.
However he missed out on a place in the eventually victorious England squad, at the 1966 FIFA World Cup
. He scored for West Ham in the first leg of their 5–3 aggregate loss to West Bromwich Albion in the 1966 League Cup Final. Byrne left West Ham in 1967, returning to Crystal Palace.
Just under a year later, having scored just five goals (though that did bring his Palace total to one over 100, putting him 4th on Palace's all-time scorers list; he is now 7th), he moved across London again, this time to Fulham
.
After another unnoteworthy year, Byrne moved to South Africa
, to play for the now defunct Durban City, alongside some of his former Fulham teammates, such as Johnny Haynes
.
Byrne went on to become manager of Durban City, but spent most of his coaching career at Cape Town club Hellenic. He even played for them during an injury crisis in 1980, coming on as a late substitute in a league match against Johannesburg club Dynamos just short of his 51st birthday. He also coached at Cape Town Spurs and for Michau Warriors in Port Elizabeth. Spurs was his last job in 1998.
He died suddenly following a heart attack in Cape Town in October 1999, aged 60.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player.
Johnny started his career playing for Epsom Town
Epsom & Ewell F.C.
Epsom & Ewell Football Club is an association football club was established in 1917. They are from Epsom in Surrey and play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division. They have reached the first round of the FA Cup, been runners-up in the FA Vase, and been champions of Isthmian League...
, and then Guildford City Youth
Guildford City F.C.
Guildford City Football Club is a football club based in Guildford, Surrey, England. The club was originally established in 1921, folded in 1974 and were reformed in 1996...
, before moving to Football League club Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
, signing a professional contract on his 17th birthday. After a steady first two seasons, Byrne became a first team regular, and quickly became popular with the Palace faithful, setting the Fourth Division
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
alight. In the 1960–61
1960-61 in English football
The 1960–61 season was the 81st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season was a historic one for domestic football in England, as Tottenham Hotspur F.C. became the first club in the twentieth century to "do the Double" by winning both the League and the FA Cup competitions...
season, Byrne scored 31 of Palace's 110 goals (his strike partner Roy Summersby netted 25), as Palace reached the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
. In the November of that first season in Division Three, Byrne was called up to the England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
team, despite playing outside the top two divisions at the time, one of only five post-war players to achieve this. Byrne played the whole of the 1–1 draw against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
, part of the 1962 British Home Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
, at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
.
Following this, he did not stay a Third Division player for long, and the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
beckoned, as Ron Greenwood paid a British record transfer fee
British football transfer record
The progression of the British football transfer fee record tracks the increases in the record for the highest transfer fee paid or received by British association football clubs. A transfer fee is the sum of money paid by one club to purchase the contract, and therefore the playing services, of a...
of £65,000 to take "Budgie" to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
in 1962. The fee being made up of £58,000 plus ex-Palace striker Ron Brett
Ron Brett
Ron Brett was a professional footballer who played as a forward.-Career:Brett started his career at Crystal Palace before moving in 1959 to West Ham in a deal which saw Malcolm Pyke moving the other way...
who was valued at £7,000. He left Palace having scored 96 goals, then a post-war record.
At the Hammers, Byrne's career flourished. He got his first (and second) England goal in the 1–8 win over Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
, and he then pipped the likes of Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
, Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
and Martin Peters
Martin Peters
Martin Stanford Peters, MBE is a former football player and member of the victorious England team which won the 1966 World Cup as well as playing in the 1970 FIFA World Cup....
(all would go on to win the 1966 FIFA World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
) to the "Hammer of the Year" award for the 1963–64
1963-64 in English football
The 1963–1964 season was the 84th season of competitive football in England, from August 1963 to May 1964:-Overview:* Liverpool won the League Championship.* West Ham United won the FA Cup.* Leicester City won the League Cup.-Diary of the season:...
season, as West Ham won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. In May 1964, possibly Byrne's greatest achievement came, as he scored a hattrick in England's 4–3 win over a Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
team that contained the likes of Eusébio
Eusébio
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira, GCIH, GCM , commonly known simply as Eusébio, is a retired Mozambican-born Portuguese football forward. He is considered one of the best footballers of all-time by the IFFHS, experts and fans...
.
However he missed out on a place in the eventually victorious England squad, at the 1966 FIFA World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
. He scored for West Ham in the first leg of their 5–3 aggregate loss to West Bromwich Albion in the 1966 League Cup Final. Byrne left West Ham in 1967, returning to Crystal Palace.
Just under a year later, having scored just five goals (though that did bring his Palace total to one over 100, putting him 4th on Palace's all-time scorers list; he is now 7th), he moved across London again, this time to Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
.
After another unnoteworthy year, Byrne moved to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, to play for the now defunct Durban City, alongside some of his former Fulham teammates, such as Johnny Haynes
Johnny Haynes
John Norman "Johnny" Haynes was an English footballer, best known for his 18 years at Fulham. He played a club-record 658 games and scored 158 goals for the club between 1952 and 1970...
.
Byrne went on to become manager of Durban City, but spent most of his coaching career at Cape Town club Hellenic. He even played for them during an injury crisis in 1980, coming on as a late substitute in a league match against Johannesburg club Dynamos just short of his 51st birthday. He also coached at Cape Town Spurs and for Michau Warriors in Port Elizabeth. Spurs was his last job in 1998.
He died suddenly following a heart attack in Cape Town in October 1999, aged 60.