Roger Byrne
Encyclopedia
Roger William Byrne was an English
footballer and captain of Manchester United F.C.
. He died at the age of 28 in the Munich air disaster
.
He was one of the eight Manchester United players that lost their lives in the Munich air disaster
on 6 February 1958. He made 33 appearances for the England
team, and was captain of Manchester United
from the 1953–54 season onwards, the legendary Busby 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-back
s 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 earned league-winner's medals in 1952, 1956 and 1957, and was a FA Cup
runner-up to Aston Villa
in 1957.
Byrne was also a regular member of Walter Winterbottom's England team
during the 1950s and was considered a possible captain of national team after the retirement of the incumbent captain, Billy Wright. His total of 33 England caps were all won in consecutive fixtures. He appeared in every England international from his debut against Scotland
in April 1954 to his last match against France
in November 1957. This remains a record.
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 Jr. was born, and during the 1970s was a ball boy at Old Trafford
.
His funeral service was held at Flixton
parish church and his body was then cremated.
Some years after his death, a street on a new housing development near Manchester city centre was named after him – Roger Byrne Close. Other roads and paths on the estate include Tommy Taylor
Close, Eddie Colman
Close, Mark Jones
Walk, Billy Whelan Walk and David Pegg
Walk, as well as a housing complex called Duncan Edwards
Court, all of which are named after other players who died at Munich.
His biography, Roger Byrne, Captain of the Busby Babes, written by Iain McCartney, was published on 2 December 2000.
The 2011 television drama United
, centred on the successes of the Busby Babes
and the decimation of the team in the Munich air disaster
, wrongly named Mark Jones as the captain of the team. Surprisingly, Byrne was not a credited member of the cast.
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...
footballer and captain of Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. He died at the age of 28 in the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
.
He was one of the eight Manchester United players that lost their lives in the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
on 6 February 1958. He made 33 appearances for 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, and was captain of Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
from the 1953–54 season onwards, the legendary Busby Babes
Busby Babes
The Busby Babes were a group of Manchester United players, recruited and trained by the club's chief scout Joe Armstrong and assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, who progressed from the club's youth team into the first team under the management of the eponymous Matt Busby.The Busby Babes were notable...
era, playing as a full-back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
of the traditional style, similar to a modern day sweeper
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. He had previously been fielded at wing-half
Wing half
In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...
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-back
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
s 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
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
's greatest captains.
He earned league-winner's medals in 1952, 1956 and 1957, and was a 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...
runner-up to Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in 1957.
Byrne was also a regular member of Walter Winterbottom's England team
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...
during the 1950s and was considered a possible captain of national team after the retirement of the incumbent captain, Billy Wright. His total of 33 England caps were all won in consecutive fixtures. He appeared in every England international from his debut against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in April 1954 to his last match against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
in November 1957. This remains a record.
He was only 28 when he died in the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
, 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 Jr. was born, and during the 1970s was a ball boy at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
.
His funeral service was held at Flixton
Flixton, Greater Manchester
Flixton is a village and electoral ward within the Urmston area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England. It lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre, within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.Flixton's present-day population is...
parish church and his body was then cremated.
Some years after his death, a street on a new housing development near Manchester city centre was named after him – Roger Byrne Close. Other roads and paths on the estate include Tommy Taylor
Tommy Taylor
Thomas "Tommy" Taylor was an English footballer, who was known for his aerial ability. He was one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster....
Close, Eddie Colman
Eddie Colman
Edward "Eddie" Colman was an English football player and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster....
Close, Mark Jones
Mark Jones (footballer)
Mark Jones was an English footballer and one of eight Manchester United players to lose their lives in the Munich air disaster...
Walk, Billy Whelan Walk and David Pegg
David Pegg
David Pegg was an English footballer and one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958....
Walk, as well as a housing complex called Duncan Edwards
Duncan Edwards
Duncan Edwards was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and the England national team. He was one of the Busby Babes, the young United team formed under manager Matt Busby in the mid 1950s, and one of eight players who died as a result of the Munich air disaster.Born in Dudley,...
Court, all of which are named after other players who died at Munich.
His biography, Roger Byrne, Captain of the Busby Babes, written by Iain McCartney, was published on 2 December 2000.
The 2011 television drama United
United (TV drama)
United is a British television film directed by James Strong and written by Chris Chibnall. It is based on the true story of Manchester United's "Busby Babes" and the aftermath of the 1958 Munich air disaster...
, centred on the successes of the Busby Babes
Busby Babes
The Busby Babes were a group of Manchester United players, recruited and trained by the club's chief scout Joe Armstrong and assistant manager Jimmy Murphy, who progressed from the club's youth team into the first team under the management of the eponymous Matt Busby.The Busby Babes were notable...
and the decimation of the team in the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
, wrongly named Mark Jones as the captain of the team. Surprisingly, Byrne was not a credited member of the cast.