[Albion] Anyone got any links to Johnny Byrne playing for the Albion?

[Skaville]

Saw him today. Want to show my boy

 

[Thunder Bolt]

http://www.sussexlife.co.uk/people/interview-with-john-byrne-1-1636114

 

[Postman Pat]

 

[Leegull]

One of my all time favourite players. I remember him coming back to the Goldstone with Sunderland and everyone in the North Stand singing his name most of the game..

Also recall Albion having a free kick attacking the North Stand, John Byrne was in their wall and with the North Standing singing Johnny Johnny give us a wave, he gave us a cheeky little behind the back wave and got a massive cheer and another rendition of his song.

He also missed an absolute sitter that my Nan could have scored, I’m convinced he missed it on purpose, desperate not to score after such a reception.

I’m pretty sure that he scored in every round of Sunderland’s run to the cup final that year (with the exception of the final itself) - great player, that diving header in the 2-2 at Anfield which was the match that sparked my love for the Albion. Great memories

 

[Icy Gull]

One of my all time favourite players. I remember him coming back to the Goldstone with Sunderland and everyone in the North Stand singing his name most of the game..

Also recall Albion having a free kick attacking the North Stand, John Byrne was in their wall and with the North Standing singing Johnny Johnny give us a wave, he gave us a cheeky little behind the back wave and got a massive cheer and another rendition of his song.

He also missed an absolute sitter that my Nan could have scored, I’m convinced he missed it on purpose, desperate not to score after such a reception.

I’m pretty sure that he scored in every round of Sunderland’s run to the cup final that year (with the exception of the final itself) - great player, that diving header in the 2-2 at Anfield which was the match that sparked my love for the Albion. Great memories

May be my memory playing tricks but I seem to remember that the club, against his wishes, pretty well forced him to go to Sunderland as we needed the money.

 

[Leegull]

May be my memory playing tricks but I seem to remember that the club, against his wishes, pretty well forced him to go to Sunderland as we needed the money.

Yep that’s my recollection too and to add to the misery we were relegated at the end of that season

 

[BNthree]

Him and his son are season ticket holders, sit not too far from me.

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Never been so gutted when a player left the Albion.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Him and his son are season ticket holders, sit not too far from me.

I hope they have given him a discount.

 

[Captain Sensible]

We were so close in that Liverpool game

 

[Skaville]

Perfect. Thanks

 

[Jam The Man]

A truly terrific player. Extremely skilful and a proper fans favourite.
Was gutted when he left, as it was a death knell for us as we were duly relegated.
When he came back on loan in Spring 93 he was carrying an injury that he couldn’t shake.
Still he returned a third time a couple of years after that, as a partial sweetener for the fans after we sold Kurt Nogan, and showed enough glimpses of his old self to please most.

He’s a chiropodist these days and is married to one of my wife’s mates, and as mentioned above, is an East Stand STH with his lad.

 

[Jam The Man]

Not for Albion but a pretty decent effort for QPR against Chelsea (skip to 2 mins 40)

 

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Never seen highlights of this game despite going to it. Great find

 

[dangull]

It was a pity he was injured for the 1991 play off final at Wembley, it may have been a different result. I think he came on late in the game when the match was pretty much over.

 

[bhafc99]

May be my memory playing tricks but I seem to remember that the club, against his wishes, pretty well forced him to go to Sunderland as we needed the money.

The rumour was that he still won player of the season in the fans vote that year, as a protest, even though he’d left fairly early on in the season. But they had to give it to someone else. I certainly remember voting for him. Can anyone back me up?

 

[Simster]

Never seen highlights of this game despite going to it. Great find

This. I've often wondered whether that game was a figment of my imagination! And I've often told people that Codner's penalty in that game was the worst penalty I've ever seen by an Albion player (including Ulloa"s), and now you can see why. When he kicked it, it looked behind the goal as if a six year old had kicked it, it trickled so slowly.

The next time we went to Twerton, we got hammered 4-1 and relegated.

As for that Liverpool game, it was the stuff of legends. We were looking dead and buried when we went two down. What a fightback. Insane scenes in the away end that day.

 

[Jam The Man]

The rumour was that he still won player of the season in the fans vote that year, as a protest, even though he’d left fairly early on in the season. But they had to give it to someone else. I certainly remember voting for him. Can anyone back me up?

This is correct. My wife's aunt worked at the club at the time and he won it by a landslide. Mark Gall came second and therefore 'won' it

 

[Jam The Man]

It was a pity he was injured for the 1991 play off final at Wembley, it may have been a different result. I think he came on late in the game when the match was pretty much over.

He came on after about 75 mins and with a typical Byrne dribble in the box, set up Wilkins' consolation goal

 

[Baldseagull]

We were so close in that Liverpool game

They had to bring on Jan Molby and Peter Beardsley to crack us. I went to the first game at Anfield, couldn't get a ticket for the replay, the Goldstone capacity was down to about 15,000 at the time. Johnny Crumplin had Barnes in his pocket up there.