Johnny Byrne my boyhood hero

by Harvey Paterson
(Croydon, England)

I first saw Johnny Byrne in the 1959-1960 season playing for Crystal Palace. Over the next couple of season's his skill and scoring ability fuelled my passion for football.

Playing in the 4th Division, he was head and shoulders better than most of his opponents. He seemed to score at will, and he produced the best from players around him.

At home matches goals were plentiful and it was great to see attacking football with an end product.

Sadly he went to West Ham, were I followed his career in the papers--Match of the day only started in 1964---

For 3 or 4 seasons he was a top footballer and then it all was over, and he became a shadow of his former self.

He came back to Palace years after his retirement and came on the pitch to wave to the crowd. The slim, wiry quicksilver of a young man, was replaced by a short portly old man. It was sad to hear of his death not so long afterwards.

Memories of thoses times with Palace in the late fifties and early sixties keep this boyhood hero of me still alive. He was a superb player.