Johnny Byrne

Club career

Crystal Palace Byrne made 14 appearances for Crystal Palace during the 1956–57 season, scoring once as the "Glaziers" finished 20th in the Third Division South. He signed a professional contract on his 17th birthday in 1956, and made his debut in October of that year. as Palace finished in 14th place. in which the club became founder members of the Fourth Division and new manager George Smith led the "Glaziers" to a seventh-place finish. In 1959–60 Byrne scored 16 times in 42 matches as Palace finished eighth in Division Four. He requested a transfer, and an asking price of £20,000 was demanded by the club.

After a steady first two seasons, Byrne became a first team regular, and was popular with the Palace fans. In the 1960–61 season, Byrne scored 30 of £65,000 to take "Budgie" to West Ham United in 1962. Greenwood would later compare Byrne with Argentine footballer, Alfredo Di Stéfano. The fee being made up of £58,000 plus ex-Palace striker Ron Brett who was valued at £7,000. He played eleven games in his first season, scoring a single goal, in a 4–1 home win against Cardiff City, in April 1962. In the 1963–64 season he beat Bobby Moore, who finished second, to the "Hammer of the Year" award for the season, as West Ham won the FA Cup. Byrne had amassed 33 goals from 45 games in all competitions for this season overtaking Hurst as top goalscorer. This included FA Cup goals in the fourth round against Leyton Orient, the fifth round against Swindon Town and two in the sixth round against Burnley. In Europe West Ham competed in the 1964–65 European Cup Winners' Cup. Byrne scored in the first round against La Gantoise, the third round against Lausanne and a goal in the semi-finals against Real Zaragoza. Unfortunately, for Byrne, he was injured in the England-Scotland match a few weeks earlier Byrne finished the season with 17 goals in all competitions, someway behind Geoff Hurst, who, on the verge of his 1966 World Cup victory, scored 40 goals in 59 games.

Return to Crystal Palace Byrne left West Ham in February 1967, returning to Crystal Palace for £45,000. and four goals in 22 appearances in 1967–68. This took his total for Palace to over 100 goals putting him 4th on Palace's all-time scorers list at the time. Palace were now in the Second Division but Byrne was past his peak as a player, He became the first Fourth Division player to win a cap for the under-23 side. Byrne played the whole of the 1–1 draw against Northern Ireland, part of the 1962 British Home Championship, at Wembley Stadium.

He was a strong candidate to be selected for the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, but he was shunned by the Football Association's selectors after getting involved in a confrontation with former England favourite Don Howe in a league match at The Hawthorns.

He got his first (and second) England goal in the 1–8 win over Switzerland. On 16 May 1964, possibly Byrne's greatest achievement came, as he scored a hat-trick, in Lisbon, in England's 4–3 win over a Portugal team that included Eusébio. He missed out on a place in the eventually victorious England squad, at the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

Personal life Byrne married Margaret when he was 18 years old. Career statistics

Club

International

Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Byrne goal.

Honours West Ham United FA Cup: 1963–64 FA Charity Shield: 1964