Mel Blyth

Club career

Norwich City and Scunthorpe United Blyth began his football career with non-league Great Yarmouth Town. He then joined Norwich City, although he never made an appearance in the first team. In October 1967, former Norwich manager Ron Ashman took up the reins at Scunthorpe United, at the time struggling at the foot of the Third Division. He returned to his old club to sign several players, including Blyth, Steve Deere and Geoff Barnard, to shore up the inadequate defence,

Crystal Palace Blyth joined Crystal Palace in the summer of 1968 as an old-style wing-half, but he developed into a centre-back and immediately became a regular member of Palace's 1968–69 Second Division promotion-winning side. In their first ever match in the top-flight First Division, he scored Palace's first goal with a looping header against Manchester United.

As Palace struggled in the First Division, regularly finishing just above the relegation zone, Blyth became a permanent fixture in the defence alongside John McCormick. He was replaced as centre-back for a while by Roger Hynd, but after playing in midfield for much of the 1969–70 season he won his place back when Hynd was temporarily switched to the forward line – the contrasting styles of Blyth and McCormick made for a good mix, and the two of them stayed together until McCormick moved to Wealdstone in 1973.

On 2 September 1972, Blyth made a tackle on Newcastle United's Tony Green which ultimately ended Green's career, although Green later said that he felt any contact was accidental.

Palace eventually lost its fight to avoid relegation at the end of the 1972–73 season, under manager Malcolm Allison. The following season, Palace was relegated to Division 3.

His effective partnership with Jim Steele was the mainstay of Saints' victorious FA Cup run of 1976, including beating his former club, Crystal Palace, in the semi-final. On 14 August 1976, Blyth was forced off with a hamstring injury during a 1–0 defeat to Liverpool in the FA Charity Shield.

Cape Town City and Margate In the 1978 close season he played for Cape Town City, then managed by former Palace coach, Frank Lord. During his spell at the club, they were relegated from the Second Division.

Honours Southampton FA Cup: 1975–76