Tony Byrne

Playing career He began his career as a footballer at Millwall, where he was originally a midfield player before switching to left-back.

His best season with The Saints was 1969–70, in which he made 35 league appearances, playing in defence alongside Joe Kirkup and John McGrath, as Saints again fought to avoid relegation. He scored his first league goal in the final match of the season in a 1–1 draw against Derby County. Having given away Derby's 88th-minute goal after a poor back-pass, Byrne quickly turned from villain to hero as he slotted in a bobbling ball in the 90th minute in a dramatic climax to the season.

He stayed at The Dell for ten years during which time he made a total of 114 first team appearances and won 14 Irish caps.

In August 1974 he moved to Hereford United to join former Saints' colleague Terry Paine for three seasons before finishing his career with Newport County.

Amazingly his Irish international debut in October 1969 in Dublin against Denmark was the first time he had kicked a ball in his native land because he had emigrated to London with his parents at the age of 12 and, until then, had played only hurling.

Later life After retiring from football, he worked as a foreman at Hereford golf course before working as a builder for EC Joseph & Sons LTD in Hereford.

In the 1980s Byrne purchased the derelict Tivoli Cinema in The Liberties in Dublin and refurnished it, converting it into a theatre and music venue/nightclub.

He died on 13 June 2016, aged 70.