Byrne Mick Image 1 Southampton 1903

Description

Bristol born goalkeeper Mick Byrne serving in The Grenadier Guards and The Gloucestershire Regiment before joining Southern League club Bristol Rovers in 1902.

The following season, he moved to join the Southern League Champions Southampton as cover for George Clawley. He made his debut for The Saints in a 2-0 victory over Swindon Town on 23rd January 1904, and followed this with a clean sheet in the next match before Clawley’s return. He made three further appearances (all victories, with two further clean sheets) before a move to Chelsea in August 1905, for their inaugural season in the Football League.

At Chelsea, he was at first the understudy to William “Fatty” Foulke, making four appearances in the 1905-06 season. His debut came in an FA Cup tie at Southern United in October 1905 and his Football League debut, Byrne also playing in Chelsea’s next cup tie, a heavy defeat to Crystal Palace, and his Football League debut came the following February at Hull City, the first of 3 League appearances he made before the season end.

Following Foulke’s departure at the end of the season, Bob Whiting was promoted to the first choice ‘keeper, helping Chelsea gain promotion to the First Division at the end of the season, in which Byrne made a single appearance against Glossop in September 1906. Byrne then moved on to join Glossop in May 1907, where he made 11 Second Division appearances before retiring in 1908.

He served as a private in the Royal Defence Corps during the First World War.