Roger Byrne - Captain of the Busby Babes (Hardcover)

Product Description
Manchester United have enjoyed more than their fair share of great players down the years, but none has been more committed to the cause than the subject of this biography, Roger Byrne. Brought up in Gorton, a working-class suburb of Manchester, Byrne was at first a promising wing-half, later even turning out at centre-forward, but he came into his own as a left full-back fir United and England. Indeed so committed was he to his position that he threatened to leave United unless Matt Busby returned him to the position following an experimental period on the left-wing. Moreover, Byrne was a product of his era. The 1950's were a time when footballers were woefully underpaid. Indeed, Byrne and his team-mates refused to take part in a BBC film under the working title 'training with the Champions' because the players were not going to paid enough. However despite these clashes with authority, Byrne remained fiercely loyal to his manager, team-mates and the club's growing army of supporters. By 1958 he and Matt Busby had forged a team of great talent and great resource only for the Munich air disaster to take the Babes away. Who knows how good Roger's team could have become if fate had not intervened?

From the Publisher
A great captain of a great team
Manchester United have enjoyed more than their fair share of great players down the years, but none has been more comitted to the cause than the subject of this biography, Roger Byrne. Brought up in Gorton, a working-class suburb of Manchester, Byrne was at first a promising wing-half, later even turning out at centre-forward, but he came into his own as a left full-back fir United and England. Indeed so committed was he to his position that he threatened to leave United unless Matt Busby returned him to the position following an experimental period on the left-wing. Moreover, Byrne was a product of his era. The 1950's were a time when footballers were woefully underpaid. Indeed, Byrne and his teammates refused to take part in a BBC film under the working title 'training with the Champions' because the players were not going to paid enough. However despite these clashes with authority, Byrne remained fiercely loyal to his manager, teammates and the club's growing army of supporters. By 1958 he and Matt Busby had forged a team of great talent and great resource only for the Munich air disaster to take the Babes away. Who knows how good Roger's team could have become if fate had not intervened?

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews   5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic biography of a United Legend, 11 Dec 2000 By A Customer I've just finished reading Roger Byrne - Captain of the Busby Babes and found it fascinating. Footballers of the 50's seem so down-to-earth compared to the superstars of nowadays, even the top players, like Roger,used to live next door to the fans, they were part of the community. Roger's own story naturally ends in tragic circumstances but, although you know what's coming, the way it is written brings back memories for many of us older supporters. Then there are the magnificent photographs focussing on the great team forged by Matt Busby, my only critiscm being why aren't there more of them... For any true fan of football, this book is a must - a great insight into football history. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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