The following story has been kindly provided by Iain Gillies, editor of the Gisborne Herald, New Zealand.
It is customary to say ‘nice’ things about people after they die. But former Republic of Ireland and New Zealand soccer star Seán Byrne, 48, who died from motor neurons disease in Melbourne last week, was one of these rare footballers who was even loved by the opposition.
Sense of humour
Few players of his era were more committed to the game, fiercer in the tackle or more likely to enforce the thou-shalt-not-pass law on invaders misguided enough in their arrogance to think they could impose some form of superiority on Seán’s defensive space. The difference between the Dubliner who played for Dundalk, and other defensive assassins gracing the high-quality New Zealand’s national league of the 1980s, was that Seán could do it all with a smile. He had a bubbling sense of humour on and off the field that endeared him to one and all. He could defuse the most volatile situation with a quip that had everyone grinning where moments before they had been ready to strangle each other. But, perhaps it helped that Seán Byrne was a man of steel as far as New Zealand football was concerned. He led from the front and played the game with Caesarean authority.
Irish link
Former Rotherham United and Sligo Rovers centre-back Kevin Fallon was the boss of Gisborne City when he saw Byrne play for the Irish team that toured New Zealand in 1982. He brought Seán to Gisborne for the 1983 season and they reached the final of the Chatham Cup (national knockout). A broken ankle in the second-half kept Seán out of the replay necessary after a 2-2 extra-time draw in Gisborne. And he was sorely missed when Mount Wellington took the honours in the replay.
Honours
But the indefatigable defensive midfielder was back in 1984 dictating play for the Gisborne side who won the national league and the Air New Zealand Cup. They were again narrowly beaten in the Chatham Cup final. Manurewa, led by national skipper Steve Sumner did the damege stopping Gisborne from completing an historic treble. But Seán stuck with the club and was sweeper in the Sumner-led Gisborne team who won the Chatham Cup in 1987. Before he and his wife Valerie decided to go to the Melbourne area in 1988-89, Seán helped Gisborne Thistle to a highly successful season in the Central league.
