It was with sadness that we heard of the death of Alec Byrne. Alec played for Celtic between 1957 and 1963, and these years immediately tell us that he was very unfortunate to have been at the club at precisely the wrong time.
Born in Greenock in 1933, Alec played 70 League games for the club, and if you add other appearances in the Scottish Cup, Europe and Glasgow Cup, his tally comes to 100 exactly. Such was the chaotic set-up at Celtic Park that he never really had a chance to settle, and yet he had some splendid games on the left wing.
He was fast, could beat a man and could run up the touchline and cross, but seemed now and again to lack confidence in his ability to cut inside and have a go himself. He had the misfortune to be up against some brutal defenders now and again, not least Bobby Shearer of Rangers who rejoiced in the nickname of Captain Cutlass – and that says it all!
His best game for the club was in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup in 1961 when he was superb on the left wing as Celtic beat Airdrie 4-0 to set up a final against Dunfermline. He was thus part of both Scottish Cup finals (first game and replay) in April 1961, and shared the pain of us all when the forward line did everything but score that misty night of the replay.
He also played the following season in the quarter final replay against Third Lanark at Hampden and was generally reckoned to have been brilliant, but then came the semi-final against St Mirren at Ibrox when the fans turned nasty. Alec was one of the few successes and scored Celtic’s only goal after the fans had been cleared off the park, and the game had already been conceded by the embarrassed Celtic Directors.
Alec Byrne (bottom right) with his Celtic team-mates
He also has the honour of having played in Celtic’s first ever European game against Valencia, and that was after he was given the chance to play the second half in Celtic’s famous friendly against Real Madrid in September 1962.
One would have liked to have seen him given a chance to play under Jock Stein, but quite simply Alec came at the wrong time. He was a total gentleman and was genuinely upset at some of the filth hurled at him and others by so called supporters when things were going badly. His potential was never really given a chance in appropriate circumstances, and sadly he must remain one of Celtic’s “might have beens”.
He left the club in 1963 to play for Greenock Morton and Queen of the South before moving to Australia. He was 87 when he died, and our thoughts go out to his family. RIP Alec Byrne.
David Potter
