Gerald Byrne was born on the 29th of August 1938 in Liverpool and was of Irish descent growing up around the tough Scotland Road area of the city. When he was a young boy he played for Liverpool Schoolboys and Liverpool Catholic boys. At fifteen he was picked for the Liverpool Catholic Schoolboys who were playing in Dublin where he got spotted by a guy called Tosh Moore, who signed him for Liverpool. After two years as an amateur, when he was 17 he signed professional and his first wages were 8 pounds and 12 pounds, 8 pounds in the close season and 12 pounds in the season. Gerry made his Liverpool debut vs. Charlton on the 28th of September 1957 when he was nineteen. Liverpool got beaten 5-1 and it was a personal disaster for the young full-back as he scored an own goal. Bill Shankly was appointed manager in December 1959 and at the season's end had a clear out of 24 players. When Shankly arrived at Anfield, Gerry was a regular in the reserves and was actually on the transfer list but arousing very little interest as he had played only two first team games, however he was retained. Gerry says, "When Shankly came everything changed. I got into the team at right-back. Ronnie Moran was at left-back and when he retired, or nearly retired, I took his place. Chris Lawler came in then at right-back. I was nicknamed the 'Crunch'. I was a clean player. I was hard, but fair. I used to wait for the ball to come and then I was on my way. You hit someone when the ball was there and that was it. That's how I got the crunch. I didn't go after players intentionally. I was never sent off in my life." With Shankly highly appreciative of his abilities, Gerry played every single league fixture as the Reds romped to the Second Division title and promotion in 1961-62. A crucial member of Shankly's supreme side of the mid-1960s he collected league championship honours in both 1963-64 and 1965-66, producing another ever-present campaign in the latter season. In between those triumphs was when Liverpool first tasted FA Cup glory when they beat Leeds United 2-1 in the final in 1965.
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| Bob Paisley checking Byrne's collar-bone |
Gerry is best known for his heroic display in that FA Cup final vs Leeds. Bob Paisley, who was Liverpool's physio on the day recalled, "I knew as soon as Gerry Byrne went down on that lush Wembley turf that something was seriously wrong. Gerry was as hard as nails but as I ran across from the Wembley benches to where he lay on the pitch I didn’t need telling that we could be in a fix. Gerry had clattered into the chunky Bobby Collins. Gerry knew that there was no way Liverpool could survive an F.A. Cup final against old rivals Leeds United with only ten men. As soon as I reached him I knew that my initial touchline diagnosis had been painfully accurate. He had broken his collar bone. My first reaction should have been to wave to the bench to call for a stretcher. But Gerry got in first. Looking up at me he pleaded: 'Don’t tell anyone!' I asked: 'Do you know it’s broken?' Gerry knew – but still insisted on playing on through the remaining 87 minutes and, as it happened, another half hour of extra time. He told me defiantly: 'I can get by.' And he did, in one of the bravest Wembley displays I have ever witnessed." Along with Ian Callaghan and Roger Hunt they were rewarded for their superb club form by being selected in the World Cup winning England squad in 1966. Gerry won two international caps for England but injuries ravaged his season during 1966-67, although he recovered to play a total of 36 matches the following season – passing the 300-appearance mark for Liverpool in the process. His successful period at Anfield was cruelly drawing to a close as his body struggled and he retired from the game after a last run out at the Reds' home, against Wolverhampton Wanderers in April 1969.
He suffered from Alzheimer's disease in later life and died in a nursing home in Wrexham on the 28th of November 2015 at the age of 77.
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2026/08/merseyside-for-sport-john-geddes.html
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