Woods honour legend Pat

By Ian Townsend

Northwood honour- and celebrate- the memory of Pat Byrne with a special Legends match on Sunday


Next Sunday, 12th September 2021, Northwood FC will pay tribute to and celebrate the life of Club Legend Pat Byrne who sadly passed away in April 2020 from the effects of Covid, not long after the start of the first lockdown. At the time, numbers at the Funeral was strictly limited and although many gathered beforehand at the club to give him a suitably distanced send-off, there was always a plan to eventually get all his friends and family together for an event at the club where he was associated for 65 years.

Pat first played for Northwood back in 1955 when they were members of the Harrow & Wembley League in Junior football and he was often accompanied by his brothers John, Paul, Ray, and Dave as all five of them were regulars in the Northwood team over many years. Pat then became the Woods first-ever Manager in 1971 during their Middlesex League days - prior to this the team was selected by Committee - and enjoyed two excellent seasons in charge. He became a supporter, benefactor and eventually President of the Middlesex club and was hugely proud of the progress the club made in Senior football through the decades that followed.

But Pat loved all sports, was a founder member of Northwood Town Cricket Club that share the Football Club's premises, was President of Northwood Golf Club and regularly watched local cricket side Stanmore in the Middlesex League. He was hugely respected throughout the Town itself through his car repair business and everyone benefitted from his calm and assured manner and his kind and considerate nature. Not to mention his ever-present humour.

So, a game is being staged in his memory next weekend, kicking off at 3pm and two former Northwood managers have offered their services to take charge of the two sides on the day. Tony Choules, who enjoyed many successful years with the Woods, will manage the Byrne's Legends team while Dave Anderson, one of the most respected managers in non-League football, will pit his wits against him with Pat's Heroes.

To show how much the man was respected, over forty former Northwood players are returning to the club to take part in the game and in the Legends squad alone, players having a run-out have amassed well over 4,000 appearances between them and include top appearance holder Chris Gell as well as record scorer Lawrence Yaku who continued a prolific non-League career after leaving the Woods with both Maidenhead United and Hampton & Richmond Borough.

The Heroes side can boast plenty of experience too in the likes of former Watford midfielder Derek Payne who first played for Northwood as a 17-year-old back in 1984, current Chesham United centre-half Steve Brown, one-time AFC Wimbledon favourite "the Wizard" Rob Ursell and former GB Paralympic Alistair Heselton. Both sides are also sprinkled by members of the Byrne family including 75 year old brother Paul and 13-year-old great nephew Edan.

All the participants have made a donation to play in the game which will go towards the building of a permanent memorial to Pat Byrne at the Fenton Civil Engineering Stadium and there will also be a bucket collection at the match to boost this fund though admission is free and there will be a programme available (while stocks last)!

If you can't get there- or even if you can- you can also make a donation here.

Words and image courtesy of Alan Evans.

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