Brian Birch Explained

Brian Birch
Birth Date:18 November 1931
Birth Place:Salford, Lancashire, England
Death Place:Johannesburg, South Africa
Position:Inside forward
Youthyears1:1946–1948
Youthclubs1:Manchester United
Years1:1948–1952
Clubs1:Manchester United
Caps1:11
Goals1:4
Years2:1952
Caps2:3
Goals2:1
Years3:1952–1955
Clubs3:Lincoln City
Caps3:56
Goals3:15
Years4:1955–1956
Clubs4:Boston United
Caps4:?
Goals4:?
Years5:1956–1958
Clubs5:Barrow
Caps5:60
Goals5:27
Years6:1958–1960
Clubs6:Exeter City
Caps6:19
Goals6:1
Years7:1960–1961
Clubs7:Oldham Athletic
Caps7:35
Goals7:10
Years8:1961–1962
Clubs8:Rochdale
Caps8:11
Goals8:0
Manageryears1:1971–1974
Managerclubs1:Galatasaray
Manageryears2:1976–1977
Managerclubs2:Helsingborg
Manageryears3:1977–1979
Managerclubs3:Ethnikos Piraeus
Manageryears4:1980–1982
Managerclubs4:Galatasaray
Manageryears5:1987
Managerclubs5:Ankaragücü

Brian Birch (18 November 1931–1989) was an English footballer who played for several English clubs in the late 1940s, 1950s and early 1960s.

Born in Salford, Birch joined Manchester United as a 14-year-old in May 1946, before turning professional two years later. He was 17 when he made his debut on 27 August 1949, playing at inside left in a 1–1 home draw with West Bromwich Albion. Birch was always on the fringes of the United first team, but apart from a spell midway through the 1950–51 season in which he scored four goals in nine appearances, he never lived up to his potential and was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers for £10,000 towards the end of the 1951–52 season. His tenure at Wolves was short, however, and he was transferred to Lincoln City after just nine months in the West Midlands.

In three years with Lincoln, Birch played in more than fifty matches, scoring 15 goals. He then dropped out of league football for a season in 1955, joining Boston United, before moving to Barrow in 1956. He became a first team regular at Barrow, making 60 appearances and scoring 27 goals in just over two seasons there. Exeter City signed him in September 1958, but he was on the move again in January 1960, this time to Oldham Athletic. He moved to Rochdale in March 1961, before going into coaching at the end of the 1961–62 season.

He dipped in and out of playing for the next few years, picking up appearances for Boston United, Mossley and Ellesmere Port, but his coaching experience eventually led him to Blackburn Rovers in 1967, where he became the coach to one of the club's junior teams.

Birch was trainer of Galatasaray from 1971 to 1973. He won two consecutive championships with Galatasaray in the Turkish First League[1] and Helsingborgs IF. In the summer of 1980 he returned to Galatasaray, but was not able to be successful like he was in the 1970s with the club and his contract was terminated after one and a half years.[2] He managed the Turkish club Ankaragücü for three matches in 1987.[3]

Honours

Galatasaray

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Archived copy . 22 December 2011 . 1 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211201222538/https://www.galatasaray.org/anasayfa . live .
  2. Web site: Brian Birch @ Mackolik.com . 9 August 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120209024042/http://www.mackolik.com/Antrenor/2597/Brian-Birch . 9 February 2012 . dead .
  3. Web site: Brian Birch @ Mackolik.com . 9 August 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120209024042/http://www.mackolik.com/Antrenor/2597/Brian-Birch . 9 February 2012 . dead .