Roddy Munro Explained

Roddy Munro
Fullname:Roderick Alexander Munro
Birth Date:27 July 1920
Birth Place:Aultbea, Scotland
Death Place:Cambridge, England
Position:Full back
Years1:1938–1946
Clubs1:Rangers
Caps1:0
Goals1:0
Years2:1946–1953
Clubs2:Brentford
Caps2:199
Goals2:0
Years3:1946
Clubs3:Colchester United (guest)
Caps3:1
Goals3:0
Clubs4:Cambridge City

Roderick Alexander Munro (27 July 1920 – July 1976) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a full back for Brentford and Cambridge City. He is best remembered for his seven years in the Football League with Brentford, for whom he made over 200 appearances.

Career

Rangers

A full back, Munro began his career in Scotland as an amateur with Scottish League First Division club Rangers in 1938,[1] but the breakout of the Second World War in 1939 and the suspension of professional football brought a halt to his career.[2]

Brentford

A year after the end of the Second World War in 1945, Munro joined Brentford as an amateur, on the recommendation of Tom Manley, with whom he had served in the Middle East during the war. He played the final five matches of the 1945–46 Football League South season.[3] Munro signed a professional contract during the 1946 off-season and with the resumption of league football, he made his debut in a 5–2 First Division defeat to Aston Villa on 28 September 1946. He made 38 appearances in his debut season, which ended with the Bees suffering relegation to Second Division. Munro was a regular fixture in the team until the end of the 1952–53 season, when he departed Griffin Park. He made 211 appearances during his time with the Bees.

Cambridge City

Munro ended his career with at Athenian League club Cambridge City.

Personal life

Munro grew up in the hamlet of Aultbea in the Highlands of Scotland. He met his wife Sheena in Cairo while serving in the Second World War and they had two children.[4] While with Brentford, Munro and his wife Sheena provided accommodation for Aultbea-native Hugh Urquhart, who failed to make the grade with the club and dropped into non-League football.[5] The couple settled in Hauxton, Cambridgeshire in the 1950s and worked for Fisons. Munro died in 1976 and was survived by Sheena, who died in Skegness in February 2008.

Career statistics

Club! rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueFA CupTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Brentford1946–47First Division34040380
1947–48Second Division21000210
1948–4913000130
1949–5019000190
1950–5138010390
1951–5240040440
1952–5334030370
19901202110
Colchester United (guest)1945–46[6] Southern League1010
Career total20001202120

Notes and References

  1. Book: Litster, John . Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players . PM Publications . Norwich.
  2. Book: Haynes, Graham . Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006 . Coumbe . Frank . Yore Publications . 2006 . 978-0955294914 . 43, 44.
  3. Book: 100 Years Of Brentford . Brentford FC . 1989 . 0951526200 . White . Eric . 379–382.
  4. Web site: 20 February 2008 . 20/02/08 – Sheena Munro (nee Mackenzie) . 25 August 2014 . Skegness Standard.
  5. Web site: Pan-Ross – work – publishing . 25 August 2014 . Ross and Cromarty Heritage.
  6. Web site: Roddie Munro – Players – Colchester United . 2 February 2020 . www.coludata.co.uk.