James Bye (footballer)

This article is about the footballer. For the actor, see James Bye (actor).

James Henry Bye (11 February 1920 – June 1995) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Birmingham.^[4] He played as a right half.

James Bye

Personal information
Full name	James Henry Bye^[1]
Date of birth	(1920-02-11)11 February 1920^[1]
Place of birth	Aston, Birmingham, England
Date of death	June 1995(1995-06-00) (aged 75)^[2]
Place of death	Blackpool, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)^[3]
Position(s)	Right half
Youth career
193?–1934	Bournbrook Alliance
1934–1937	Birmingham
193?–1936	Shirley Juniors
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1937–1944	Birmingham	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Life and career

Bye was born in 1920 in the Aston district of Birmingham,^[1] the son of Arthur Bye and his wife Lillian née Featherstone,^[5][6] and attended St Peter's School in Harborne. He played youth football for Bournbrook Alliance,^[7] from where he signed amateur forms with Birmingham as a 14-year-old.^[8] He played for Shirley Juniors, a team "fostered" by Birmingham's vice-chairman, David Wiseman,^[3] before turning professional with Birmingham "immediately on reaching 17".^[8] He played for the youth team and for the Central League side before making his senior debut in the FA Cup third-round tie against Halifax Town on 7 January 1939, standing in at right half for the injured Don Dearson.^[3] Birmingham won 2–0. He made his first appearance in the First Division three weeks later, in a 5–0 defeat away to Preston North End,^[9] and played in the first three games of the 1939–40 Football League season, which was then abandoned when the Second World War started.^[10]

Bye was called up in January 1940.^[11] While not required by the Army, he played 36 games for Birmingham in the wartime competitions,^[12] and also made guest appearances for Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion, before retiring from the game in 1944.^[7]

At the start of the war, Bye was living with his parents in Vivian Road, Harborne, and working in a tobacconist's shop.^[5] He married Margaret Moore in 1955.^[13] Bye's death was registered in June 1995 in the Blackpool and Fylde district.^[2]

References

1. "Player search: Bye, JH (James)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
2. "James Henry Bye in the England & Wales Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007". Retrieved 1 January 2021 – via Ancestry.com.
3. "Young Birmingham half back's big chance". Evening Despatch. Birmingham. 5 January 1939. p. 14.
4. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.
5. "James H Bye in the 1939 England and Wales Register". RG 101/5524G QARY. Retrieved 1 January 2021 – via Ancestry.com.
6. "Index entry". FreeBMD. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
7. Matthews (1995), p. 77.
8. "F.A Cup teams still in doubt". Yorkshire Observer. Bradford. 6 January 1939. p. 10.
9. Matthews (1995), p. 181.
10. Matthews (1995), p. 236.
11. Argus Junior (27 January 1940). "To-night's talk". Sports Argus. Birmingham. p. 1.
12. Matthews (1995), pp. 236–238.
13. "James H Bye in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916–2005". Retrieved 1 January 2021 – via Ancestry.com.

Sources

• Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.