Oswestry mourn loss of former goal-ace Micky Ryan

The feared former centre-forward was a key member of the successful Town teams of the late 1950s and 1960s.

During the 1957/58 season, while in his 20s, he plundered a remarkable 58 goals as Town cruised to the Birmingham League Division Two title with 28 wins from 38 games and an unbelievable 134 goals scored.

His goals record in a single campaign is yet to be topped.

Ryan passed away last weekend after a short battle with lung cancer, but had remained fit until the final months of his life. He is survived by two children, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

The centre-forward, despite standing at just 5ft 9ins, was renowned for his supreme leap and heading ability.

Despite suffering broken ribs shortly before Oswestry’s FA Cup first round tie at home to Bournemouth in November 1957, Ryan played as part of a gutsy Oswestry side that eventually went down 5-1 to the Football League side, in front of 5,318 fans at the old Victoria Road stadium in the heart of the town.

The striker, who was born in Oswestry and lived in the town throughout his life, spent between 11 years at the club between 1957 and 1968, aside of a brief spell at Stafford Rangers, after completing his national service.

He later moved into Welsh football for a stint with Welshpool and managed Oswestry hospital’s Orthopaedic FC.

Oswestry then finished second in Division One and competed in the Cheshire League throughout the 1960s and early 1970s.

Ryan, who worked as a builder, was inducted as a club legend in 2008, after the merger with Total Network Solutions.

His nephew Darren, a former Shrewsbury youngster, played for TNS in 1998/99 and played and managed Newtown.

It caps a sad week for the town, as former Oswestry Town chairman Bill Jerman, who led Oswestry to the merger and into Welsh football, died aged 92.

Son Wayne said: “We’ve had so many messages of support, it’s been wonderful.”