The Cape Town football fraternity is mourning the loss of one of the pioneers in youth football, Mark Byrne. The 59-year-old former footballer and Hellenic football club president passed away on Saturday, August 7.
The Hellenic football club has a long history with South African football as well as the Mark Byrne High-Performance School that produced some of the best footballers in the country.
Head of Football at Cape Town City FC, Grant Veitch took to Facebook to describe Byrne’s death as a major loss as he paved the way for many footballers in Cape Town.
“During my time at Hellenic Football Club, he was a second father to me, speaking every day for close to 6 years. How Mark thought about the game, and the passion behind opinions has moulded me into the person I am today,” Veitch said.
Meanwhile, Capetonian footballers from past and present also expressed their condolences to the Byrne family.