Roddy Munro

Roddy Munro
Personal information
Full nameRoderick Alexander Munro
Date of birth27 July 1920
Place of birthAultbea, Scotland
Date of deathJuly 1976 (aged 5556)
Playing positionFull back
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
Rangers
1946–1953Brentford199(0)
Cambridge City
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Roderick Alexander "Roddy" Munro was a Scottish football full back who played for Rangers, Brentford and Cambridge City. He is best remembered for his seven years in the Football League with Brentford, making over 200 appearances.[1]

Career

Rangers

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

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.[1] He played the final five games of the 1945/46 Football League South season.[1] Munro signed a professional contract in the summer of 1946 and with the resumption of league football, he made his debut in a 5-2 Division One defeat to Aston Villa on 28 September 1946.[2] He made 38 appearances in his debut season, which ended with the Bees suffering relegation to Division Two.[3] 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.[3]

Cambridge City

Munro saw out his career with a spell at Athenian League side Cambridge City.[1]

Personal life

Munro grew up in the hamlet of Aultbea in the Highlands of Scotland.[1] 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 at the Bees and dropped into non-league football.[1][5] The couple settled in Hauxton, Cambridgeshire in the 1950s and worked for Fisons.[4] Munro died in 1976 and was survived by Sheena, who passed away in Skegness in February 2008.[4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920-2006. Yore Publications. pp. 43, 44. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  2. "Brentford Football Club History". Brentfordfchistory.co.uk. 1946-09-28. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Brentford Football Club History". Brentfordfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "20/02/08 - Sheena Munro (nee Mackenzie)". Skegness Standard. 2008-02-20. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  5. "Pan-Ross - work - publishing". Ross and Cromarty Heritage. Retrieved 2014-08-25.