Chris Shyne - Player Profile

Christopher Shyne was born on the 10^th of December 1950 in Littleborough, a small town near to Rochdale. 

Chris started playing in local league football and was spotted by scouts from the local League side and invited to the club for trials. On the 1st of January 1977 he hung up his gloves for the local ‘Dyers Arms’ side and signed for Rochdale. He made his Football League debut at the end of that season on the 7^th of May in a 2-0 defeat at Oakwell against a Barnsley side that only narrowly missed out on promotion.                                                                             

Over the following two seasons Chris provided cover for the first team and claimed further appearances, but his lack of regular starts was always a frustration and in August 1979 he signed a short-term contract at Wigan Athletic to cover for the injuries to John Brown and Bob Ward.                                                                          

Chris played for Latics on eleven occasions, but his only clean sheet came on his debut in a 0-0 draw in the League Cup at home against Stockport County.                                                                      

When released by Wigan he returned to his home in the Rochdale area and resumed his non-league career. Chris was a popular figure in the local league and his early death in 2004 shocked the local community and a cup competition was commissioned in his honour. The Chris Shyne memorial trophy is now competed for by teams in the Rochdale and District Sunday League.