Tributes to former Barnsley FC owner
The former owner of Barnsley FC, Patrick Cryne, has passed away at the age of 66 after battling cancer since November 2016.
A statement on the football club’s website said: “Club Custodian for 14 years and widely regarded amongst the loyal fan base as the ‘saviour’ of the Club since taking control in 2003, Cryne has been held in the highest of regards both at Barnsley Football Club and across the footballing world.
“Born and raised in the town of Barnsley, Mr Cryne’s earliest footballing memories date back to over 60 years ago where a first appearance at Oakwell with his Uncle Ernest caught the imagination, allowing for a lifetime of dedication to Barnsley Football Club in any way possible. This dedication and love, truly earned Patrick the tag as ‘one of our own.’
“Mr Patrick Cryne will be deeply and sadly missed by everybody connected to the Club and we are all sending our deepest condolences to his wife Jean, son James and the rest of his close family.”
The Championship club was taken over by consortium headed by a Chinese businessman in December, after Cryne stepped down.
The Cryne family had been in discussions about a potential takeover of Barnsley FC for a few months with an investor consortium led by Chien Lee of NewCity Capital and Pacific Media Group, which is headed by Paul Conway and Grace Hung.
