Hellenic president Mark Byrne has died

Hellenic president Mark Byrne has died.

Family spokesperson Gershawn Coetzee confirmed to TimesLIVE on Sunday afternoon that the 59-year-old former footballer was at home with his family when he lost a long battle with cancer.

Hellenic have a long history with SA football and Coetzee said the club and the Mark Byrne High Performance School are in good hands.

The club is being run by Byrne’s sons‚ Guy (chairman) and Jordan (vice chairman)‚ and they will be ably assisted by Karen Byrne who is serving as club secretary.

“Amateur football has been disrupted but this has not stopped our preparations and planning for the 2022 LFA season.

“We have employed qualified coaches to ensure that we nurture future talent.

“At Hellenic and the Mark Byrne High Performance‚ our focus is to develop players that can follow in the footsteps of professionals such as Lance Davids‚ Craig Martin and Shane Roberts‚” Guy Byrne said.

The Foundation Phase‚ Girls/Ladies Football is headed by Keenan Nagel.

The success of ladies football was a passion and focus of Mark Byrne.

Coach Keegan Hunt is a qualified physiotherapist and has a vast knowledge of the game.

She assisted with the Varsity Men’s team at the University of the Western Cape.

Hellenic will be closed in the coming week in memory of Byrne.

The club is also requesting the football fraternity to donate towards a memorial garden that will be planted at Hellenic Football Club.

Details of his funeral will be announced in the coming days.