Date / Year of birth: 13th February 1939

Position: Defender / Midfielder

Season of first appearance: 1964/65

Season of last appearance: 1969/70

Also played for: Wolverhampton Wanderers (0), Leeds United (0), Doncaster Rovers (3,0), Ramsgate Athletic and Canterbury City

5' 10" tall Doncaster-born player known for his 'thunderbolt' shots and long throw-ins. Bryan had spells with Wolves and Leeds as an amateur before joining 3rd Division Doncaster in 1958. He made three first team appearances during the 1958/59 season. Bryan made his League debut on 16.10.58 in a game against Colchester, a match which Doncaster won 2-1 in front of a crowd of 2,786.

He then joined Ramsgate in April 1959. Bryan was an influential player at Southwood for five years before leaving the club in February 1964 to return home to Doncaster where he turned out for Doncaster Reserves. Earlier in the 1963/64 season he'd been suspended by the Rams for missing training.

In the summer of 1964 Bryan made what the local press described as "a surprise move" by returning to Thanet to join Margate. He made his debut in a 2-0 win over Bath at Hartsdown Park on 22.8.64 and went on to enjoy an excellent first season with the club. After starting the campaign at left-back Bryan mostly played in midfield and impressed with his pin-point passing and hard work. He made 62 appearances and scored three times. His goals included what the local paper called "a wonder goal" in a 5-2 win over Cambridge City at Hartsdown on 28.11.64. Bryan ran virtually the length of the pitch before firing home. He also scored with a 30 yard effort in a 1-1 draw at Folkestone on 3.2.65.

In August 1965 Bryan opened a coffee bar in Ramsgate High Street which he co-owned with Arthur Blackley but the 1965/66 season started disastrously when Bryan broke his leg in an FA Cup tie at Folkestone on 4.9.65. This led to him being out of the game for almost five months. However on 1.2.66 Bryan returned to first team duty in a 2-2 draw at Ramsgate in the Kent Floodlight Cup and he finished the season having made a total of 34 appearances as Margate were relegated from the Southern League Premier Division. He scored twice and one of Bryan's goals came in a 3-2 win over Tonbridge at Hartsdown Park on 14.2.66 which made up for an own goal he'd scored earlier in the game.

During the 1966/67 season Bryan was a virtual ever-present as Margate won promotion from the Southern League Division One by finishing as runners-up and he made 66 appearances, scoring seven times. Bryan spent most of the season playing at left-back and five of his goals were characteristic long-range efforts. They included a 35-yarder in a 5-5 draw at Sittingbourne on 19.11.66 and two in a 4-2 win at Dover on 26.12.66. On 26.9.66 Bryan played in goal for over an hour when David Pye went off during a home game with Crawley and he performed well, Margate winning 4-1.

Bryan spent most of the 1967/68 season playing in midfield, only occasionally filling in at left-back. This allowed him free reign to practice his long-range shooting and he scored 12 goals in the 55 appearances he made during the campaign. Almost all of Bryan's goals were from distance and they included a 25-yarder fired past future Margate keeper David Bevis during a 2-2 draw at Cambridge City on 2.9.67. He also scored with what the local paper described as "a Long Tom cannonball" in a 9-0 win at Eastbourne in the FA Cup on 28.10.67. On 13.12.67 Bryan was in the side that won 3-1 at Yeovil in the FA Cup 1st Round and he also played in the 2nd Round as Margate lost 4-0 at home to Peterborough on 6.1.68.

On 6.4.68 he featured in the 1st Leg of the Southern League Cup Final - a 1-1 draw with Ramsgate at Hartsdown Park - and on 12.4.68 Bryan scored with a brilliant volley in a 2-1 win over visitors Dover. On the following day - 13.4.68 - he took part in the 2nd Leg of the Southern League Cup Final at Ramsgate which finished 0-0. During the season Bryan passed 200 appearances for Margate and continued to show outstanding commitment as well as no little creativity.

He continued to be an automatic choice during the 1968/69 campaign and made 73 appearances, missing only two games. Bryan revelled in his role as a "midfield dynamo" and scored six goals, five of them from long range. They included three 30-yarders, the best of them a 'bender' with the outside of his right foot during a 4-0 win over Ashford at Hartsdown on 30.9.68. On 16.11.68 he was in the side that lost 3-1 at Northampton in the FA Cup 1st Round and on 20.5.69 he played as Margate drew 1-1 at Maidstone in the 1st Leg of the Kent Floodlight Cup Final. Bryan also featured in the 2nd Leg at Hartsdown Park on 24.5.69 as Margate won 3-1 to claim the trophy.

During the 1969/70 season Bryan made 62 appearances (four as sub) to take his overall tally for the club past 350. He mostly played in midfield as usual but also had spells as an attacker in Margate's new 4-3-3 formation. He began the season by playing 80 minutes in goal during a friendly with West Ham on 26.7.69 after Tim Augar was carried off. Bryan scored 12 goals to equal his best tally in a season and as ever most of them were trademark long-range efforts. There was a 30 yard 'special' to secure a 1-0 over Brentwood on 11.8.69, a 25-yarder in a 1-1 draw at Ramsgate and a superb volley as Margate beat Dover 3-1 on 9.2.70. Bryan also hit two further goals from around 30 yards and scored direct from a corner in a game at Dartford on 25.2.70. In addition he found the net with a free-kick from distance against Gloucester on 2.3.70. In recognition of his long service a Kent Senior Shield tie against Ashford on 6.4.70 was designated as Bryan's benefit match. On 30.4.70 he scored with a 25-yard "cannonball" in the 1st Leg of the Kent Floodlight Cup Final against Gravesend & Northfleet. It turned out to be Bryan's final goal for the club as he was released at the end of the season. His final appearance for Margate had been in the Kent Floodlight Cup Final replay at Gravesend & Northfleet on 15.5.70.

The local press described him as being "one of Margate's best servants of the sixties" and "a first-class clubman".

Bryan rejoined Ramsgate for the 1970/71 season, turning down an offer from Cambridge City, and was ever-present in their 1971/72 side which gained promotion to the Southern League Premier Division. As he'd also been part of Margate's 1966/67 promotion winning side this made Bryan the only player to have won promotion with both Thanet clubs.

He then moved to Canterbury in November 1972 and made 27 Southern League appearances for City, scoring five goals, before retiring at the end of the 1972/73 campaign.

Bryan returned to Ramsgate as reserve team manager for the 1973/74 season and he went on to spend many years coaching at Southwood. He also had a spell as the Rams' manager during the 1983/84 and 1984/85 campaigns and made a few emergency appearances under assumed names before resigning from the role in April 1985.

Bryan worked at a timber merchants during his time with Margate and later became a self-employed gardener. In 2014 he was still living in Margate and watched Margate and Ramsgate games on a regular basis. Bryan's step-son Dean Yorath played for Margate during the late 1990's / early 2000's.

On 12.4.14 Bryan was one of the many former Margate players who attended the club's 'Legends Day' at Hartsdown Park.

He completed a questionnaire for this site which you can see here.