West Bromwich Albion Cult Heroes

Simon Wright

Description

West Bromwich Albion Cult Heroes is devoted to those players who, over the years, have won a special place in the hearts of the Hawthorns faithful - not necessarily the greatest footballers, but a unique brotherhood of mavericks and loyal stalwarts, local lads and big signings. The cast list alone is enough to stir up the memories and tug at the heartstrings of any Albion fan - Astle, Pennington and Regis, Kevan, Richardson and Taylor - recalling how these charismatic personalities used to ignite passion on the terraces. Find out which Baggies icon used to accept cigarettes from the crowd during the game, and who inadvertently stole his fans' beer. Who was refused entry on his first day at Albion, and which Scottish international winger played in a bank robber's mask! Discover and delight in the magical qualities of these 21 mere mortals elevated to cult status in the Black Country.

Sujets

• Midlands Occidentales
• West Midlands
• Warwickshire
• Midlands de l'Ouest

Informations

• Publié par: Pitch Publishing Ltd
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781909178311
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

This edition first published by Pitch Publishing 2012
Pitch Publishing A2 Yeoman Gate Yeoman Way Durrington BN13 3QZ www.pitchpublishing.co.uk
© Simon Wright 2012
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ISBN 978-1-909178-31-1
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Contents
Acknowledgements Foreword by Laraine Astle Introduction
1. Bob Roberts
2. Billy Bassett
3. Jesse Pennington
4. Harold Bache
5. Tommy Magee
6. WG Richardson
7. Ray Barlow
8. Ronnie Allen
9. Joe Kennedy
10. Derek Kevan
11. Tony Brown
12. Jeff Astle
13. John Osborne
14. Willie Johnston
15. Cyrille Regis
16. Don Goodman
17. Bob Taylor
18. Lee Hughes
19. Richard Sneekes
20. Darren Moore
21. Tony Mowbray
Acknowledgements
SO MANY PEOPLE to thank. There are the Albion historians Colin Mackenzie, Steve Carr and Kevin Powell, without whom this volume would lack essential credibility.
Proofreading is a tedious, joyless process so I’m grateful to Amanda Hume for proofing this updated version, while not forgetting the proofers for the original also included Steve Carr and Glynis Wright.
Literally thanks for the memories. So many kind people volunteered thoughts or rummaged amongst their records and yet hardly any of them needing his or her arms twisted. Among the gallant band were: Andy Hyams, Colin Simpson, Tim Joyner, Jon Aroussi, Merv Scobie, Chris Pascoe, Steve Sant, Gary Brookes, Mike Harrison, Peter Whitehouse, Ian Thomson, Dave Watkin, Alex Chapman, David Worton, Dave Morgan, Shay Dunne, David L. Paget, John Goddard, Keith Cotter, Tony Jones, Neil and Charlie Reynolds, Dennis Brennan, Rick Janowski, John Clegg, Josie and Des Garbett, Wendy and the late John Maxfield, Laraine Astle, Martin Lewis, Carly Lewis, John Woodward, Brian Maydew, Stuart Basson, Gerald Frost, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Museum, the South Wales Borderers Museum archivists, Chris Flanagan, Cyril Randle, Ian Thomson, Harold Salt, Richard Brentnall, Robert Plant, Peter George, Ray Matthews, Terry Box, Keith Cotter, Ben Payne, Frank Summers, (Super) Bobby Taylor, John Groarke, Mark Hitcox, Mark Pumphrey, Mick Brown, Andy Jenkins, Pete Smith, Ray Wilson, John Habberley, Ally Robertson, Ed Vilade, Janette Carlucci, James Vilade, Alison Wheatley archivist for King Edwards School, Joe Mayo, Tam Bullimore, Dean Wood and Derek Kevan. Apologies and thanks to anyone who remains overlooked. Chris Lepkowski deserves a mention for just being himself.
And finally a big thank you to Adrian Goldberg for getting me the original gig and my latest publishers for not being too prescriptive.
Simon Wright
Foreword
by Laraine Astle
I SAW ALBION for the first time at Leicester on 30th September 1964. I didn’t know I was going until my Jeff signed his contract three hours before, and I didn’t know anything then about West Bromwich, other than somebody said they are called the Throstles.
I went into that tall, tall, stand at Filbert Street. I’d never seen anything like it. I thought I was going to fall off, but I reckoned I’d better get used to it, and do my bit so I shouted , "Come on you Throstles" over and over. Then somebody told me nobody ever uses that word! From then on, I thought, " Right Laraine, I need to find out about West Bromwich." I had to really quickly because me, Jeff and little Dorice were living there.
It didn’t take me long to find out that supporters really love their centre-forwards. My Jeff, Tony Brown, of course, and before him came Ronnie Allen – they love their goalscorers, their heroes. Later still brought the talents of people like Cyrille Regis to the Hawthorns and supporters again appreciated their efforts, their goals. And always there was the rule that if players gave everything and didn’t cheat them, the fans would always love them for it, and that applies to this very day. If one of them does something supporters like, even just by taking the time and trouble to talk with them before games, not coming the " Great I Am" all the time like some do, suddenly, in their eyes, they’re not just players any more, they’re respected, treasured, cherished, even, and for some, that love and respect lasts far longer than the time they finally hang up their boots; whatever the occasion, whenever they’re seen turning up at The Hawthorns for some important game or other, so respected are they, they’re literally mobbed, just as my Jeff was when he was alive.
And not just older supporters, either; the younger ones know all about the older players simply because their own dads and mums have wonderful memories, too, and want to share them with their own children and grandchildren as well. On top of looking at recent Albion men, this book is also a lovely way of making sure that the next generation of Albion supporters get to understand the past efforts of all those players long since gone, whose names, whose very souls, even, would otherwise remain buried in old newspapers.
After nearly 50 years, I reckon I know lots about the Baggies but I know even more about their wonderful, loyal, respectful and friendly supporters, and this book is mostly aimed at them. I once heard captain Graham Williams (he’ll always be the captain to me and my Jeff) say: "you’re not supporters, you’re friends." I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Introduction
The original 2005 criteria for this title was rigid but intriguing, namely to select 20 cult heroes to represent the full history of West Bromwich Albion. It’s always worth underlining the incredible breath and richness of this unique Black Country social institution, which few other clubs can match.
About half the selection – The King, SuperBob, Willie, Ossie, Big Cyrille, The Bomber, Ronnie Allen, Billy Bassett and Jesse Pennington – picked themselves. The other ten were mainly chosen to cover the remaining decades. It was impossible to please all of the people all of the time and I was on the receiving end of much stick from certain individuals for not featuring their personal favourite. Most couldn’t or wouldn’t see the subtle distinction between ‘best player’ and cult hero. At the time of the original edition, the media made much of the "controversial" (their word) inclusion of Lee Hughes. The passing of time has since eased concerns.
The most exciting chapters for me to write then as now were those of Harold Bache and Tommy Magee, their stories previously sadly underplayed. I took much pleasure from rewriting their histories to bring these fine men back into the public arena. The profile of Bache in particular has increased in the last five years as a direct consequence of publication.
As a first-time author, I was highly gratified by the success of ‘Cult Heroes’. With the entire print run sold out by 2011, there was an obvious opportunity for a reprint and to include new material and sources which have come to light during the intervening years. The publishers also encouraged me to add a more contemporary cult hero so I opted for Tony Mowbray – a decent and honest man in a cynical age.
Just as before I’ve leaned towards a "warts and all" approach for each cult hero. I remain convinced that this is the most inclusive and honest approach. There’s only so much saccharine that readers can take!
Enjoy this updated version and if it’s as successful as the first, who knows? Like a village bus service, there may be another one along in five years’ time.
Simon Wright
Bob Roberts
1885-1890 & 1891-92: 400+ games, 2 goals
IN THE BEGINNING, there was Long Bob. And a very young club called West Bromwich Albion, who rose spectacularly from being just another team playing on the wide-open spaces of Dartmouth Park to FA Cup winners in just seven years. Here was pure synergy, with man and club feeding off each other.
Most sources concur that Robert John Roberts was born in April 1859 in West Bromwich. Thus at 20, he was in the prime of his youth when a completely new football team needed players in 1879. Robert had previously played for West Bromwich Strollers as early as November 1878, and prior to that may also have played for his school – Christ Church. As well as players, the new team needed funds and sensibly enough would-be players were asked to pay a subscription of sixpence (around 3p) to get the club going. Bob Roberts is said to have been the first to hand his money over. Such is the stuff that legends are made of.
The Albion team was new, the game was really still in its infancy, and local newspapers took very little notice of the sport. Despatching a reporter to a game was completely out of the question, and the only way a club might – and it was only ‘might’ – see any reference to their deeds in the local press was if a club official took the trouble to compile their own report and send it in.
Few players had a single position at that time, as not only team formations, but sometimes, even team numbers, varied. So it doesn’t come as any great surprise that Bob played in different positions in different games – mainly full-back or half-back (midfield), or even up front, according to the reports that featured most of the 20 games that WBA participated in during that inaugural season. There’s enough evidence to suggest he was probably not a regular performer. Neither is there any record of him playing in the famous friendly against Black Lake Victoria on 13th December 1879, a game, which for many years, was believed to be Albion’s first ever game, but is now known to be t