Old Baggies - WBA Former Players

Finding new ways with which you can bring revenue into a football club has exercised administrators and managers pretty much since day one. This is a business that devours money, be it on running costs, on transfer fees, on wages. Even now, in the era of multi-billion pound television deals, everybody is exercised in trying to bring a little bit more in so that we can pay a little bit more out and bring in that additional player who will make us just that little bit more competitive.

Back in the 1960s, the Baggies had the revolutionary idea that they should use the West Bromwich Albion brand name to launch a series of social clubs in Albion territory, working on the basis that fans would be loyal to the club name, would enjoy a pint, maybe even a little bit of chicken in a basket and cabaret, all in Albion owned surroundings, thereby putting a few more quid into the club coffers and improving the fare they were then queuing up to watch on a Saturday as well.

It was a bold move but one which, in 1967, appeared to be coming to fruition. The Throstle Club which used to stand next to the ground on the Birmingham Road had closed its books to new members after dealing with its 4,000th application. That led Albion to acquire land in Langley and Hamstead to build branch clubs in 1967, with others set to follow.

Chairman Jim Gaunt spelt out the Albion attitude in the Sunday Mercury, saying, “We believe that the future of football lies not only in the game itself but in making everybody feel they are part of the club, to the extent that they can find friendship, comfort and entertainment in the places where we intend to provide it. If we can achieve this, and we are confident we can, we shall be happy.”

Rare to hear such socialist talk around the board room table, even if these were the years of Harold Wilson’s white hot technological revolution. But Gaunt’s idea was both plausible and intelligent and for a time, the Throstle Clubs made a contribution to the club. But that was for the future. Early in the 1967/68 season, comfort and entertainment was in short supply around The Hawthorns as Albion misfired in the opening fixtures.

A 4-1 win over Sheffield United had eased matters but heading into October 1967, local journalist Ray Matts pointed out a string of problems in his “Inside Albion” column, problems that new boss Alan Ashman was struggling to handle. Pointing to the need for a consistent team, Matts wrote, “Already there have been well over 30 positional changes in nine games including the League and Cup. This is no criticism of manager Alan Ashman’s handling of the side since he arrived at The Hawthorns. If a player is performing badly he must be dropped because he does not deserve to be in the side – and no one can blame the manager for injuries. I feel some sympathy for him. He came to The Hawthorns believing – as did most people – the players were capable of achieving success.

“Events have proved otherwise because so many who finished last season playing so well are now struggling to regain their form. Ashman has every right to study his playing strength and this can only be done by trial and error in a competitive atmosphere.

“At the same time, however, success will not come Albion’s way until the point is reached when first team incomings and outgoings are minimal. No doubt, Ashman is aware of this. Success, I feel, will come Albion’s way only after the rearguard has been tightened by new signings.”

There were no new signings ahead of the trip to Craven Cottage on October 7th, Ashman taking Matts’ advice – always a dangerous course, especially within sight of the accountants of the turf – by naming a unchanged team after the Sheffield United win. With Fulham a point below the Throstles and in the bottom two, a second successive Albion victory would be priceless, giving them the breathing space to begin looking up the table rather than over their shoulder.

Without an away win, the Baggies set about their task with real relish, pushing Fulham onto the back foot, the presence of the great Johnny Haynes notwithstanding. Albion were brighter and sharper to every ball, though a nasty tackle on Tony Brown in the 15th minute threatened to curtail their momentum for a time, Bomber taking treatment for some considerable time before he was able to get up and carry on.

It took Albion a while to recapture that early spark, but after 34 minutes, they seized a deserved lead, Clive Clark creating the opening, scything through the Fulham defence, taking World Cup winning full-back George Cohen to the cleaners. He interchanged passes with John Kaye and Kenny Stephens before picking out Jeff Astle with a tidy cross, Astle proving his left foot wasn’t only for standing on by banging a crisp shot into the net – it wasn’t the only time his left peg would prove fruitful that season.

The Baggies had a golden opportunity to really stamp their authority on the game just before the break when Clark went on the rampage again only to be hacked down in front of goal by Ryan. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, John Talbut stepping up to be Albion’s third penalty taker of the campaign, goalkeeper Seymour guessing which way to go and pulling out a comfortable save from what was a fairly weak kick.

That miss knocked Albion out of their stride and it was a more determined Fulham that came back out after the break, yet the Throstles were still capable of carving out good chances, Seymour making a terrific stop from a powerful Kaye header and another from Clark. Those saves were to prove invaluable when, in the 63rd minute, Albion fan Allan Clarke popped up at the other end, took a glorious Haynes pass in his stride and lashed it past John Osborne.

Where earlier in the season Albion heads would have gone down, this was a different outfit now and within moments, we were on the attack again, Astle seeing Seymour produce another brilliant save to keep his side on terms. But not even he could repel the Albion tide indefinitely and after 69 minutes, Albion were on top again, Tony Brown the goalscorer, a superbly executed shot from 25 yards flying past Seymour and in. Fulham enjoyed a late flurry of possession, Eddie Colquhoun making an important clearance off the line in the last couple of minutes, but Albion had done enough to pouch two well deserved points. Things were on the up, Alan Ashman saying, “This was a far better display, though we still have a long way to go.”

One area where they had miles to go was in settling on a penalty taker, having already missed three. From this distance, it seems unthinkable that Tony Brown wasn’t taking them, his miss against Wolves notwithstanding, while Graham Williams’ miss against Stoke suggested that he wasn’t going to emulate the success of erstwhile Albion full-back Bobby Cram whose departure had left a void from twelve yards. Even so, the skipper had a view on the situation…

“I think the best idea is for the player who is having a good match to take any penalty that might be awarded. Confidence is a big factor and if a player has been doing well, he will have that bit of edge which could make all the difference between a goal and a miss.” But Ray Matts was on the money again when he said, “I think Brown is still the best man for the job. He is the hardest hitter of a “dead” ball on Albion’s books. In my opinion, the best way of scoring from the penalty spot is to forget about placing the ball – just hit it as hard as you can.”

The acid test of Albion’s recovery was just around the corner. Don Revie’s Leeds United were the next guests at The Hawthorns and though they’d made a sluggish start themselves, picking up only one point in the first three games, they were now back to their utterly ruthless best, relentlessly climbing the table. While Albion were winning at Fulham, their west London neighbours, Chelsea, were at Elland Road. They should have stayed home because Leeds were imperious, wiping the floor with them to the tune of 7-0, that off the back of a 9-0 win in Luxembourg, beating Spora in the first round first leg Inter-Cities Fairs Cup tie.

Albion were unchanged again, while Leeds couldn’t have been any more fearsome – Sprake, Reaney, Cooper, Jack Charlton, Hunter, Madeley, Lorimer, Giles, Gray, Greenhoff, Jones, a line up that still rings down the ages. But on that October day at The Hawthorns, they weren’t in the same league as an Albion side who turned on the style from first minute to last in a pulsating performance that earned two vital points.

As he rain hosed own, Jeff Astle was the man of the moment again, scoring the game’s opener for the fourth week running, just 15 minutes in, ghosting in totally unmarked to get on the end of a perfectly played Tony Brown free-kick, steering his header beyond Sprake, Sprake and Charlton exchanging a few choice words as a result of the goal.

But Leeds weren’t a great side for nothing and they rallied quickly, putting Albion under the first sustained spell of pressure of the game, a weak defensive header from Talbut falling to Greenhoff who slashed a shot at goal. Osborne made a parry but the ball dropped invitingly for Mick Jones, an opening which he somehow contrived to miss.

Ashman introduced an extra burst of pace at the break, Dick Krzywicki replacing Kenny Stephens, and the Welsh international was quickly involved, darting inside to get on the end of a Bobby Hope pass, hitting it first time, Sprake flinging himself across goal to make the save. But Sprake, like Seymour the week before, could not fight a rearguard action all alone and eventually, he was picking the ball out of the net for a second time, Albion extending their lead after 68 minutes. It was the old firm again, Brown’s lovely cross which caused panic in the Leeds area. The ball eventually reached Astle who, left foot to the fore again, dinked a little chip into the Smethwick End goal. Two-nil to the Throstles, the team flying high once again, up to the giddy heights of 13th place off the back of four wins in five games. Out of apparent disaster, the seeds of a good season were suddenly being sown according to Tony Brown.

“Beating Leeds at home said we were on the right lines again. They were a great side, so anything you got off them was a bonus really. And we set off on a run that took us away from the bottom and comfortable.

“Confidence is such an important element in any football team. If you lose a couple of games, you start to doubt yourself, your mates, your manager. Win a couple and all of a sudden, you feel as if you’re invincible. It’s amazing really.

“It was important we started to get a few results because I remember there was a lot of rumblings and disenchantment among the supporters around that time, and I know Alan felt very much under pressure. Years later, he did tell me he thought he might get the sack at that time, but it suddenly started to come right. It just goes to prove how ridiculous it is to think about sacking your manager so early in a season. We went and won the cup that year and had two or three great seasons under Alan. Would that have happened if Jim Gaunt had panicked and sacked him? I doubt it. You need to have faith, show a bit of guts, and Jim and he rest of the board had the bottle to do that.”