“ALONG CAME BIG KEV, DON, GRAHAM AND SIR BOBBY”
Ahead of the new 1955/56 season, Albion made another rather significant appointment in bringing Aldershot manager Gordon Clark in to the club as Chief Scout, Clark a former Manchester City player and well known to Vic Buckingham. It was a new post created within the club, and would eventually lead to Mr Clark taking over the manager’s role from Buckingham in 1959.
In the mean-time Vic Buckingham had an opportunity to have a good look at a few youngsters in the pre-season practice matches in August, and would have been quite impressed with a young inside forward come centre forward named Derek Kevan, who scored twice in a 3-3 draw between the ‘Reds’ and the ‘Stripes’. So much so, with Ronnie Allen unfortunately injured in the opening game of the season, a 1-1 draw at home to the ‘Champions’ Wolverhampton Wanderers, he had no hesitation in draughting Kevan in to the side for his league debut wearing the number nine shirt, along with another youngster who had also impressed, Wolverhampton born full-back Don Howe.
Both youngsters settled into their tasks as if they had been in the side for years, Kevan scoring both goals in Albion’s superb 2-0 win over the ‘Toffees’ and Howe, deputising for the injured Stuart Williams, proved that he was the quality player that he would definitely turn out to be, in fact by the end of the season Howe would be one of the first names on Buckingham’s team sheet, as well as being selected to represent his country, something Derek Kevan would also do in due course.
Kevan scored again in the following game at Old Trafford against the ‘Reds’ of Manchester United, in a 3-1 defeat, but despite the defeat Kevan once again impressed his manager, still deputising for Ronnie Allen, and the big inside forward made it four goals in six games with another great strike in the 2-1 win over Sheffield United at The Hawthorns in September. Unfortunately the emergence of Kevan and Howe were perhaps the only two bright aspects of yet another very average season, that would see the wonderfully gifted utility player Joe Kennedy make the centre half position his own, 1954 cup winner Jimmy Dugdale successfully switching to Villa Park, where he would become a legend at the club, and for Albion a young Welshman named Graham Evan Williams, another destined for Hawthorns greatness, would make his debut on the left wing against Blackpool in the November. Another youngster who Buckingham plucked from the obscurity of lower leagues that season was a battering ram of a player named Maurice Setters, who was bought for just £3,000 from Exeter City, and would light up the terraces with his bandy legs and commando style football. Unfortunately Setters and his manager would fall out before the 1959/60 season, which would lead to Buckingham leaving The Hawthorns.
There did however seem to be a glimmer of hope in the F.A Cup, as Albion pulled off a brilliant victory over cup favourites Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, Frank Griffin and George Lee netting the goals that would earn Albion a famous victory against their Staffordshire neighbours. Beating Portsmouth at The Hawthorns 2-0 in the fourth round would have certainly started the to get that ‘old F.A Cup fever’ flowing around the Borough of West Bromwich, especially as a home tie against Midland rivals Birmingham City was next up at The Hawthorns in the fifth round of the competition. An amazing 57,213 fans ‘piled’ into The Hawthorns on February 18th 1956, to watch a game played on a snowy landscape in freezing conditions, which subsequently ended Albion’s cup hopes for another year, Peter Murphy, Birmingham’s ‘Shooting star’ for many seasons, scoring the winner for Wembley bound ‘Blues’ with just nine minutes remaining. It was historically another of those cup games where Albion chose to change to their white shirts and Black shorts in favour of the blue and white stripes in the cup.
A month later, Vic Buckingham would famously delve into the transfer market and buy one of the most influential players ever to come to The Hawthorns, a man that would justifiably become a Knight of the Realm no less, prizing North Easterner Bobby Robson away from Fulham for a modest fee of £25,000, the County Durham born inside forward/wing half making his debut at The Hawthorns against Manchester City a few days later, a game however, that he would want to forget very quickly, Albion thrashed 4-0 by the men from Maine Road. Robson would however score his first goal for his new club later that month on 31st March against Cardiff City at Ninian Park, a game won 3-1 by The Throstles, but all in all, it proved to be another disappointing campaign, finishing below mid table in thirteenth place, so not a lot to shout about, perhaps highlighted by Albion’s 3-0 demoralising defeat at Villa Park on the final day of the season, on an afternoon where former Albion man Jimmy Dugdale was outstanding in the Villa defence.
Ronnie Allen, top scored again for another season, with Albion’s leader of the attack netting eighteen goals, five from the penalty spot, including one hat trick against Newcastle United on the first day of the New Year, January 2nd from 37 appearances made during the campaign, that did not feature one player as an ever present, goalkeeper Jim Sanders and wing half Jimmy Dudley coming close missing just the one league game.
ANOTHER SEMI-FINAL
The following 1956/57 campaign was also decidedly average as far as the League was concerned it was all about the F.A Cup to be honest, Albion once again settling for a mid-table position, eleventh, in Division One, with new additions being made all the time by Mr Buckingham. Jim Sanders, Don Howe, Len Millard, Jimmy Dudley, Ray Barlow, Bobby Robson, Ronnie Allen, Frank Griffin and Joe Kennedy, were joined in the first team by Brian Whitehouse, Maurice Setters and Derek Kevan, George Lee unfortunately picking up a serious injury eight games into the season at Preston North End. Johnny Nicholls would switch to Cardiff City and Wilf Carter to Plymouth Argyle, as Vic Buckingham rung the changes. There was in fairness, very little to shout about in the first half of the campaign, apart from maybe a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in the second game of the season at The Hawthorns, perhaps a little bit of ‘pay-back’ for that last day of the season defeat at the end of April. At Christmas, Albion sat in eleventh place in the table, exactly where they would finish the campaign. Goalkeeper Jim Sanders, Don Howe and Ray Barlow were the only ever presents during the season, Bobby Robson picked up an injury against Newcastle on Christmas Day and missed the return game at St James’ Park on Boxing Day.
The squad was still a somewhat older squad, plenty of experience, but with so many youngsters still doing their National Service, namely Maurice Setters, Dick Maynes, Dick McCartney, Alec Jackson, Chuck Drury, Jimmy Campbell, Barry Cooke, Barry Hughes and Ray Whale, available for limited ‘game-time’ Viv Buckingham just had to make do. The side did however find another outlet, the F.A Cup, playing a record number of games in the competition that season, nine games, with replays in all rounds but one. Albion disposed of the plucky third Division side Doncaster Rovers in the third round, Ronnie Allen scoring both goals in a 2-0 mid-week replay at The Hawthorns on 9th January 1957.
Derek Kevan scored his first two F.A Cup goals in a 4-2 win over Sunderland at The Hawthorns in the fourth round, and after a goal-less draw at Blackpool in the fifth round, Kevan again and Ronnie Allen settled the tie at The Hawthorns the following Wednesday 20th February. Remember, no floodlights at The Hawthorns at that time, so all kick-offs were mid-afternoon affairs at best. 53,409 fans flocked to The Hawthorns on Saturday March 2nd for the 6th round tie against Arsenal, with cup fever ‘alive and well’ in the Borough once again, fans wanting the opportunity to see what Argus reporter Tom Duckworth described as “One of the fastest and most thrilling cup ties to be seen at The Hawthorns for a long while, with Arsenal twice fighting back from being behind to force a draw and a replay at Highbury.”
Ronnie Allen gave Albion the lead after 21 minutes but Vic Groves equalised ten minutes before the break. Four minutes after the interval, Derek Kevan hammered a rocket of a shot at the Arsenal goal, which was deflected past Arsenal ‘keeper Jack Kelsey and into the net to give Albion the advantage once again. However with an hour of this absorbing tie played Arsenal full back Stan Charlton ran with the ball at the Albion defence and unleased an absolute screamer through the packed penalty area and into Albion’s net past a startled Jim Sanders, to earn the ‘Gunners’ a deserved replay.
The replay at Highbury in North London three days later, was yet another wonderful cup tie, with Arsenal now the favourites, Albion believe it or not, not winning at Highbury since 1932, and the hero of the day would be Albion ‘keeper Jim Sanders. Joe Kennedy, injured in the game at The Hawthorns, had to step down due to torn ligaments, Ray Barlow having to move to centre half with the youngster Maurice Setters stepping up into the left half vacancy left by Barlow’s switch. Being the consummate professional that he was, Barlow’s switch to centre half was absolutely ‘painless’ Barlow himself admitting “I find there is a lot less running about to do at centre half, but on the other hand there is much more responsibility.”
Barlow was superb, was there ever any doubt? Inside right Brian Whitehouse gave Albion the lead just after the interval, somewhat controversially, but the referee Mr Williams of Nottingham, made his decision and he stuck to it, but, if we are honest, the Albion inside forward did look to be yards offside as he ran onto a Ronnie Allen through ball and smashed the ball past Jack Kelsey, with Arsenal’s Dave Bowen appealing for ‘offside’. Derek Kevan, compounded the home side’s misery when he gave Albion a two goal cushion in the 76th minute, but the pivotal moment of the game was midway through the second half when Arsenal were awarded a penalty, and the opportunity to level the match. Surprisingly Danny Clapton, stepped up to take the kick, not Cliff Holton or Stan Charlton both prolific strikers of the ball, and Jim Sanders, Albion’s mercurial; ‘keeper, did what he did so often, flung himself to his left and saved Clapton’s ‘soft’ spot kick. Cliff Holton did pull a goal back for the ‘Gunners’ with ten minutes remaining, but Albion held on to record an historic victory, and a place in the Semi-Final against Midland rivals Aston Villa.
The Semi-Final at Molineux on Saturday 23rd of March, should have been the day that Albion won through to yet another cup final at the expense of their close neighbours Villa, but failure to keep it tight at the back after Brian Whitehouse had twice given the ‘Throstles’ the lead, cost them dearly and once again Albion would have to play a replayed tie, this time across the City of Birmingham at St Andrews the home of Birmingham City.
At Molineux Albion quite literally ‘zoomed’ into a second minute lead, when Ronnie Allen pounced on a loose ball, looked up and saw Whitehouse making his run, and calmly slipped the ball through the gaps in the Villa defence to put the ball into the net to give Albion the lead. Albion were by far the better side, playing expansive attacking football, but always found the Villa defence resolute and difficult to break down. However, just when it seemed that Albion would take that one goal lead into the interval Peter McParland the Villa ace goal-scorer and Irish international levelled five minutes from half-time, heading home a Johnny Dixon cross. The Villa fans went “Crazy” according to the Argus reporter Denis Shaw, “With one fan running across the pitch waving his scarf above his head to the delight of everyone.” A minute later however, that fans delight would have turned to despair when Whitehouse again gave Albion the lead on the very stroke of half time. Pat Saward the Villa defender failed to control the ball in the box, and Whitehouse as quick as a flash, nipped in between Saward and Sims, and slipped the ball into the net for the second time that afternoon. However, just when it seemed that Albion had booked their place at Wembley, Peter McParland once again Albion’s nemesis scored the equaliser and the tie was now moving to St Andrews for a second ‘throw of the dice’ four days later.
It would not be a happy afternoon for Albion at St Andrews. At approximately 2.47pm on Thursday 28th March 1957, seventeen minutes into the F.A Cup semi-Final replay, Albion talisman ‘leader’ Ronnie Allen went up for a high ball with his mate, former Albion centre half Jimmy Dugdale, both their heads crashed together, Dugdale got up and dusted himself down, Ronnie Allen did not, the Albion centre forward falling to the ground unconscious. Carried from the field of play, the medics worked tirelessly on Allen and after about seven or eight minutes the Albion man ‘wobbled’ back onto the pitch, looking it was observed like a ‘punch drunk boxer’. Always the warrior, Allen tried in vain to pulled himself around, but the Doctors verdict at half time was severe concussion and Allen’s ‘race’ was run……..or so it seemed…..Wrapped in a blanket in the corner of the dressing room during the interval, Allen was clearly in no shape to do anything, let alone continue playing in a game of football, but minutes after the restart he confounded just about everyone by staggering….yes staggering, onto the pitch once again to continue valiantly. It was to no avail of course, while Allen was receiving treatment Villa’s Bill Myerscough had put his side into the lead in the thirty ninth minutes of a dramatic encounter, and that’s the way it stayed. Aston Villa were at Wembley, not Albion.
Frank Magee reporting for the Daily Mirror, concluded, “Even without Allen, Albion were the better side, Ray Barlow at left half playing more football than any other two men on the field.” Twice Barlow nearly scored, as Albion threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Villa, who somehow held on to get to Wembley and a date with the ‘Busby babes’ of Manchester United.
Albion’s campaign came to an end, but not without a fight! And could now start packing for a trip of a lifetime, breaking down more barriers, with the planned tour of the USSR. As for the Cup Semi-Final aftermath, Ronnie Allen did not return to The Hawthorns on the team coach, he was taken home by Albion skipper Ray Barlow, where he was seen by a doctor, who advised a few days in hospital for concussion observations, and missed Albion’s away game against Manchester City at Maine Road, as well as two home games against Blackpool and Charlton Athletic. He would however, have been delighted to have scored the winner, the only goal of the game, in Albion’s penultimate game of the season at Fratton Park, Portsmouth on 27th April.