Originally Posted by
Epsombaggie
We have recently had to put my mum into a care home and my sister, and I have been clearing the house, with a view to putting it on the market, so we can pay the fees!
Whilst investigating a cupboard under the stairs, I cam across my father’s wartime RAF kitbag, which I had never clapped eyes on until that moment. Amongst all the flight memorabilia, I was astounded to come across a document on WBA headed notepaper, containing the autographs of the players and staff from the 1949-50 season (their first season back in the old first division).
Amongst the staff signatures were the manager jack Smith and the legendary W G Richardson, who was styled as coach.
I have been able to identify a good proportion of the staff signatures including Jimmy Dudley (who scored the first Albion goal I saw at the Hawthorns, in the 1958-9 season. Others are Jim Sanders, Norman Heath, Sam Cox, Jim Pemberton, Len Millard, Joe Kennedy, Billy Brookes, Reg Ryan. Glyn Hood, Ray Barlow, Jackie Vernon, Eddie Wilcox, Bill Elliott, Dennis Gordon, Arthur Smith, George Lee, Cyril Williams, Dave Walsh, Hugh Morrow, Rob Barker, Mick Betteridge & Geoff Richards. Also possibly Johnny Nicholls, Jack Hodgetts & Gren Jones
I have been able to decipher a few other signatures but have been unable to find any information on the signatories, other than Jack Flavell who, more famously, played cricket for Worcestershire and England Others include G W Sharpe, B Hilton, S Brierley, L Horne, N Allsopp, D Woolley, G Inwood, C Evans & R G Russell. There are also one or two others which are indecipherable.
I guess that the latter category never made the first team but I would be grateful for any light that any of you can shed on these individuals, or if you can think of any other squad members from that era, who I have not mentioned above
