SATURDAY 2ND DECEMBER 1950 Attendance 45,087
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT MOLINEUX, WOLVERHAMPTON
WOLVES 3 (Hancocks 3) WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1 (Ryan)
Williams; Short, Pritchard; Crook, Shorthouse, Wright (capt);
Hancocks, Dunn, Swinbourne, Smyth, Mullen;
Heath; Rickaby, Millard; Dudley, Vernon (capt), Barlow;
Allen, Ryan, Richardson, Wilcox, Lee;
My first two visits to Molineux had ended in surprise home defeats for the Wolves, but today things got back to normal with an emphatic win in the Black Country derby game. Johnny Hancocks, the tiny winger, with the terrific shot in both feet, won this match almost on his own. He bewildered Len Millard with his clever body swerves and Norman Heath in the Albion goal was equally all at sea with the winger's powerful shooting.
Albion had most of the early play, but Hancocks got the first goal after nineteen minutes with a powerful drive following a pass from Mullen. Fourteen minutes later he hit across a strong high centre and as Swinbourne jumped for it, without making contact, Heath tried to punch it over the bar but only succeeded in helping it into the net.
Half-time Wolves 2 Albion 0.
The second half was played in difficult conditions with snow falling for most of the time. Ryan put Albion back in the game when he scored with a hard drive after sixty four minutes. This was the Irishman's first goal of the season. However, Hancocks was not finished yet, and twelve minutes later made certain of a Wolves victory when, receiving the ball from Dunn, he drove the ball past the well beaten Heath to complete his hat trick and to make his season's total thirteen goals in fifteen matches.
SATURDAY 9TH DECEMBER, 1950
FRIENDLY MATCH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL
WALSALL 3 (Bridgett, Bowen, Millard) SHREWSBURY TOWN 3 (Hope, Brown, Griffin)
Lewis; Jones, Walters; Dean, Russon, Green;
Bowen, Millard, Bridgett, Corbett, Morris (F);
Egglestone; Potter, Lewis; Bullions, Ashworth, Crutchley;
Griffin, Jackson, Hope, Brown, Butler;
Referee:- J. Harper, Walsall
Shrewsbury, in their first season of league football, have recently got into their stride in the Northern section of the Third Division. After rather a bad start they have now got fifteen points from nineteen matches against Walsall's thirteen points from a similar number of matches in the Southern section.
Including in the visiting side were Jim Bullions, the former Derby County player and Ron Crutchley formerly with Walsall. The home side continued the experiment of playing centre half Jack Bridgett at centre forward. Bridgett it was who gave Walsall an early lead, but within a minute Jackson had equalised.
Bowen and Millard added further goals to give the home side a 3-1 lead after only twenty minutes play. Walsall then seemed to remember it was only a friendly and eased off considerably. The result of this was that midway through the second half goals from Brown and Griffin gave Shrewsbury a draw.
SATURDAY 18TH DECEMBER, 1950
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT THE HAWTHORNS, WEST BROMWICH
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2 (Wilcox, Richardson) ASTON VILLA 0
Heath; Rickaby, Millard; Kennedy, Vernon (capt), Barlow;
Allen, Wilcox, Richardson, Ryan, Lee;
Hindle; Parkes, Dorsett; Canning, Martin, Moss (A);
Sellars, Thompson, Craddock, Dixon, Smith (L);
Having won their first home game since September last week against Sunderland, Albion were all out to improve their lowly league position against somewhat under strength local rivals Aston Villa, who are two points below them. The introduction of a young red haired inside foward, Eddie Wilcox, helped Albion last week as he scored one of their goals.
Albion took the leaad after only five minutes play and it was young Wilcox who scored again with a fine header from a Barlow centre. Villa had slightly more of the play for the remainder of the first half but could make little headway against a strong Albion defence in which Kennedy and Barlow were outstanding at wing half.
Half time Albion 1 Villa 0.
Albion went further ahead after fifty five minutes. A free kick from Allen was brought down well by Wilcox who gave Richardson an easy goal from close range. The home side continued to dominate the game and both Barlow and Richardson were unlucky not to score. The only occasion on which Villa looked like scoring was when Barlow kicked a shot from Sellars off the line.
TUESDAY 26TH DECEMBER, 1950
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT MOLINEUX, WOLVERHAMPTON
WOLVES 3 (Swinbourne, Hancocks, Dunn) HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 1 (Hassall)
Williams; Short, Pritchard; Chatham, Shorthouse, Crook;
Hancocks, Dunn, Swinbourne, Wright (capt), Wilshaw;
Wheeler; Gallogly, Kelly; Hunter, McEvoy, Boot (capt);
McKenna, Nightingale, Taylor (J), Hassall, Metcalfe;
Referee:- J.W. Topliss, Grimsby
Molineux has been the scene of some of Huddersfield's heaviest defeats in the past and having at one point this season conceded twenty goals in three successive matches (including an 8-0 defeat at Middlesborough) they must have been rather apprehensive about today's Boxing Day visit. The reason that they kept the score down to reasonable proportions was the fine display of goalkeeper Wheeler who made many fine saves, His two best efforts were from full-blooded shots by Wright, back in his old inside forward position, and Hancocks.
All the goals came in the first half, the first one from a a hotly disputed penalty. It was apparently awarded for a handling offence. Hancocks powerful shot hit the base of the post before entering the net. Swinbourne, who worried McEvoy throughout, scored the second after twenty seven minutes from close range and Dunn headed the third ten minutes later. Hassall headed a neat goal for the visitors five minutes from the interval, following a corner taken by Metcalfe. Half time Wolves 3 Town 1.
Wolves could not get into their stride in the second half, mainly because of the grip, Kelly, a former Wolves player, kept on Hancocks. Wright and Wilshaw were Wolves most dangerous forwards, but they could not get past Wheeler in the Town goal.
If Huddersfield's finishing could have matched their approach play they might easily have won this game as the Wolves defence often panicked under pressure without the steadying influence of Wright at the back. Shorthouse, however, was an exception and was outstanding throughout the game.
WEDNESDAY 27TH DECEMBER, 1950
CENTRAL LEAGUE AT VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM
ASTON VILLA RESERVES 1 (Smith H) MANCHESTER UTD RESERVES 1 (Riches)
Jones (K); Ashton, Vinall; Lamb, Aldis, Daly;
Sellars, Higgins, Pace, Bullock, Smith (H);
Crompton; McNulty, Byrne; Lowrie, Jones (M), Blanchflower (J);
Violett, Clempson, Riches, Lynn (capt), Bond;
Referee:- J. Sedgely, Stoke
With the young Wolves side having slipped badly by twice losing to Sheffield United, Villa reserves lying second in the Central League had a chance to narrow the gap at the top. They were the better side during the first half and took the lead after fifteen minutes play when Smith tapped home a centre from Pace, who had moved out onto the right wing. Previously Smith had shot against the post from a free kick and Pace had hit the other post with a header.
United, with a very young side, apart from veteran goalkeeper Jack Crompton, were looking threatening on several occasions particularly down the left where one of the youngsters, Bond, was the pick of the forwards. After one of his corners, Jack Blanchflower shot just over the bar. Half time Villa 1 United 0.
Manchester, with four players who were to become members of the famous Busby Babes side in Roger Byrne, Mark Jones, Jack Blanchflower (brother of Danny) and Denis Violett, came more into the game in the second half. Keith Jones, in the Villa goal, brought off a magnificent one handed save from a close range shot from Clempson. Then Bond had a good chance to score also from close range, but he shot over the bar. Finally after eighty three minutes centre forward Riches ran through the centre on his own to score a well deserved equaliser.
SATURDAY 30TH DECEMBER, 1950
LEAGUE DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL
WALSALL 0 EXETER CITY 2 (McKay, Smith)
Lewis; Jones, Walters; Dean, Russon, Dearson (capt);
Morris (F), Bowen, Bridgett, Devlin, Hughes;
Lear; Warren, Clark; Fallon, Doyle, Davey;
McClelland, Lynn, Smith, McKay, Regan;
Walsall had played three games in four days already over the Christmas period and clocked up a substantial mileage in the process. They got their first away win of the season 1-0 at Southend last Saturday, thanks to a second half Devlin goal, then held Newport County to a goal less draw on Christmas Day morning. The following morning, Boxing Day, they were away against Newport again and this time lost 3-0.
They had played at Newport without the injured Billy Green and local boy Dean made his first appearance as deputy. They were further in touble when Jack Bridgett was injured during the first half which caused a wholesale reshuffle
The visitors today, Exeter City, had only ever won twice on this ground in twelve visits, but are having a good season, lying in tenth place although six sides are level on twenty six points. Walsall are now struggling four places from the bottom, so it came as no surprise that Exeter gained their seventh away win of the season. Exeter snapped up two chances whereas Walsall lacked an opportunist capable of taking advantage of many openings which their forceful attack provided.
Both teams played good football in the snow at times, but the City had the smarter forward line in which the two wingers were outstanding together with this season's signing from Huddersfield Town, Lynn, who was a clever schemer at inside right.
Walsall's defence in which Ron Russon was a sound centre half and newcomer Dean showed considerable skill at right half, did well to keep the scoring down to one goal, scored by McKay in the nineteenth minute.
An unlucky slip by Henry Walters enabled Smith to increase the lead half-way through the second half. After that Walsall faded and escaped a heavier defeat only because shots by McClelland and McKay rebounded off the post and the crossbar after passing out of reach of the diminutive Lewis in goal.
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