SATURDAY 18TH AUGUST, 1951
LEAGUE DIVISION TWO AT ST ANDREWS, BIRMINGHAM
BIRMINGHAM CITY 2 (Higgins, Trigg) BURY 1 (Daniel)
Merrick; Hall, Green; Boyd, Badham, Ferris;
Stewart, Higgins, Trigg (capt), Rowley, Berry;
Goram; Fairclough, Bodle; Greenhalgh, Hart, Bardsley;
Hazlett, Griffiths (capt), Plant, Daniel, Slynn;
Referee:- Mr. A. Murdoch, Sheffield
I started the new season with an intention to watch more football at Birmingham City in order to see most of the second division teams that I had not see before. The ground was bathed in sunshine as is usual on the opening day of the season. There was quite a bit of local interest in the visitors' team as Harold Bodle, appearing at left back, was formerly an inside forward with Birmingham. Ken Plant used to play for Nuneaton Borough and Frank Slynn is a product of Birmingham Works football.
There was little to choose between the two teams in the early stages and it was Bury who took the lead after nineteen minutes play. A pass from Bardsley was deflected to Daniel just outside the penalty area and he scored with a beautifully taken shot.
Birmingham had perhaps a litle more of the game up to the interval, but play was ragged on both sides and the crowd had little to get excited about. Half time 0-1.
Three minutes after the interval, thanks mainly to Berry, the Blues equalised. The little left winger, who prefers to play on the right, dispossessed Fairclough and put over a beautiful centre from which Trigg scored with ease. With skipper Griffiths Bury's only dangerous forward, the Blues defence was rarely troubled and it came as no surprise when Birmingham went ahead after sixty four minutes.
This followed an attack started by the forceful Irishman Ferris who, after going off injured, returned with blood stained shorts to match his red hair. Higgins scored from close range and this completed the scoring. On the whole it was a fair result, although Birmingham must show much improved form to repeat their promotion challenge of last season.
WEDNESDAY 22ND AUGUST, 1951
FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT MOLINEUX, WOLVERHAMPTON
WOLVES 1 (Swinbourne) DERBY COUNTY 2 (Harrison, Powell)
Williams; Short, Pritchard; Baxter, Shorthouse, Wright (capt);
Hancocks, Dunn, Swinbourne, Pye, Mullen;
Middleton; Mozley, Revell; Mays, Oliver, Walker;
Harrison, Powell, Stamps, Morris, McLaren;
THURSDAY 23RD AUGUST, 1951
LEAGUE DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL
WALSALL 1 (Evans) ALDERSHOT 0
Lewis; Jones, Green; Walters, Russon, Devlin (capt);
Bowen, O'Neill, Winter, Evans, Allison;
Nichol; Rogers, Jefferson; Taggart, White, Macauley;
Bonnor, Laird, C. Mortimore, Menzies, Flint;
Walsall started their season on Saturday with a 1-0 home win against the powerful Bristol Rovers thanks to a goal from Hugh Evans, a new signing from Bournemouth.
Evans repeated the dose today to get the Saddlers off to an excellent start with four points in the bag already.
Aldershot on the other hand started their campaign with a home defeat to Northampton. Their most notable players are England amateur international centre forward Mortimore, Bonnar an Irish international from Barnsley and Flint the fomer Spurs reserve winger.
MONDAY 10TH SEPTEMBER, 1951
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM
ASTON VILLA 1 (Goffin) HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 0
Martin; Parkes, Aldis; Blanchflower, Moss (F), Dorsett;
Smith (H), Thompson, Pace, Dixon, Goffin;
Wheeler; Howe, Kelly; McGarry, McEvoy, Battye;
McKenna, Nightingale, Taylor (J), Hassall, Metcalfe;
Villa sprang a major surprise by fielding Irish international defender, normally a centre half or left back, in goal. Despite being somewhat unorthodox at times he managed to keep a clean sheet and impressed with his confident approach to his new task.
Goffin scored the only goal of close faught game in which Town showed very little in attack. Blanchflower continued to impress with his precision passing.
THURSDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER, 1951
LEAGUE DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL
WALSALL 0 SHREWSBURY TOWN 4 (Collins 2, Ayton, Brown)
Lewis; Jones, Green; Walters, Russon, Devlin (capt);
Bowen, O'Neill, Winter, Evans, Allison;
Egglestone; Potter, Lewis; Bullions, Depear, Crutchley;
Collins, Ayton, Jackson, Brown, Roberts;
Referee:- R.J. Leafe, Nottingham Kick off 6 p.m.
After their good start to the season Walsall came unstuck in a big way against a very lively Shrewsbury side in very poor weather conditions. John Camkin's report below sums up proceedings particularly his comment that Walsall cannot possibly play as badly again.
SATURDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER, 1951
LEAGUE DIVISION TWO AT ST ANDREWS, BIRMINGHAM
BIRMINGHAM CITY 2 (Badham, Dorman) DONCASTER ROVERS 2 (Green og, Martin)
Merrick; Green, Martin; Boyd (capt), Atkins, Warhurst;
Stewart, Dorman, Badham, Ferris, Wardle;
Wakeman; Makepeace, Graham; Brown, Bycroft (capt), Miller;
Dubois, Martin, Tindall, Lawlor, Giles;
Referee:- Mr. F.H. Gerrard, Preston
With only five points from eight games so far this season, Birmingham introduced two regulr defenders into their forward line in Badham and Ferris. Doncaster were without their player-manager Peter Doherty, wing half Walter Jones, the former Blackpool player, and goalkeeper Hardwick. Alan Wakeman, the former Aston Villa player to his first game in goal for Rovers.
After Merrick had difficulty in reaching a back pass fom Atkins, another back pass, this time from Green, eluded him and Doncaster were a goal up afte only three minutes. Doncaster's forwards were combining very well, none better than the two Eire internationals Lawlor and Giles, who were together last season with Drumcondra.
After twenty seven minutes the Rovers went further ahead, a mistake again by Green leading to the goal. He headed a right wing corner straight to the feet of Martin, who scored with a fierce left foot shot. However four minutes later Green made amends when he took the ball through well into the Rovers' half before lobbing it into the centre for Don Dorman to head a goal from close range. Half-time 1-2.
Birmingham showed improved form during the second half and Wakeman was called upon to make several fine saves in quick succession. After seventy minutes Birmingham got the equaliser which had been threatened for some time. It was again Green who made the goal, running down the right wing and swinging it across for Badham to score a similar goal to Dorman's with his head.
SATURDAY 22ND SEPTEMBER, 1951
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM
ASTON VILLA 2 (Thompson, Goffin) LIVERPOOL 0 Attendance 50,000
Martin; Parkes, Aldis; Blanchflower, Moss (F), Dorsett;
Smith (H), Thompson, Moss (A), Dixon, Goffin;
Ashcroft; Jones, Parr; Taylor (capt), Hughes, Paisley;
Payne, Baron, Stubbins, Williams (R.B.), Liddell;
Referee:- Mr. A. Brown, Middlesborough
With Dave Walsh and Derek Pace both unfit, Villa continued their experiment of playing defender Amos Moss at centre forward. Con Martin, the Eire international full back or centre half, continued in goal! Within seconds of the start Liverpool very nearly scored. From the kick-off Baron pushed the ball out to Liddell who made ground and and centred accurately to Payne, but Martin was in position to save.
Thompson and Blanchflower were combining well for Villa and Amos Moss was beating Hughes in the air, often directing the ball down well to his inside forwards. Villa's best effort so far was a great drive from Thompson which resulted in an equally brilliant save by Ashcroft who flung himself full length to push the ball round the post.
Ashcroft, deputising for Sidlow in goal, then made another great save, tipping a good effort from Dixon over the bar. From the corner however, Villa took the lead after thirty minutes play when Thompson crashed home a terrific shot. Ashcroft made two more wonder saves from Thompson and Dixon and how the crowd cheered him.
Liverpool now tried their well known switch of wingers, but Parkes, who has always been something of a bogeyman for Billy Liddell, followed the wandering Scot by changing places with Aldis. The balding veteran went on to play Liddell right out of the game. After forty two minutes Villa increased their lead, Thompson put a grand pass through for Goffin in the inside left position and he went on to score with ease. Half time 2-0.
With Liddell and Stubbins rarely able to get going, little was seen of the visitor's attack, but after eighty one minutes they looked certain to score, a beautiful through ball from Baron found young Brian Williams, a wing half and long throw expert normally, clean through the middle. However, just as he was about to shoot, Dorsett raced up from behind and whipped his legs away. From the penalty kick, Liddell usually so sure, tamely hit the ball against the post.
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