The Midlands football scene 1949-50 (part two)

Posted by Tony Hutton

SATURDAY 3RD DECEMBER, 1949

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL

WALSALL 2 (Betts, Chapman) READING 0                    Attendance 8,000

Lewis; Methley, Skidmore; Walters, Foulkes, Newman;
Medd, Hewitt, Chapman, Devlin, Betts;

Marks; Moyse, Wicks; Henley, Brice, Reeves;
Fisher, Edelston, Blackman, Allen, Allison;

Referee:- W. Ling, Stapleford

Walsall continued to tinker with their forward line, although the defence remained unchanged. Reading, with a lot of experience in their team, failed to put up much of a fight. Centre half Gordon Brice was an occasional county cricketer for Northants, Maurice Edelston an England amateur international and Blackman a regular goalscorer at centre forward.

Report retrieved from Sports Argus.  An amazing start to this game which saw the return of Chapman at centre forward for Walsall. Walsall scored in the first minute with a move started by a clever flick from Medd, ending with winger Betts scoring.  Within ten minutes it was two nil this time a length of the field effort started by goal keeper Lewis punching away a free kick to Newman who booted the ball downfield. In a race for the ball with Reading defender Moyse, Chapman won possession and drove the ball past the advancing Marks.

 Chapman continued to feature but needed attention after a clash with centre half Brice. Lewis made a good save from Blackman before Walsall hit back after a period of Reading pressure to be back on top by the interval with Marks saving from Hewitt and Brice blocking another goal bound effort.

Reading came back hard after the interval and Lewis was again called into action. Walsall seemed to relax somewhat and it took time for them to get back into the game. Foulkes had to leave the field briefly and returned with a plaster over his eye. He continued to control the dangerous Blackman. Betts had one good effort saved and then laid on a chance for Devlin, but he shot wide. Walsall dominated the final stages when Devlin and Chapman both went close before Medd hit the woodwork with Marks well beaten. 

SATURDAY 17TH DECEMBER, 1949

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM

ASTON VILLA 1 (Moss) MANCHESTER CITY 0

Wakeman; Parkes, Dorsett; Powell, Martin, Moss (F);
Dixon, Harrison, Ford, Edwards, Smith (L);

Trautmann; Philips, Westwood; Fagan, Rigby, Emptage;
Bootle, Black, Turnbull, Clarke, Allison;

Referee:- G. Salmon, Stoke on Trent

Much interest surrounded the appearance of former German prisoner of war Bert Trautmann in goal for City. He was recently signed from St Helens Town after settling in this country after the war. He gave a good performance and only conceded the one goal of the match from wing half Frank Moss.
Despite some initial protests Trautmann went on to become a folk hero at Maine Road, making more than 500 appearances for City.

Match report retrieved from the Birmingham Gazette.

Bertman Trautmann, the German ex-prisoner of war, kept effectively all ten Aston Villa 'forwards' at bay up until the 90th minute of this match. The 35,000 crowd gave him a spontaneous ovation as he left the field at the end of the game. He had defied for long and hectic minutes the entire Villa team, with the exception of goalkeeper Wakeman, who had unnecessarily, as it turned out, stayed in his goal.

Rarely, if ever again, shall we see Con Martin as a centre forward, Harry Parkes as a raiding right winger or inside forward and Dickie Dorsett holding a watching brief on the edge of the opponents' penalty area: while wing halves and forwards were turning themselves into battering rams, slamming away at a goalmouth packed with ten blue shirts and the green jersey inhabited by the almost unbeatable Trautmann.

Yet it was not until the 90th minute and only 85 seconds of' 'stoppage time' left to play, that the German was beaten: and then beaten more by his own queued up players in front of him than by a Villa shot.

I am convinced that had Trautmann been able to see Frank Moss's admirable drive, he would have pulled it down or tipped it over the bar. But there were moments in the first half when Manchester City might well have taken the lead.....the Clarke drive to the foot of the post....the Clarke drive that left a smudge on the cross bar.... the two awful misses by Clarke and Turnbull with the ball flashing across and Wakeman at the other end.

After these anxious moments Villa settled down to real business, a wholehearted endeavour to beat this relegation-bound side. An injury to Harrison in the 28th minute made the task more difficult and with a curious perverseness Villa continued to play the limping winger with passes leaving the mercurial Smith to wonder what was going on at Sutton Coldfield. So one-sided did the match become, however, with Manchester hell-bent on jamming players in the goalmouth and Villa left all but the 18 yards goal area to fool about in, that it only became a question of time before the ball would end up in the net.

Goalkeeper Wakeman, making only his 15th appearance in his fourteen years with Villa, might well have sat down and played patience after the opening period!

SATURDAY 24TH DECEMBER, 1949

LEAGUE DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL

WALSALL 1 (Devlin) NOTTS FOREST 3 (Ardron 2, Johnson)

Lewis; Jones, Skidmore; Walters, Foulkes, Newman;
Hewitt, McLaughlin, Devlin, Whitehouse, Betts;

Walker; Whare, Hutchinson; Anderson, Gager (capt), Burkitt;
Scott, Johnson, Ardron, Capel, Kaile;

Referee:- J. Platts, Nantwich                                            Attendance 11,000

Christmas Eve brought promotion favourites Notts Forest to Fellows Park and they cemented their position with a comfortable victory with two goals from Wally Ardron, signed from Rotherham, who is well among the goals at the half way point of the season. Another new signing Tommy Capel from Chesterfield also looked useful.

Match report retrieved from the Sports Argus.

In the first minute the Forest goal had an escape. McLaughlin evaded Gager and pushed the ball out to Betts on the left wing, who rounded Whare and shot. The ball bounced on the crossbar and Hutchinson was able to clear at the expense of a corner. At the Walsall end Ardron screwed a good effort on goal but Lewis was able to save. Betts was again in the limelight but he put a weak shot straight into Walker's hands.

The Walsall attack was not as polished as the Forest, but their rugged approach was causing the Forest some problems. A Devlin-Hewitt move on the right had the Forest defence jumping around, but Walker came to the rescue. After Whitehouse sent a first timer over the bar, Betts sent in a terrific drive that hit the crossbar and bounced over. The game was by no means a one sided affair. The Forest attack well supplied by intelligent half backs gave Walsall a lesson in accurate passing and clever ball control.

Forest were a danger every time they got going. They were lively and grasped every opportunity for a crack at goal. Johnson  tried a cross shot which Lewis cleared with ease and Anderson sent in a pile driver but it went just over the bar. The big difference between the respective forward lines was in finishing. Nevertheless the Walsall defence played up to its reputation. Half time 0-0.

Walsall's defence had another difficult spell early in the second half but Skidmore's clearance gave them a temporary respite. Devlin created a good chance for Whitehouse who put in a drive from twenty yards which Walker saved well and a second later made another good clearance from Betts. It became obvious that the visitors could not be denied and the expected goal came from Ardron after 60 minutes. 

Walters tried a clearance but the ball struck Capel and rebounded to the centre forward. Lewis got a hand to the ball but could not prevent it trickling into the net just inside the post.

Walsall put on a spurt and if class had equalled determination they might have made headway but their efforts were futile against the Forest defenders. The visitors got a second eight minutes later when Johnson found the net. They were three down in the 75th minute when Ardron nipped in and netted after Lewis had stopped, but failed to clear, a high lob from Johnson. Eight minutes from the end referee Platt caused some consternation when he blew a long blast on his whistle and pointed to the centre spot. Players protested and spectators yelled their disapproval. After consulting the linesman the referee re-started the game.

A minute from the end Devlin scored a consolation goal for Walsall.

TUESDAY 27TH DECEMBER, 1949

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM

ASTON VILLA 1 (Dixon) WOLVES 4 (Swinbourne 2, Pye, Smyth)

Wakeman; Parkes, Dorsett; Powell, Martin, Moss (F);
Dixon, Harrison, Ford, Edwards, Smith (L);

Williams; McLean, Pritchard; Crook, Shorthouse, Russell;
Smith, Swinbourne, Pye, Smyth, Mullen;

Referee:- H. Holt, Rochdale.                                              Attendance 70,000

This Christmas local derby produced by far the biggest crowd I had ever seen and I was restricted to a long distance view from the very top of the Witton End terracing.
The home side were no match for the powerful Wolves team, even without England captain Billy Wright and outside right Johnny Hancocks.
Roy Swinbourne, the young tall centre forward from Yorkshire, soon made his mark with two goals and veteran Jesse Pye and Irish international Sammy Smyth scored the others. Johnny Dixon scored a consolation goal for Villa.

SATURDAY 7TH JANUARY, 1950

FRIENDLY MATCH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL

WALSALL 2 (Devlin, Corbett) BRISTOL ROVERS 2 (Watling, Warren)

Lewis; Jones, Skidmore; Walters, Foulkes, Newman;
Hewitt, Corbett, Chapman, Devlin, Giles;

Weare; Bamford, Fox; Pitt, Warren, McCourt;
Bush, Roost, Lambden, Morgan, Watling;

Referee:- H. Wootton, Walsall                                    Attendance 4,000

With both sides already knocked out of the F.A. Cup they took the opportunity for some much needed match practice. Walsall took the opportunity to experiment with the attack. Corbett, a young player from Sutton Coldfield who recently signed professional forms partnered Hewitt on the right wing and Giles was on the left. The first exchanges were very 'friendly'. Rovers opened the score in the fifth minute when Watling dived full length to head in a Lamden centre. Rovers were setting the pace and Lewis saved from Morgan and McCourt.

After 22 minutes Walsall got the equaliser through Devlin, Four minutes later Corbett netted from a Devlin pass as Weare advanced from goal and after 37 minutes Warren equalised for Rovers from a free kick. In the second half the Walsall attack swung into action and Rovers' goal had several narrow escapes. Just before the final whistle Bamford cleared a Chapman effort off the line with Weare out of position. (Report from Sports Argus).

SATURDAY 14TH JANUARY, 1950

LEAGUE DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL

WALSALL 1 (Corbett) NORWICH CITY 1 (Ashman)

Lewis; Jones, Skidmore; Walters, Foulkes, Newman;
Hewitt, Corbett, Chapman, Betts, Giles;

Nethercott; Duffy, Lewis; Pickwick, Low, Armes;
Gavin, Kinsey, Ashman, Jones, Church;

Referee:- L.D. Thompson, Worksop                                 Attendance 11,000

 

Report from Sports Argus.

First threat was at the Norwich end where Betts swung over a centre into the goalmouth. Nethercott went to intercept but failed to hold the ball. Hewitt raced, but the goalkeeper just managed to smother the ball. Norwich came back and after Jones had checked a likely move, Ashman shot just outside, after slipping Foulkes. Gavin had a great chance for Norwickh but was well off the target. Then came another thrill at the Norwich end.

Skidmore put in a terrific 25 yard swerving drive. Again Nethercott failed to clear properly. He recovered in time, however, as Chapman rushed in. After a quarter of an hour Norwich missed a sitter. Kinsey placed a perfect pass for Ashman who miskicked. However Ashman made amends in the 19th minute when he hooked a perfect goal from Kinsey's pass. It took Walsall just ten minutes to get on level terms.

In the 29th minute Corbett scored his first League goal. Giles swung over a grand pass which Betts stopped and placed for Corbett who cleverly back heeled into the net. Walsall fought hard to take the lead but the Norwich defence was no easy obstacle. The second half opened tamely, but when Walsall got going Betts raised a cheer with an individual run. His shot was wide, then Chapman tried to head over the advancing Nethercott but collided with Low who had to receive attention.

Walsall at this stage gave the Norwich defenders a gruelling time. The referee ignored appeals for two spot kicks when first Corbett and then Chapman were brought down. Chapman tried another header and Hewitt and Corbett both put in shots which the Norwich keeper saved. The Norwich attack came into life again and Jones put in a stinger which Lewis saved well. Corbett, at the other end, did a sparkling piece of work but after manoeuvering into a perfect scoring position, shot wide.

Walsall just could not penetrate the Norwich defence and in the last few minutes did everything but score. The re-arranged Walsall attack showed more life throughout and while there was more grit and determination than thrust they well deserved a point.

SATURDAY 21ST JANUARY, 1950

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM

ASTON VILLA 4 (Goffin 2, Ford, Craddock) MIDDLESBROUGH 0

Rutherford; Parkes, Dorsett; Powell, Martin Moss (F);
Craddock, Gibson, Ford, Goffin, Smith (L);

Ugolin; Dicks, Blenkinsopp; Bell, Whittaker, Spuhler;
Reagan, Linacre, Fenton, McCrea, Walker;

Referee:- J.W. Bowers, Huddersfield                           Attendance 30,000

For once the long suffering Villa supporters went home happy. Four goals in one game almost unheard of in recent times. Billy Goffin appearing at inside left instead of his usual left wing role and helped himself to two goals against a Middlesbrough side struggling without several big name players.

Middlesbrough 1949-50

Match report from Sports Argus.

Villa had Craddock back in the side for the first time since 19th November. Middlesbrough were forced into a series of changes because of the fact that Gordon was taken ill overnight. His place at left half was taken by Spuhler normally a centre forward. That position was taken by Micky Fenton, formerly an England international in his 16th season with the club, who is now in charge of Boro's Northern Eastern League side. Mannion, who was injured in the cup replay at Leeds on Monday was not risked, so Linaker moved to inside right and Reagan made his first appearance of the season on the right wing.

From the start Villa were on the attack. Gibson and Powell both had early efforts pass wide of the goal and it was nearly all Villa with Middlesbrough confined to breakaways. In one of these Martin miskicked to let in Fenton but he was slow in controlling the ball and Daly was able to pass back to Rutherford. Villa took the lead after 19 minutes when Goffin scored after a corner conceded by Dicks.

As the ball came across Ford challenged goalkeeper Ugolini who could only push the ball out a few yards and the inside left had a simple task to put it in the net.

The visitors were causing little trouble up front so much so that full back Parkes was able to come upfield and join in a midfield duet with Frank Moss who sent a shot just a yard wide. 'Legs' Linacre in the unaccustomed inside right position flashed suddenly into the picture to send a whizzer just wide and from a more favourable position Walker blazed wildly high and wide. This was first division fare in name only. Passes more often went to the opposition rather than the man for whom they were intended.

Inside forward play reached rock bottom. Oh for a Mannion to do something that really mattered. Colin Gibson worked hard, did one or two clever things, but all to often they were beyond the comprehension of the colleagues he expected to anticipate events. However, a minute before the interval Goffin was able to increase the Villa lead. Again it followed a Smith corner, which was only parried, finding Goffin in the right place to take the opportunity.

After a spell of Villa pressure early in the second half, in which skipper Ivor Powell was prominent, came to nothing the visitors seemed unlucky when Reagan was given offside when in a good position. Powell was again in attack following a good left wing move by Smith and Goffin but his shot went wide. Middlesbrough were very poor, there was no other word for it and it did not signify a great deal that Villa were on top. After 14 minutes of the second half a brilliant piece of opportunism from Trevor Ford brought Villa a third goal.

The ball was played forward from the half way line and as Whittaker retreated and Ugolini advanced from goal, Ford got between them with a terrific burst of speed and put the ball into the corner of the net. Craddock who had hardly been in the game then scored the fourth goal after 70 minutes taking advantage of a move created by Goffin and Gibson to lob the ball over the advancing Ugolini's head.

The remainder of the game seemed more or less a formality. Middlesbrough did manage a few raids upfield which brought little more than a couple of corners and a speculative shot from Linacre.