Memorable Midlands season 1953-54 - Part five

Posted by Tony Hutton

SATURDAY 23RD JANUARY

DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL                 Attendance 8,734

WALSALL 2 (Dean, Meek) QUEENS PARK RANGERS 0

Chilvers; Horne, Green (capt); Dean, Russon, Tarrant;
Meek, Allsopp, Morris, Jones (G), Columbo;

Brown; Woods, Poppitt; Nicholas, Taylor (capt), Angell;
Tomkys, Petchey, Powell (M), Cameron, Shepherd;

Referee:- W. Ling, Cambridge

Walsall included their newest signing George Meek from Leeds United. Bridgett was injured and Ron Russon deputised. Q.P.R. tried reserve centre half Powell at centre forward, with regular leader Petchey at inside right. In the first minute Petchey put Powell through to shoot fiercely over the bar. When Walsall attacked, Taylor twice had to pass back to goalkeeper Brown. Columbo tried a long shot which Brown saved easily. When Meek took a corner, Brown fumbled the ball on the edge of the area, but Morris shot straight at him.

                                                           George Petchey, Q.P.R.

Walsall nearly scored when Allsopp headed into the goalmouth. Then Morris hooked the ball over Brown's head and it passed just wide of the far post. It was all Walsall and Tarrant sent a twenty five yard shot over the bar. Jones then shot wide after a movement with Meek who was fitting in well. Then Q.P.R. attacked but Petchey shot over the bar. Shepherd's speed was troubling Horne, but Russon was able to keep Powell quiet and Green was in control against Tomkys.

Chilvers, in the Walsall goal saved well, punching a shot from Cameron over the bar. Meek crossed the ball to Columbo with his left foot and Jones had his shot saved by Brown. Then Chilvers again saved brilliantly from Cameron, diving to push the ball round the post. Brown was very good in cutting out centres from both wings. Just before half time Tarrant was brought down and Brown had to tip Horne's fierce free kick over the bar. Half-time 0-0.

Early in the second half Angell drove Tomkys' corner over the laundry behind the goal at the railway end.
Meek then put Morris away up the wing and Brown gave away a corner. Jones then shot straight at Brown from a good position. After fifty six minutes Dean scored with a splendid header into the corner of the net from Columbo's corner, exactly like last season in the same match. Allsopp missed another good chance.
Rangers experiment of playing Powell at centre forward was a failure. He had no idea and was far too vigorous.

Horne and Green lost no time in telling him so after he brought down Russon. Meek played very well throughout and deservedly scored Walsall's second goal again following a left wing corner. Green was injured and moved to outside left with ten minutes remaining, but Walsall held on for a well deserved victory. Powell finally moved to right back with fifteen minutes remaining and Wood tried his hand at centre
forward but to no avail.

Rangers were booed from the field at the end, after a dirty display. In the Walsall side Ted Tarrant stood out, but Green was too slow although Russon proved a good deputy for Jack Bridgett. Columbo was off form and Allsopp is not good enough to be in the team. possibly the best team now available is as follows:-

Chilvers; Horne, Russon; Grubb, Bridgett, Tarrant;
Meek, Dean or Finlay, Morris, Jones, Columbo;


SATURDAY 30TH JANUARY 1954

DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL

WALSALL 0 ALDERSHOT 2  (Gaynor, Banks)

Chilvers; Horne (capt), Flavell; Dean, Bridgett, Tarrant;
Meek, Allsopp, Morris, Jones (G), Colombo;

Brown; Jefferson, Banks (capt) ; Allison, Billington, Wood;
Gaynor, Lacey, McCulloch, Durkin, Flint;

Referee:- J.C. Pollard, Cambridge

Another vital bottom of the table match with Walsall now only five points behind the rest at the bottom of the league after their win over QPR last week. Aldershot are only two places above the Saddlers and in need of points themselves. Walsall wore knee pads as protection against the very hard frosty ground which had been sanded. Dean got in an early header but this and a free kick from Flavell were easily saved by Brown. Billington, well over six foot, fave Walsall's forwards no chance in the air. Morris had a shot charged down and Brown saved a shot from Dean.

Aldershot always looked dangerous, with their clever outside left Flint wandering. Horne and Bridgett were again outstanding in the Walsall defence, but Flavell was often beaten by Gaynor. Colombo had one of his long curling shots which Brown tipped over and Jones had a great run down the right but Brown collected his cross easily.

                                                     Jack Bridgett, Walsall centre half

After forty minutes Aldershot scored when McCulloch wandered to the left and resiting Horne's challenge hit over  centre along the ground. Gaynor coming in from the right hit into the net as Chilvers went down too late. Allsopp then beat three men but shot wide. Half-time 0-1.

After a performance by Newark Imperial Band, the crowd gave great cheers as Walsall attacked, but Aldershot's big kicking defence kept them out. Banks, signed from Bolton three weeks ago, never let Meek get going and right half Allison was the best player on the field. Dean had to leave the field after a heavy fall and argument with Durkin, and although Tarrant gave another good display, Walsall's forwards again disappointed.

Five minutes from the end Banks took a free kick, which Chilvers appeared to have got covered, but as he watched two onrushing forwards, it passed through his hands into the goal. A dismal end to January for the Saddlers and it looks very much as if they will have to apply for re-election to the league once again.



SATURDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 1954

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT MOLINEUX, WOLVERHAMPTON

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 4  (Hancocks, Swinbourne 3) BLACKPOOL 1 (Stephenson)

Williams; Short, Pritchard; W.J. Slater, Shorthouse, Wright (capt);
Hancocks, Flowers, Swinbourne, Wilshaw, Mullen;

Farm; Shimwell (capt), Frith; Fenton, Crosland, Kelly:
Harris, Mudie, Stephenson, Brown, Perry;


Referee:- J.V. Sherlock, Sheffield

Wolves dropped England Under 23 inside right Peter Broadbent and gave wing half Ron Flowers his first game in attack. Blackpool were well below full strength as they were without England intenationals Garrett, Johnston, Matthews, Mortenson and Taylor. 18 year old Harris played only his third game at outside right as Matthews deputy.

Farm soon had to tip a Hancocks shot cum centre over the bar and then had to hold a rare shot from Wright just under the bar. The orange coloured ball showed up well against the snow covered pitch. Mudie shot over the bar from Harris's pass. Flowers played quite well in his new position, he pushed the ball up to Hancocks who drove it straight across to Mullen's feet. The winger easily beat Shimwell, who was having difficulty turning on the treacherous surface, and centred along the ground to Swinbourne. The centre forward promptly back heeled it across the face of goal and there was Hancocks dashing in to score by the far post.

Straight from the restart Swinbourne sent in a splendid shot which hit the post. Perry was the livewire of Blackpool's depleted attack and Harris showed some clever touches and from one of his centres Williams brilliantly saved a header from Perry. Then Farm saved well from Short at the other end when partially unsighted. Half time 1-0.

Swinbourne was brought down on the edge of the area early in the second half, but Hancocks powerful free-kick rebounded from the barrier of players. Then Flowers, put through by Hancocks, tapped the ball past Farm for Swinbourne to score a simple goal. Ten minutes later Blackpool scored against the run of play. Shorthouse failed to clear and Stephenson ran through to beat Williams with a splendid shot from the edge of the are. Blackpool came more into the game now, playing some really good football.

The three Scots, Hugh Kelly, Jackie Mudie and Alan Brown were all outstanding. Frith, the young left back also had quite a good game, but Crosland who played left back in the 1948 cup final, had problems against the lively Roy Swinbourne often resorting to vigorous tactics to stop him. Stephenson did not get much change out of Shorthouse but took the only chance he had well.

It looked as though Blackpool might equalise but Swinbourne got two more goals in the last six minutes. The first after a Hancocks/Mullen move. The last one was the best of the lot, running through to the left he let fly a terrific left foot shot which was a goal all the way!



SATURDAY 13TH FEBRUARY 1954

LEAGUE DIVISION THREE SOUTH AT FELLOWS PAR, WALSALL

WALSALL 2 (Davis, Meek) COLCHESTER UNITED 3 (Plant 2, Wright)   Attendance 9,819

Baldwin; Horne, Green (capt); Dean, Bridgett, Grub;
Morris, Tarrant, Davis, Jones (G), Meek;

Coombs; Harrison, Lewis; Hill, Bicknell, Elder;
Scott, Barlow (capt), Plant, Dale, Wright (P);

Last time I saw Colchester at Walsall, Jack Winter played one of his first games at centre forward and scored three. Today Len Davis, from Arsenal, made his debut so Walsall had an Irishman at centre forward, a Welshman at inside left and a Scotsman at outside left. Harry Baldwin from Brighton, also made his debut in goal for Walsall.

There was early excitement when Coombs, deputising for the injured Wright, dropped Meek's corner but it was scrambled away. Horne and Bridgett stopped United's early raids and Walsall did most of the attacking, with Davis showing some nice touches. Baldwin soon showed his ability by getting up high to collect a cross shot from Dale. Jones had a good chance from Morris's pass but was tackled just in time. A minute before half-time Walsall scored when Tarrant gave the ball to Davis on the edge of the are. The new player lobbed the ball over Bicknell's head and placed the ball past the advancing keeper. Davis was cheered off the field at the interval. Half-time 1-0.

In the second half Colchester came a lot more into the game. Barlow and Scott combined well and the pair signed from Bury, Plant and Dale, were always dangerous. After seventy four minutes, Plant after stumbling managed to screw the ball home from near the penalty spot. Four minutes later Walsall restored their lead. This time it was Meek who had not played too well, who the took the ball from Tarrant's pass, ran full speed up the wing and cracked in a right foot shot off the bar.

Meek was injured in the act of scoring and limped for the rest of the game With only six minutes to go, after an obvious hand ball, Peter Wright managed to evade Horne and sent an intended centre across. It hit the bar and went in to bring the sides level at 2-2. Horne suffered two bad attacks of cramp and writhed in agony on the ground before going off for the closing minutes. Colchester took advantage and with two minutes to go Plant headed the winner from Dales' cross.

Baldwin had no chance with the goals, Grubb attacked well, but Green and Dean were too slow in defence. Lewis and Hill were best in defence for Colchester, but all their lively forwards did well in the second half. Once again, injury hit Walsall were very unlucky.


WEDNESDAY 24TH FEBRUARY 1954

CENTRAL LEAGUE AT THE HAWTHORNS, WEST BROMWICH

W.B.A. RESERVES 3 (Carter, Evans, Jones) LEEDS UNITED RESERVES 2 (Willis, Adams)


  Sanders; Haddington, Williams; Rawlings, Kennedy (capt), Brookes;
Jones, Evans, Cox, Carter, Crowshaw;

Wheatley; Ashall, Ross; Ripley, Tyrer, McCabe (capt);
Adams, Webb, Forrest, Willis, Burbanks;

Leeds got off to a good start after Sanders had blocked a shot, Adams hit home the rebound after only four minutes. Albion's forwards were always dangerous  but Carter wasted several good chances and Evans smacked the ball against the post. After fifteen minutes Albion drew level, Cox put the ball to Jones who centred for Carter running in to head it past Wheatley, who made many good saves. After thirty minutes Albion took  the lead.  Evans got the ball on the edge of the are and tried a speculative shot. It was going straight to Wheatley in the Leeds goal when a gust of wind made it swing away from him into the net.
Half time 2-1.

In the second half the play was very even and both centre halves Joe Kennedy and Tyrer, normally a winger, played well. Leeds small forward line, prompted by veteran Eddie Burbanks,combined very well and were well supported by Irish international Jim McCabe and the tall Ripley. Haddington and Williams were not up to their previous standard, but young Billy Brookes becomes more than ever like Ray Barlow. Jones had quite a good game but Crowshaw was too slow. Willis equalised for Leeds when put through by Burbanks but Jones secured victory for Albion five minutes from time, pushing in Cox's perfect centre from the right.