WEDNESDAY 7TH OCTOBER, 1959 Attendance 56,000
EUROPEAN CUP 1st ROUND (2nd leg) AT MOLINEUX, WOLVERHAMPTON
WOLVES 2 (Broadbent, Mason) A.S.K. VORWAERTS (BERLIN) 0
Finlayson; Stuart (capt), Harris; Slater, Showell, Flowers;
Lill, Mason, Murray, Broadbent, Deeley;
Spickenagel; Kalinke, Krampe; Unger, Kiupel, Rechelt;
Riese, Meyer, Voigt, Noldner, Kohle;
Referee:- G. Versyp, Belgium
The Wolves started this game again the East German champions one goal down, as they lost the first leg in Berlin last week 2-1 in a most disappointing display. The Germans however were without the services of their international outside right and captain Wirth.
An absolute capacity crowd together with swirling mist made it impossible to see much of the play. In fact I saw neither of the goals, scored by inside forwards Broadbent and Mason during the second half.
Wolves seemed over eager at first and took a considerable time to settle down. The Germans, in all white, played some clever football and looked a most useful side. Outstanding in their compact defence was their giant centre half Kiupel. In addition goalkeeper Spickenagel made a series of brilliant saves.
After Wolves had gone into the lead they seemed to relax and the Germans played some of the best football of the match at this stage. However their finishing was poor and Finlayson in the Wolves goal was at the top of his form, although the Wolverhampton crowd still do not seem to appreciate his worth. No doubt they are still comparing him with his eminent predecessor Bert Williams.
On the whole it was not one of Wolves best performances and they must produce much better form if they are to progress much further in the European Cup which they will need to do to help fund their futuristic plans for ground development.
TUESDAY 13TH OCTOBER, 1959
LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL Attendance 12,000
WALSALL 2 (Taylor, Billingham) OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1 (Spurdle)
Christie; Haddington, Guttridge (capt); Billingham Jones, Rawlings;
Davies, Askey, Richards, Hodgkisson, Taylor;
Ferguson J.; McGill, West; Richardson, Ferguson C., Jarvis;
Spurdle (capt), Scott, Bourne, Phoenix;
Referee:- C.H. Sant, Cheshire
Walsall were without both McPherson and Faulkner. Stan Jones again deputised at centre half and according to the local press was being watched by representatives of West Bromwich Albion. Colin Askey came in at inside right, an unusual position for him, in what was his first league game since breaking a leg at his old club Port Vale last season. Oldham who are bottom of the league with only seven points from fourteen games were captained by former Manchester City regular Bill Spurdle.
The home defence, as usual, was slow in settling down, and the Oldham forwards looked quite troublesome in the early stages. To everyone's surprise the visitors went into the lead when a harmless looking shot from Spurdle hit Jones and was deflected past goalkeeper Christie.
Walsall were shocked into action by this goal and proceeded to pound the Oldham goal. However it seemed as though they would never score and the standard of football began to deteriorate so much that both teams looked like re-election candidates. Just before the interval McGill headed away from the goalmouth, only to land the ball at Taylor's feet on the edge of the penalty area. The little winger did not hesitate but promptly hit straight back into the net. Half time 1-1.
The second half followed the pattern of the first with both sides serving up very poor football. Walsall had most of the play but Oldham always looked likely to score in their occasional breakaways. Indeed Bourne did get the ball into the net but was given offside.
The winning goal, which took Walsall back to the top of the table, came from a free kick awarded just outside t he Oldham penalty area. The usual barrier of defenders was lined up, Hodgkisson ran up, but jumped over t he ball, to be followed by Peter Billingham, who promptly crashed it through the narrowest possible gap straight into the net.
SATURDAY 24TH OCTOBER, 1959
LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL Attendance 9,294
WALSALL 5 (Richards 2, Davies 2, Taylor) DONCASTER ROVERS 2 (Fernie, Clark)
Christie; Haddington, Sharples; Billingham, McPherson (capt), Rawlings;
Davies, Hodgkisson, Richards, Faulkner, Taylor;
Nimmo; White, Gavin; Marshall, Makepeace (capt), Clar;
Sharp, Fernie, Chappell, Walker, Meredith;
Referee:- I.R. Rosekilly, Uxbridge
Sharples again deputised for the injured 'Chopper' Guttridge. McPherson, who deputised as captain, caused some comment when after winning the toss he elected to kick up the slope into driving rain and wind.
The Doncaster forwards proved much more skilful than their lowly league position would suggest and once again Walsall's defenders were soon in trouble. However after eleven minutes play Walsall should have gone ahead. A long ball from Sharples was brilliantly headed down the middle by Davies, Makepeace handled the ball but could not prevent it going on and giving Richards a clear run at goal. The centre forward pushed the ball past Nimmo as he came out, into the net but the referee had already blown for hand ball. The goal was therefore disallowed and Walsall awarded a free kick, which came to nothing.
The greasy ball and slippery conditions were making it a nightmare for defenders and only great work by McPherson kept Doncaster out. However after twenty two minutes the visitors took the lead. Meredith crossed from the left, Marshall shot, the ball went to Fernie five yards out and in an obvious off side position. He promptly hit the ball into the net and the referee awarded a goal, apparently on the grounds that Fernie had been played onside by the ball striking a defender.
As can be imagined the crowd, already incensed by the referee's previous decision, really gave him the bird. As usual Walsall were now spurred on to greater effort and only some fine defensive work, notably by Makepeace and Nimmo, prevented Walsall from scoring. At long last, a minute before the interval the Saddlers did equalise. Davies sent over a perfect corner to the far post where Tony Richards out jumped everyone and sent it home just inside the post. Half time 1-1.
Doncaster had played some very good football in the first half, with all five forwards looking useful players and wing half Peter Clark, signed from Wolves during the summer, also used the ball well. In the second half it was a very different story with Walsall taking full control. Two minutes after the interval Richards flicked the ball past Makepeace to Faulkner, but Nimmo dived brilliantly to his right to save the inside left's close range shot.
Within three minutes Walsall did score. A corner from Taylor started a goalmouth scramble and the ball finally ran loose to Davies on the penalty spot. He it a slow shot just inside the post with Nimmo lying on the ground and Gavin just failing to get to the ball as he slid along the goal line. 2-1 to Walsall.
Once again, after sixty minutes, the referee brought the crowd's displeasure on his head. Taylor crashed the ball into the net after Richards had beaten Makepeace in a vigorous tussle on the edge of the are, but the referee again disallowed the goal and again awarded Walsall a free kick. Young Taylor seemed determined to score after this setback and started to chase all over the field.
His enthusiasm paid off eight minutes later, when he tore up on Makepeace as the centre half was about to make a leisurely clearance, took the ball from him and raced away in a thirty yard dash which ended with a powerful low drive and the ball nestling in the back of the net. This made it 3-1 to the home side.
Three minutes later, to general surprise, Doncaster pulled it back to 3-2. Clark took a free kick out on the left hand touchline and the ball curved straight into goal. Walsall were really on the goal trail now and only several fine saves by goalkeeper Nimmo prevented further scores. Willlie Nimmo was a Scotsman who started his career with Alloa and then made just one first team appearance for Leeds United before joining Doncaster.
The last ten minutes of this eventful game saw the Walsall right wing in full cry. First of all a pass from Billingham sent Davies racing past Gavin to the bye-line to pull the ball back to Richards, who cracked the ball home first time from close range for number four. Then Hodgkisson sent in a fierce twenty five yard shot which blasted against the top of the cross bar with Nimmo hopelessly beaten.
The inside right was not disheartened however and promptly sent a perfect long ball through to Davies, who was closely challenged by Gavin. The outside right beat off his challenge at the edge of the area and sent the ball past Nimmo as he came out for goal number five. So despite some problems a decisive win from the Saddlers who now look like promotion candidates once more.
TUESDAY 27TH OCTOBER, 1959
FRIENDLY MATCH AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL
WALSALL 4 (Taylor 2, Richards, Hodgkisson) SHREWSBURY TOWN 1 (Guttridge og)
Christie; Sharples, Guttridge (capt); Billingham, McPherson, Rawlings;
Askey, Hodgkisson, Richards, Faulkner, Taylor;
Humphreys; Hobson, Skeech (capt); Harley, Pountney, Walters;
Tucker, Starkie, Edgeley, Copp, Whittaker;
Referee:- W. Clements, West Bromwich
Walsall confirmed their recent good form by beating the Third Division side convincingly in this friendly game which was for the benefit of three Walsall players - Guttridge, McPherson and Richards. The visitors were without their prolific goalscoring player-manager Arthur Rowly and Walsall brought in Guttridge and Askey in place of Haddington and Davies.
Within thirty seconds of the start the ball was in the Shrewsbury net. Taylor picked up a loose ball in the centre circle and sent a pass out to Richads on the left wing. The centre forward lobed it back into the middle and there was Taylor moving onto it perfectly to slam home a powerful first time shot. This grand start set the mood for the evening which proved first class entertainment for the small crowd which had braved icy wind and the threat of rain.
There was only one side in it all the way as Shrewsbury obviously missed the finishing power of Rowley. Copp, who deputised for him, spent most of his time at centre forward and although he chased everything McPherson was far too good for him. The only shining light on the Shrewsbury side was centre half Pountney who kept Richards quiet for most of the time.
He could not stop him scoring Walsall's second goal however, when the centre forward cleverly flicked Hodgkisson's perfect left wing cross past Humpreys with his head. Half time 2-0.
One of the most prominent features of Walsall's fine display was the showing of Sharples at right back. He tackled decisively and always made good use of the ball. On this form he looks like taking Haddington's place in the side. Askey also had his moments on the right wing but is not yet quite ready to displace Davies.
Rawlings had his best game for some time but Faulkner was once again sadly out of touch.
The softer grounds seem to have put Faulkner off just as much as they have improved Colin Taylor's play on the wing. The little winger scored Walsall's fourth goal with a similar one to Saturday's, turning up on the right wing to score with a strong right foot shot. Hodgkisson had previously scored the third with a fine low drive from the edge of the are which left Humphreys stranded. Shortly before the end a pantomime moment when Guttridge, trying to pass back to Christie, only succeeded in heading the ball past the goalkeeper into his own net.
WEDNESDAY 28TH OCTOBER, 1959
FRIENDLY MATCH AT VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM Attendance 20,000
ASTON VILLA 5 (McParland, Price 2, McEwen, Crowe) RAITH ROVERS 1 (McKinven)
Sims; Lynn, Neal; Crowe, Dugdale, Saward;
McEwan (capt), Thomson, Price, Wylie, McParland;
Drummond; Polland, Mochan; Young, McNaught (capt), Baxter;
Wallace, Leishman, Kerray, McKinven, Urquhart;
Referee:- W. Clements, West Bromwich (also refereed at Walsall last night).
This match was arranged as part of the transfer deal which brought right winger McEwan from Raith Rovers to Villa Park during the summer. He was made captain of the Villa side for the occasion. The main point of interest about this match was the first senior appearance of Villa's reserve centre forward Ken Price, who has scored goals galore for the Central League side this season. He took the place of Hitchens who was injured, otherwise the side was the same that kept Villa at the top of the Second Division table by drawing at Derby on Saturday.
Peter McParland, Villa's star Irish winger, soon had a chance to show his shooting power, turning inside his powerful right foot shot moved away from Drummond straight into the corner of the net to put Villa one up.
Price was soon in evidence and after going near with one header, he nodded a perfect left wing cross from Thomson down into the net to make it 2-0. Soon afterwards he was racing through again to hurl himself full length and head only a foot wide. Both teams were taking it rather leisurely but Raith's veteran Scottish international Willie McNaught had to leave the field with a cut head after a clash with Price. Half time 2-0.
Tindall and Aldis substituted for Saward and Thomson during the second half and McNaught again had to leave the field with a similar injury, this time White came on as substitue and went to centre forward with Young at centre half and Urquhart at right half. The Scots played clever football but were very weak finishers. McEwan, who had a poor game for Villa, scored the third with a long shot when left unchallenged and wing half Vic Crowe got the fourth.
Price then confirmed his good impression with a well taken second goal, beating his man and shooting home with care to make it 5-0. McKinven had previously got a rather lucky consolation goal for Raith after Sims palmed the ball out to him. His shot scraping through the small gap between Neal and the post. The left back should have stopped the ball, but all te same looked a most useful player.
Jim Baxter, the Scottish Under 23 team left half, in whom Villa and other clubs are said to be interested, did not have a particularly good game and Mochan, Young and McNaught (before his injury) were Raith's best players on the night.
THURSDAY 19TH NOVEMBER, 1959
F.A. YOUTH CUP (SECOND ROUND) AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL
WALSALL YOUTH 1 (Beaman) WOLVES YOUTH 7 (Oliphant, Sill 2, Bridge, Hinton, Clarke and
Jones pen.)
Boswell; Gregg (capt), Hughes; Patridge, Babb, Jenkins;
Addison, Clayton, Beaman, Wiggin, Saunders;
Beebee; Thomson, Whitehouse; Oliphant (capt), Woodfield, Jones;
Wharton, Sill, Bridge, Clarke, Hinton;
Referee:- F.H. Carr, Redditch
On an absolute quagmire of a pitch Walsall should have taken an early lead when the ball stuck in the mud instead of running to the Wolves goalkeeper. Beaman had a clear shot but put it straight at Beebee from whom it rebounded to safety. After quarter of an hour Wolves found their feet and crashed in three goals in as many minutes.
The first one came when Gregg partially cleared a left wing raid only to see Oliphant race up and hit the loose ball from outside the area into the top corner of the net. The second came following a run by right winger Wharton, who was to prove a real thorn in Walsall's side, his centre was pushed home from close range by inside right Ken Sill. The third was scored by centre forward Tony Bridge, when he managed to hook the ball almost out of the Walsall keeper's hands and into the net from an acute angle.
Things then quietened down for a while but Wolves powerful wing halves were in complete control of the game and Walsall attacked only rarely. The fourth goal came when Alan Hinton, Wolves best known forward, rounded two defenders and cut in to goal. Boswell obviously expected him to centre the ball but the winger calmly pushed it just inside the near post.
Then Wharton who was beating his man every time on the right wing was brought down just inside the penalty area. Left half Jones took the kick after Boswell, trying to put him off, had very kindly wiped the mud off the ball very thoroughly and placed it on the spot. The goalkeeper then stood smiling as Jones drove the ball yards wide! Half time 0-4.
The second half was again all Wolves and they added further goals through Sill and Clarke both following good runs by Wharton, who was the only forward not to score. Jones then made up for his earlier miss by making no mistake with a second penalty. Beaman scored a good consolation goal for Walsall, doing well to hold off challenges from two defenders before shooting into the net. All to easy for Wolves who have been regular finalists in this competition in recent seasons.
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