Grandad's football blog - forgotten heroes 1946-1980: 1965-66

Posted by Tony Hutton

Another new season to look forward to with the prospect of the World Cup being played in England after the end of the season in July. The West Midlands soccer scene was considerably changed with Wolves and Birmingham City relegated to the Second Division. West Bromwich and Aston Villa, thanks to a late run, are still in the top division but overall both disappointed last season. Walsall also avoided relegation to the Fourth Division but, after their years of success, look as if they will be back to the realms of middle table mediocrity. Much will depend on their ability to retain the services of star teenage striker Alan Clarke.

Looking towards the World Cup England's manager Alf Ramsey will no doubt be continually reminded of his forecast, made soon after his appointment in 1963, that England will win the
competition. Hopes are high, but being realistic there are so many other good sides in the contest and winning it, even with home advantage, is by no means a certainty.

My season got off to a cracking start five games in the first week and eleven games before the end of September. I visited all the West Midlands clubs in that time, with one notable exception. I could not bring myself to watch Wolves playing in the Second Division and now living to the south of Birmingham it was a somewhat longer journey. I did eventually go but not until March.

So here we go for a season when I saw fifty matches, ending at Wembley on the 30th July. To kick things off however it was away to The Hawthorns to see by now my favourite team - West Bromwich Albion. I had splashed out on a season ticket to watch 'The Baggies' and for the first time in my life watched football from a seat in the stand!

SATURDAY 21ST AUGUST, 1965

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT THE HAWTHORNS, WEST BROMWICH Attendance 19,900

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 3 (Clark 2, Astle) WEST HAM UNITED 0

Potter; Cram, Williams G. (capt); Lovett, Jones, Fraser;
Foggo, Astle, Kaye, Hope, Clark;

Standen; Kirkup, Birkett; Peters, Bovington, Moore (capt);
Brabrook, Boyce, Hurst, Bennett, Sissons;

Referee:- L. Callaghan, Merthyr Tydfil.

Match report from the Birmingham Post.

Snippets from the Saturday night sports papers - Sporting Star and Sports Argus.

At the time of course I did not realise that I would be seeing three of the West Ham team playing for England in the World Cup Final in July. The two outstanding players for me were Clive Clark, the all action left winger, and my first sighting of the 17 year old Graham Lovett, who looks a really good prospect for the future.

MONDAY 23RD AUGUST, 1965

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM

ASTON VILLA 0 LEEDS UNITED 2 (Peacock, Cooper) Attendance 33,836

Withers; Wright, Aitken; Tindall, Pountney, Deakin;
Baker, Hamilton, Hateley, Park, MacLeod;

Sprake; Reaney, Bell; Bremner, Charlton, Hunter;
Giles, Weston, Peacock, Collins, Cooper;

Match report and picture from the Birmingham Post.

TUESDAY 24TH AUGUST, 1965

LEAGUE DIVISION THREE AT FELLOWS PARK, WALSALL

WALSALL 1 (Satchwell) WORKINGTON TOWN 1 (Oliver)

Carling; Gregg, Harris; Sissons, Bennett, Atthey;
Satchwell, Clarke, Kirby, McMorran, Taylor;

Ower; Ogilvic, Chapman; Hale, Lumsden, Middlemass;
Lowes, Oliver, Napier, Moran, Martin;

This was Walsall's first home match of the season. They had won their first game 1-0 away at Bournemouth.

Match report and picture from the Birmingham Post.

George Kirby, a much travelled centre forward had joined Walsall from Swansea Town. He later went on to play in the USA and then became manager of Halifax Town.

WEDNESDAY 25TH AUGUST, 1965

LEAGUE DIVISION TWO AT ST ANDREWS, BIRMINGHAM

BIRMINGHAM CITY 1 (Beard) MIDDLESBOROUGH 1 (Orritt)

Herriot; Martin, Green; Wylie, Foster, Hennessy;
Jackson, Beard, Vowden, Thomson, Thwaites;

Connachan; Gates, Jones; Horner, Nurse, Davidson;
Holliday, Gibson, Horsfield, Orritt, Le Flem;

Match report from the Birmingham Post.

Match report from the Birmingham Mail.

SATURDAY 28TH AUGUST, 1965

MIDLAND LEAGUE AT CAUSEWAY LANE, MATLOCK Attendance 1,075.

MATLOCK TOWN 0 GRANTHAM 3 (Harbertson, Bly, Alexander)

Paul; Towndrow, Goodwin; Rowe, Wardle, Barker;
Jeffrey, Poplar, Nevin, Ambler, Sellars;

McDowall; Barnard, Akers; Jowett, Farmer, Brown;
Harbertson, Marriott, Alexander, Bly, Wragg;

Referee:- C.E. Jagger, Nottingham

This was my first ever visit to Matlock, where my parents had recently moved. Little did I know then that in two years time I would be living in Matlock myself and following the fortunes of both Matlock Town and Derby County.

Today's game was rather one sided and Grantham were easy winners. They were two goals up by half time and added a third in the second half, when the result was never in doubt. Matlock look to be in for a difficult season.

WEDNESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER, 1965

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT THE HAWTHORNS, WEST BROMWICH Attendance 22,000

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1 (Kaye) NEWCASTLE UNITED 2 (Hilley, McGarry)

Potter; Fairfax, Williams G.; Lovett, Jones, Fraser;
Foggo, Astle, Kaye, Hope, Clark C.;

Marshall; Craig, Clark F.; Anderson, McGrath, Iley;
Hockey, McGarry, Cummings, Hilley, Suddick;

Match report from the Birmingham Post.

SATURDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER, 1965

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM Attendance 21,615

ASTON VILLA 3 ( Hamilton, Woosnam, Park) BLACKPOOL 0

Withers; Wright, Aitken; Tindall, Sleeuwenhoek, Pountney;
MacLeod, Hamilton, Hateley, Woosnam, Park;

Waiters; Armfield, Craven; Fisher, Rowe, McPhee;
Moir, Ball, Charnley, Robson, Horne;

Match report from the Birmingham Post

Willie Hamilton was a Scotsman who had played for Sheffield United, Middlesborough and both Edinburgh clubs, Hibs and Hearts, before coming to Villa Park. He won one cap for Scotland in 1965 and was highly thought of by Jock Stein. Sadly his off field antics overshadowed his footballing abilities. He played for other Scottish clubs and briefly in South Africa before emigrating to Canada when his playing days were over. There he worked as a bricklayer but died in 1976 at the age of only 36.