Albion star and Wolves reject did Wales proud in the ’58 World Cup
WALES have clinched a place in the World Cup finals thanks to a play-off victory that bridged a 66-year gap.
When they were last in the finals it was also thanks to a play-off victory, with Albion fullback Stuart Williams a key member of the team.
Unlike the recent play-off the chance of a place in the 1958 finals came right out of the blue for Stuart and Co, thanks to a bizarre sequence of events involving Israel.
First Turkey refused to play in the African and Asian qualifying zone and so did not fulfil their fixture with Israel, thus allowing the Israelis to move on to the next stage. They were due to play Indonesia, who demanded the game be played on neutral territory. FIFA said no so goodbye Indonesia.
Egypt were next in line for Israel but the Egyptians would not play them because of continuing tensions over the Suez Canal. Then it was the turn of Sudan but they refused to play Israel because of a boycott by the Arab League. That left Israel – in theory – through to the finals. FIFA decided that no way could they allow a team to qualify without having played a match so decided they would have to play home and away against a country picked at random from the teams who had finished runners-up in their qualifying group.
Wales had been second in a group of three, losing away games with Czechoslovakia and East Germany but winning against them at home. As luck would have it, Wales were the team drawn “out of the hat” to face Israel.
Before a crowd of 55,000 and in 75-degree
Israel reached the final, without having played a single match
heat Wales won 2-0 in Tel Aviv thanks to goals from Swansea’s inside-left Ivor Allchurch and Arsenal half-back Dave Bowen.
The return leg at Ninian Park, Cardiff, then the home of Cardiff City, saw a debut at inside-right for another player with West Midlands connections – Ron Hewitt. He had the distinction of being the first signing by Stan Cullis after Cullis became manager of Wolves. Hewitt, however, did not make it at Molineux and was released, but went on to carve out a successful career with Cardiff.
A forward line reshuffle involving the legendary John Charles was the key to Hewitt’s call-up. Charles had a rare off-game in Israel when playing at inside-right and so centre-forward Terry Medwin of Swansea was moved to his more usual position of rightwinger, to the exclusion of clubmate Len Allchurch. That enabled Charles to play in his more accustomed position and so the number-eight shirt went to Hewitt.
Again Wales won 2-0 with goals from Ivor Allchurch and Cliff Jones, recently signed from Swansea by Spurs. As in the first game it might have been a bigger victory had it not been for the brilliance of Israel goalkeeper Yaacov Chodorov. It was at a cost though, as the keeper was afterwards taken to hospital with a broken nose, concussion and a bruised shoulder.
Earlier in the season Hewitt had won his first cap in the game against Northern Ireland, scoring in the 1-1 draw at Ninian Park.
Stuart and his Wales colleagues, managed by former Arsenal full-back Walley Barnes, did themselves proud in Sweden. They drew their three group games, then beat Hungary 2-1 in a group play-off before losing 1-0 to eventual winners Brazil in the quarter-final.
In that game, Stuart was in direct opposition to left-wing star Mario Zagalo and gave him little scope.
Dewi Lewis, in the Western Mail, said: “Williams had another first-class game at right back.”
The only goal of the game was scored by Pelé.
Hewitt played in the last three games in Sweden, taking his caps total to five, but was never chosen again.
The keeper’s brilliance came at a cost ... he was taken to hospital with a broken nose and concussion
Stuart, who was transferred to Southampton in 1962 after 246 games for Albion, went on to total 43 caps for Wales.
Stuart’s first cap, against Austria in Vienna in May 1954, came after what must have been for him a disappointing decision by club boss Vic Buckingham.
An injury to England international Stan Rickaby had let in Stuart as Albion just failed to beat Wolves for the First Division title. However, they had already clinched a place in the FA Cup final where they would face Preston at Wembley. Stuart must have thought Cup glory beckoned.
Buckingham decided that a more experienced man than Stuart was needed to face Preston wing maestro Tom Finney, so he chose Joe Kennedy instead. Kennedy was seen as the natural successor to Billy Wright as centre-half in the England side but an injury early in the season proved a setback. So well did his deputy Jimmy Dugdale play that Kennedy could not regain his place, Buckingham may have been taking a gamble in dropping Stuart but it paid off as Albion triumphed 3-2. A week later Stuart made his bow for Wales. He had played a few first team games when he was selected, unlike a fellow debutant Derek Tapscott. He had made his league debut for Arsenal, scoring twice in a 3-0 win over Liverpool, and was immediately named in the squad for the Vienna trip. Wales were beaten 2-0 in the Prater Stadium but Stuart kept his place in the side for the next, but was uncapped in 1956-7, having lost his Albion place to veteran former skipper Len Millard. A rare Albion appearance for Stuart that season was at inside-left as deputy for Ronnie Allen, and he scored in a 5-2 defeat at Newcastle. Stuart Williams was born in Wrexham and had played as an amateur for Wrexham where his father was a director. He decided to pursue a career in insurance which brought him to the Midlands. But he still had ambitions to be a footballer and had a successful trial with the Baggies.
His first game for Albion was at centre-forward in a 3-0 defeat at Huddersfield in February 1952. He later played games at left-half, centre-half and left-back before settling down to the right-back spot.
It was in the number-two shirt that Stuart helped Wales clinch a place in the World Cup finals. If the current side have the same success as Stuart and his teammates in 1958, then Wales will be well pleased.