Quick thinking led to Ray’s career as a Tartan Throstle
Decision-making can mean the difference between success and failure in football.
The ability to work out what’s right in an instant often comes with experience.
But Ray Wilson was only 16 when an off-the-cuff choice changed his life.
He travelled from his home in Falkirk for a trial with West Brom in 1963.
The chances of this amateur player being taken on by an English top-flight team seemed very slim.
But Ray recalls the bit of quick thinking that gave him a chance.
He said: “West Brom had a lot of scouts in Scotland, and when four of us were invited down for a trial, I just saw it as a weekend away.
“I’d never been to Birmingham, and I didn’t know where West Bromwich was.
“There were about 60 youngsters taking part, and that meant you were only getting 20 minutes to show what you could do.
“I overheard one of the coaches saying they were looking for a goalkeeper, a right-back and a left-winger for the third team.
“I was an inside-forward, but I quickly decided to say that I played on the left wing.
“I got my chance, and during the game I smashed a shot against the underside of the crossbar.
“That had them all jumping around the penalty box, and the goalie was flapping. I had a good left foot and could hit the ball with some power.
“It seemed that caught the eye, and I was offered a contract.
“Even then, I saw it as being like a gap year. “I was planning to go to Jordanhill College in Glasgow, and train to become a teacher.
“But I made the first-team pretty quickly, and that was me on the way to making 317 appearances for West Brom.”
These days, the Baggies only have one Scotsborn player on their books – Robert Snodgrass.
English football was packed with men from north of the border during Ray’s time.
Indeed, he recently agreed to write the foreword for a book entitled Tartan Throstles.
This is volume one, and details all the Scottish players who appeared for the club up until 1939.
It’s likely to come out in three volumes, which will be needed, given the contingent of Scots that featured in the ’60s and ’70s.
Ray said: “We could have fielded an entire team of Scots at times while I was playing.
“In 1969, we had myself, Hugh Reed, Asa Hartford, Bobby Hope, David Hogg, Doug Findlater, Doug Fraser, Mark Cowan, Ally Robertson, Hughie Mclean, Dennis Martin and Jim Holton.
“Eddie Colquhoun had just left for Sheffield United, and we’d later sign Willie Johnston.”
A change of position got Ray’s football career going, but he had to move again to sustain it.
He said: “I was in the 16 for the 1968 FA Cup Final, but there was only one substitute and that meant four of us were only there to watch the team beating Everton 1-0.
“Our only chance of playing was if someone fell down the stairs the night before!
“A lad called Clive Clark was the left-winger, and I didn’t look like displacing him.
“But the club saw that I had plenty of aggression and liked a tackle. I moved to leftback and became a regular in the side.
“I played in the 1970 League Cup Final, which we lost to Manchester City.
“I came up against Mike Summerbee and Colin Bell. We used to kick lumps out of one another.
“Afterwards, it was arms round the shoulder and no animosity – the way it should be.
“I always say my big highlight was playing for the Scotland Under-23 team. I’ve still got the shirt, and it’s one of my proudest possessions.”
A shattered kneecap forced Ray, now 74, to retire in 1976.
He then worked in industry in the Midlands and later set up a workwear company.
Now he is chairman of the West Bromwich Albion Former Players’ Association.