I’ll never forget playing alongside Joe
AN article that I submitted regarding a Wolves v Albion game of January 1961 was published by The Bugle in April this year.
This was followed up by a letter from Steve Gordos correcting both the height and career statistics of Norman Deeley, errors I acknowledge, although I take shelter from the details on the internet!
Virtues
The article created interest from David Boughton who wrote (Bugle May 20) extolling the virtues of the Albion centre half, Joe Kennedy. I would like to add to those sentiments.
In 1962 I was one of the young players at Stourbridge and Joe was appointed player/coach.
THIS was a calamitous season for the Albion who finished rock bottom of the First Division with 30 points, four short of safety, and 26 fewer than champions Newcastle United.
The Baggies, in fact, could have survived the drop but for a horrible final quarter to their League programme, whereby they won only three of their last ten games.
Thrashing
They didn’t start off too well either – losing no less than 16 of their first 23 fixtures including a 7-3 thrashing at Bury, a 5-0 disaster at Leicester and a 5-2 loss away to the champions.
They picked up early in the New Year, winning three out of four matches, one being a 5-0 victory over Tottenham. But in truth, this was a bad, bad season all round for the Baggies.
Arch rivals Wolves, meanwhile, didn’t perform all that well in Division
Although I was only a member of the reserve team in pre-season training, the playing staff were mixed up and I found myself at right back in the same defence as Joe. What a thrill, even if it was only a practice match.
As a keen Albion supporter I had worshipped Joe from the Smethwick Road End and to say that I was awestruck was an understatement of some magnitude. My initial nervousness manifested itself by my only having one thought in my mind when the ball came to me, and that was to pass it to Joe as quickly as I could. A few words from the great man eventually calmed me down but it is an evening that is easily recalled some sixty years later. Never did I hear Joe referring to his career as an Albion legend, he was there to enjoy his football at a lower level than he had been used to and at
Two, finishing a moderate 15th with 35 points – 27 less than champions Middlesbrough and 19 fewer than runners-up Portsmouth.
Stuttered
After a very bad start – no wins recorded in their first ten fixtures – Fred Scotchbrook’s team, in fact, stuttered along after that, although they did have a decent spell from Christmas Day through to 21st March whereby they won seven out of their ten League games including an excellent 7-2 home win over lowly Bradford City and a 5-0 victory over Clapton Orient.
In fact, going into the last six weeks of the season, no less than seven clubs were in danger of being relegated, Wolves being one of them. And a run of five successive defeats in April saw them slip into the drop-zone. Thankfully, vital wins were registered over South Shields (home and away) and Fulham, and in the end they escaped with five points to spare. the same time pass on a few tips to eager listeners.
Such was Joe’s impact at Stourbridge that in his one and only season Stourbridge finished runners-up in the West Midlands League, the championship going to a very strong Lockheed Leamington side.
Joe hailed from Cumberland and joined Albion in 1948 from non-league Altrincham for a reported fee of £750. After breaking into the first team at right half he moved to centre half to replace Jack Vernon. In season 1953/54 Joe suffered a leg injury resulting in him losing his place to Jimmy Dugdale but an injury to Stan Rickaby meant Joe taking his place at right back in the 1954 FA Cup winning side when Preston North End were defeated by 3-2. Joe regained his place when Dugdale moved to Villa and went on to make a total of 364 Football
Walsall ended the season in 14th place in Division Three (North). They were never really going to challenge for the title, even promotion, and to a certain extent they were never in trouble at the bottom end of the table.
In fact, the Saddlers had far too many periods when they under-performed. They won just two of their first ten games … lost only two of the next ten … won five and lost five of the next ten and ended by recording only three victories in the final twelve fixtures.
Walloped
A 6-0 walloping at Tranmere Rovers and a 6-1 crushing at Southport were their heaviest defeats, while two good wins came against Accrington Stanley, by 5-1 at home, 5-3 away, while the Saddlers also defeated aforementioned Tranmere 5-1 at home. In the FA Cup competition this season, Albion crashed out in round 3, beaten 2-1 at Hull.
Wolves, on the other
League appearances and added a further 35 when he completed his career at Chester. A statistical quirk left him marooned on a total of 399 League appearances as during his one season at Chester he also played in two games against Accrington Stanley that were deleted from the records when Accrington resigned from the League during the season.
Joe captained the England B team on three occasions. He was a seemingly permanent reserve for the full England side but was unable to dislodge Billy Wright from the Number 5 position. In later eras when not only were more International matches played but England caps were handed out like the proverbial confetti surely several caps would have been on display in Joe’s trophy cabinet.
I would like to conclude this tribute by quoting hand, reached the quarterfinals after beating Carlisle United 2-0, Nottingham from Wikipedia.
“In 2002 football journalist Gavin Mcowan listed Kennedy at No.17 in his list of West Bromwich Albion’s Greatest Players, regarding him as the best (English) Albion player never to win an England cap. Mcowan says that what Kennedy lacked in pace, he made up for with tactical awareness and positioning.
Albion historian andbugle columnist Tony Matthews, meanwhile has described Kennedy as being “steady, totally reliable, consistent, superb in the air, sure and sound on the ground. Whilst at Albion Kennedy quickly earned the nick-name “Spring-heeled Joe” because of his ability to jump for high balls. He was never sent off during his career and rarely committed a foul”.
What a player and what a gentleman on and off the field.
Forest 2-0 and Baggies’ conquerors Hull 1-0 before finally succumbing Arsenal.
And Walsall were eliminated 2-1 away to by the crack amateurs Corinthians, who won 3-0 in round three.