Billy’s trilby hid many a black eye from a stray elbow
IN the Bugle edition of June 2, John Homer was able to advise us that Albion played a Czechoslovak Army XI at the Hawthorns on November 1st 1941.
From John’s extensive football records he was also able to tell us that Albion’s team included at centre half Tipton-born and bred Billy Gripton.
I had profiled Billy in my book Another 57 Black Country Sportsmen. Quite a character was Bill, and in his courting days on Saturday evenings when he was dating his wifeto-be he always wore a trilby which inevitably would be worn lower on one side than the other. The reason for this was that he often sustained a black eye from his tussles on the football field and the position of the hat was an attempt to hide the bruising!
Different path
Billy was another sportsman whose career may have taken a different path had it not been for the intervention of the 1939-45 war. Born in 1920 at Princes End Billy was educated at Tipton Council School. During his schooldays he was chosen to play for Tipton Schoolboys but strangely it was as goal keeper – although his career as a shot-stopper was short lived.
He soon settled down as a centre half, playing in the long disappeared Nignog League (honestly, that is what it was called) and that was where he first came to the attention of Albion.
He played for a number of junior clubs including Dartmouth Vics, Bush Rangers and Brownhills West Bromwich before joining Albion’s ground staff upon leaving school at the age of fifteen.
Turning professional in 1937 he made his first team debut for the club he had supported as a young boy against Millwall, when he was still a teenager. No protective learning curve in a club’s academy in those days.
Dedicated to his profession he was a cool defender, hard but fair in the tackle and an excellent tactician, becoming a dominating figure at the heart of Albion’s defence.
The war saw the best of his playing days and he made over two hundred war time appearances with probably the highlight coming when he was part of the Albion side which defeated Nottingham Forest in the final of the 1943/44 Midland Wartime Cup.
During the war the Football Association advised all clubs that they could only obtain outfits for their players with coupons. At the same time they stated that no coupons could be provided for this purpose but that it would be in order for supporters to forward some of their coupons for that purpose.
His first post war contract was for £7 per week (reduced to £6 per week in the summer) with an additional £1 per week if he played in the first team. Soon after normal service was resumed in the Football League Billy was to lose his place in the side, the eventual incumbent being Irishman Jack Vernon who became club captain.
House
At the end of the 194748 season Billy was transferred to Luton Town for a fee of £3,000. In the current experience of professional footballers living in gated mansions contrastingly Billy received a letter telling him “we have today purchased a house at 4 Coniston Road, Leagrave, Luton. Will you and Mrs Gripton please come down to view the house. Your expenses will of course be met by the club”.
His wages rocketed to £11 per week plus £1 when on first team duty. Although he settled in well at Kenilworth Road and made what was to become a lifelong friendship with Sid Owen, illness and injuries limited him to just two appearances.
A decade later the bond with Owen, who was by now Luton’s manager, was to result in a young George Andrews, who Billy was coaching at Vono, being signed by Luton.
As his spell at Kenilworth Road came to an end Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic as it was then known, offered him a contract which included a club house within walking distance of the sea front.
Seaside
Ideal with a young daughter. In his two years on the south coast Billy made over eighty first team appearances, thoroughly enjoying his time there.
His daughter, Elaine, recalls happy times by the seaside and at seven years of age was allowed to accompany the milk delivery driver as he made his way round the local area. How times have changed. An extract from the local evening newspaper tells us:
“I like Gripton’s style of play because he is always trying to use the ball purposefully. He seldom over-kicks his own forwards and is continually bringing the wing half-backs into play with his passes.
“That is academic soccer which is not always appreciated by those who like to see the big kick with no regards for direction”.
Praise indeed, although he was not afraid to mix it on the field of play – hence the trilby hat he wore when going out to hide bruises from the odd stray elbow.
Deciding to go non league Billy had a number of offers including one from Hereford United, being invited by letter to “come over and have a chat. I have some nice fruit ordered for you, they are hand picked”.
However Billy opted to join Worcester City where he combined his playing duties with those of groundsman, in the summer being employed in a local factory.
Prior to signing, a letter accompanied his proposed contract, informing him that “To be payed (sic) £100 on 1 August 1952. To be payed £6 per week from 1 May to 31 July 1955”.
In addition the family were allocated a house in the Lark Hill area of the city. He was to stay in the Southern League with Worcester for four seasons, retiring in 1956 to become grounds man at Vono near to his birthplace.
Billy also managed the football sides, competing at a high standard in the Birmingham Works League with Billy turning out on several occasions, although it was certainly not a case of “making up the side”.
Cajoled
He became synonymous with Vono whenever the works and football came into the conversation and although the works and thus the football team has gone Billy is remembered fondly by so many of the players that he cajoled and encouraged to play the beautiful game.