Albion fans mixed with their heroes of 1968 on a night of nostalgia to mark the 40th anniversary of the club’s FA Cup triumph.
All living members of the team that beat Everton at Wembley in 1968 attended a celebration dinner at The Hawthorns last night.
Current boss Tony Mowbray and captain Jonathan Greening were there too showing off the Championship trophy won this season.
Laraine Astle, widow of Jeff, who scored the winning goal, did not attend. But in a message read to guests she said memories of that glorious day would come flooding back this weekend.
“My Jeff always said scoring the winning goal meant more to him than playing for England,” she said.
“I shall be thinking of you all and I know my Jeff is looking down on you all from a blue and white heaven.”
The dinner was organised by the Former Players’ Association. The team of ‘68 were presented with a commemorative bowl.
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11 Comments
Jeff Astle and Tony Brown, it is impossible to mention one name without the other.
Surely the two greatest players to ever grace the shirt.
Please let’s honour Tony with something similar to the Asle gates sooner rather than later.
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1 Mike.
Fully agree but a team for me with so many Baggies heroes. Ossie, one of the great characters of the game. Johnny Kaye, a real man’s man, hard as nails. Graham Lovett, would have gone on to be one of our best players ever. Bobby Hope, quietly got on with spraying the ball around with an accuracy and vision few could match. Graham Williams and Dougie Fraser no nonsense full backs, hard without being dirty. Chippy Clark, such an exciting player, if he was around today he’d be a superstar. Bomber, whose ability was only outweighed by his modesty and his mate the King, my boyhood hero. Two great club men who displayed a loyalty rare then and virtually extinct now.
Over to you Cyril, Happy and any other oldies.
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I’ve been brought up on stories of the cup win in ‘68. My Dad actually went to the 68 cup final and still talks about it do this day.
It’s before my time, but you only have to listen to the older generation talk about these players to realise how loved they still are.
There should be a statue for Tony Brown outside the Hawthorns. He’s been at the club for over 40 years, 20 as a player. He really is Mr Albion.
My Grandad said they should put a statue of Bomber in the centre circle of the pitch (I think he liked him!!).
Come on West Brom, it’s long overdue.
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Totally agree with both 1 and 2. What can I say - so many great memories - always will be my heroes, that team. Thank you so much. When the official cup photo was taken at the Hawthorns, and appeared in the centre of the Park Drive book of football, there is a group of half a doxen 14 year olds lurking in the Smethwick, having spent the morning at Spring Road getting autographs before Big John Talbut tipped us the wink to hot foot it up to the hawthorns where we might see something special!! The photo is still one of my proudest possessions!!!
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And centre half Talbut, brave as they come, solid as a rock. Colquhoun played quite regularly too. I have met Bomber a number of times, he lives locally, always has time for a word and back in the 3rd Division days would be a regular at away matches for BRMB. Jeff I met close up at his house, (was it Springfield Road?), back in 1965 when I added a 13Amp switch-socket to their kitchen, a club-owned house I think. Laraine had a brand new baby and was waiting for Jeff to finish training. He arrived while I was there and we chatted about football. He was so ‘alive’ with energy and slim as a pencil. When you think what those two would fetch today and the salaries they’d be on. If today’s lot are worth it, those two certainly are.
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Back in Ossie Ardiles times, Ronnie Allen was employed as a trainer, especially for Bob Taylor I believe. One sunny morning I had just fetched tickets and was parked in Halfords Lane. Two of the dreaded traffic wardens were standing at my car. We chatted about football. Ronnie, none too mobile by then, came hastening down and asked ME if he was OK for parking there, (he thought I was their boss). “Ron”, I said, “if it were left to me you could park in the middle of the bloody pitch!” Great approval from the dreaded Wardens and a big smile from Ron with handshakes all round.
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I did’nt get to see these great players but from say so from all, i can only say 1 thing….LEGENDS!!!!
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TRB - I was 5 in 68′ and hadn’t really started folowing a club as such, so I can’t add to this thread - other than to say like every baggies fan I was brought up on the stories of this team.
I was fortunate enough to see a few of them play in the early and mid seventies.
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I was fortunate to go to every match in the great cup run but missed the Ist goal in the 2nd replay against Liverpool at main rd due to traffic congestion and didnt see till last xmas on vidio.Still got my 10 bob cupfinal ticket juinior price ,sighned by the king himself our JEFF, LIKE THE MEMORIES PRICELESS.
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Happy.
Sorry, didn’t realise you were such a callow youth.
Cyril.
Another I forgot was Bobby Cram. A rampaging, overlapping fullback, before they were really invented and after Graham Williams, Ray Wilson another tough but skilful Scottish fullback.
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i cant believe albion presented rosebowls for the players to commemorate the 68 cup final win and decided not to give one to osboune astle and ashman because they are no longer with us. if jeff had been there he would have received one and said where is johns and alans because he was that kind of bloke but it seems not so his former colleagues. well mrs astle and co we will never forget you even if his teammates do.totally disgusted, mole.
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