Where are the Albion greats of that Cup day now?
Albion fans will remember their heroes as stars on the field but what are the class of ‘68 doing these days? Steve Box investigates.
Doug Fraser was a wing-half who later also played at right back. He captained Albion in the 1970 League Cup Final against Manchester City and retired in 1977 to become a prison warder. Now living in Ashby, Nottingham, Doug is retired and spends a lot of time on the golf course.
Graham Williams lifted the FA Cup as skipper of the 1968 side after having led the team to a League Cup triumph two years earlier. For the last two years he has worked for Tottenham Hotspur helping them identify players to sign.
Tony Brown is Albion’s record goalscorer with 312 goals in all first-team games. Went on to work as a coach at the Baggies and Birmingham City and is now a radio pundit.
John Talbut was a centre half who went on to be player-manager at KV Mechelen in Belgium after leaving The Hawthorns. Still lives in Mechelen where he is the director of a childrenswear shop he runs with wife Ena.
John Kaye spent eight years with Albion and went off injured in the 1968 final. After finishing football he went into the hotel business but is now retired and living in Hull.
Graham Lovett survived two horrific car crashes but the injuries eventually forced him to give up league football at 26. Did play for Albion all-stars until 1985 and worked at the Express & Star. Now splits his time between England and his home in Thailand.
Ian Collard spent seven years with the Baggies as a utility player. In 1978-79 he was a coach at Kuwait Sporting Club and has also coached at the Ipswich Town academy. Now retired and living in Ipswich.
Bobby Hope made more than 400 appearances, scoring 42 goals. After finishing playing he tried management just down the road with Bromsgrove Rovers and also ran a Post Office in Boldmere. Now back at The Hawthorns as chief scout.
Clive Clark was a goalscoring winger who netted twice in the 1967 League Cup Final. During his career he had spells in America with Washington Diplomats, Dallas Tornado and Philadelphia Fury. Has suffered from ill health recently and now lives in a nursing home in Scarborough.
Dennis Clarke was the first FA Cup Final substitute when he came off the bench for John Kaye in 1968. Now enjoying living in Marbella and involved in property.
Stuart Williams played for the Baggies for 12 years but was trainer at the time of the 1968 final. He went on to be a coach and manager. He then went into the transport business and imports and exports and is now retired and living in Southampton.
Loading ...
11 Comments
my dad is in the background of this photo…and i am in the bottom right corner, though you can only see a bit of my shoulder.
was a great night in the presence of some great players!
Bobby Hope and The Bomber, my two favourite Baggies. This was really interesting to see how these guys are doing. Feel a bit guilty now thinking of the songs about Clive Clark. He doesn’t look a well man and I wish him all the best.
My memory gets worse as the years go by. Can somebody tell me about John Osborne?
The name is ringing bells, but I forget what he did or achieved.
SOME GREAT OLD ALBION STARS OF 68.IT WAS A PLEASURE TO WATCH THEM PLAY IN THE 60’s.
I WOULD BUY ANY OF THEM A PINT.THANKS FOR EVERYTHING LADS.YOU ARE BLOODY TERRIFIC BUNCH OF PLAYERS THE ALBION EVER HAD.
Truly great to see and read about that great 68 team. They are all legends! Me it takes me back, that season I was 13yrs old and went to evry game home and away, even the 3-1 league cup defeat at Reading. The club issued vouchers for the colchester game, so you had a voucher you got a final ticket! My dad God bless found out I had got cane for going to Southampton for the replay and missed school, when I got my ticket for the Liverpool, maine road game he took the envelope off me and said I was’nt going! I snatched envelope took ticket out, forgetting voucher and threw it on fire. Got ticket for semi but missed that one game the final! Never mind we won and that team of the middle to late 60’s always been in my heart!!!!
3 - John Osbourne was Albions briliant, but excentric keeper.
He was known as the bionic man - i think he had a plastic knuckle fitted.
I remember him standing in goal in front of the BRE in the pouring rain - and getting a brolly from a fan behind him and standing in goal under it.
I also seem to remember him having a fag off a fan and smoking it in goal - i think he may have got booked for that.
Finally, he once refereed a game i played in as a school boy - a great honour for a young baggie fan. I got his autograph then and still have it to this day.
Lovely bloke, and we are unlikely to see his type again !!
3) John Osbourne or Ossie as we knew him was the Keeper in the ‘68 final, and also played in the team that got us promoted in 1976. Was in the 1970 League Cup Final too. Was possessor of a “Bionic” knuckle due to Arthritis (I think)and was an outstanding keeper.
Also virtually single handedly won us the “Quizball” programme on BBC 1.
I remember him nicking a fag from someone in the crowd at Notts County and sneakyly smoking it while the game went on. When County attacked, he wedged it in the net and picked it up again when we had the ball. They definately don’t make em like him any more. Great personality.
1)Baggie Bird - I can’t believe you didn’t get in any of the photo’s.
What a great night!!!
can you tell me where John Wile would be now. His name is not mmentioned anywhere
John Osbourne was pure entertainment have seen him make great saves then just turn to crowd and say dont no how i done that had eyes shut bit to close to the post to look,also a toilet roll was thrown onto the pitch but did not unravel so just picked it up said not got much left at home put it in the back of the net and took it off with him at the end a great character
i cant believe the club presented rose bowls to the players but didnt have one for the families of john osbourne, jeff astle and manager alan ashman. the official reply was the gift was for the surviving players not their families. well albion remember the scoreboard everton 0 albion 1 ossie kept the clean sheet and astle put the goal in, unlkie you we will never forget them. it is a disgrace.