Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
West Brom agree to honour Tony ‘Bomber’ Brown
Thursday 19th January 2012, 10:59AM GMT.
Tony ‘Bomber’ Brown
West Bromwich Albion are set to honour club legend Tony Brown with a permanent tribute at The Hawthorns.
West Brom have issued a statement confirming they have held talks with their record goalscorer over the issue.
The Baggies have not revealed what form of tribute is being planned, but the statement said it would be “suitable” and “lasting”.
The statement said: “The club contacted Tony in August 2011 to inform him that it wanted to honour his record-breaking achievements with a suitable, and lasting, tribute.
“Tony, in his usual unassuming way, responded very positively to the proposals and the Club has held several confidential meetings with him since to move the project forward.
“Work on the tribute, which is being fully-funded by the club, is very much underway and Tony is delighted by how it is progressing.
“The club will continue to work closely with him and is confident that, when the time is right to fully reveal its plans, all West Bromwich Albion supporters will regard the tribute as fitting for a great player and a great man.”
Fans had organised a petition asking for a tribute to Brown, who scored 279 goals in a club record 720 appearances.
The ‘Honour the Bomber’ campaigners collected over 600 signatures from pubs before Saturday’s Premier League game at home to Norwich and were planning to collect more at future home games.
John Kitchen, one of the organisers of the campaign, welcomed the club’s announcement but said the collection of signatures would continue with fans also keen to get Brown recognised with an honour from the Queen.
Kitchen said: “Anything that gets Bomber the recognition he richly deserves is welcome for us.
“But we are still going ahead with the campaign because there are other things we can use the signatures for, including a campaign for a national honour.
“We will carry on with the petition and then if nothing happens with the club we can present it to them, although there is no reason to think that the club won’t go through with their plans.”
Brown, who was an FA Cup winner with Albion in 1968, still attends most matches in his role as a local radio pundit.
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Absolutely right to honour this great player and lifelong WBA supporter.His goalscoring ability will probably never be seen again and therefore his memory should be cherished.
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Excellent news, made my day.
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never in the history of football was anything more deserved
take a bow all involved
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ABOUT TIME ;)
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Just wished some of the young lads could have seen him and others over the years I’ve witnessed.
Scored Bobby Charlton’s favourite goal.
First name on Big Rons’s team sheet of all the players he’s managed.
I can still see that police inspectors face when he told us we couldn’t get on the pitch at Oldham after I push him over and ran on.
Adéu
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not ran off, ran on.
Adéu
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Great news and so deserved – and good to see the club had already got the ball rolling before the petition was done….. well done everyone !!
Wonder what it will be…….
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Great news great player great bloke not before time …
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I must applaud WBA for this, too many club legends are honoured once they have passed away.
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I can only echo what everyone else has said. Fully deserved and absolutely typical of Bomber not to make a fuss, it speaks volumes about the man.
I just wish I could have seen him play.
Boing Boing!!
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Great news, can’t wait to see it. Thanks Jeremy for allowing the club to fund the project, no begging buckets. That is the way to truly honour one of our own.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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Congratulations to the Albion Board, lets hope it is worthy of such a great man.
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Afternoon all,
fantastic!!!
Regards
AndyH
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Kev in mallorca,
Like you i was blessed to see the heroics of the ‘bomber’ in his hey day. I watched in delight and aws as he scorched one goal after another in his heyday at the baggies. I dont think anyone, apart from the king himself Jeff Astle ( who has a tribute for him at the hawthorns) deserves this commeration as much as the Bomber. High time, and lets see it taking shape before too much longer.
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Glad they have recognised a very talented player which I was very proud to watch play brilliant football and had the pleasure to meet personally and still do see him to have a chat to. Truly lovely man.
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Although I have only seen it once, it think the great goal he scored was in the semi final of the FA cup in 1969 versus Leicester. We lost but didn’t he have is back to the ball and it came over his shoulder hit it first time and went in the back of the net. Even at 46 i was to young to remember.
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Lest we forget,”THE KING’S anniversary,God bless Jeff,love ya man and best wishes to
Laraine & family X.
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Somebody suggested it on the last thread I think but wouldn’t it be great to have a statue of Bomber and the King celebrating a goal. To all who remember them they went together like strawberries and cream.
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Both my and my moms (god rest her soul) favourite Albion player, one She used to see quite regularly whilst shopping in Walsall.
Tony always had time for a chat with her about the great Albion sides of the 60′s and 70′s, She couldn’t get home quickly enough to tell us all about “Tone” as She used to call him.
Come on Albion, give this giant of a man a fitting tribute.
The players of today wouldn’t be fit to lace his boots.
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Even though it’s been over 30 years since he last played for us,I often mention him on here,and said on Jarrod’s blog this week that the current strikers should watch videos of him and learn.
A true legend.
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The dark side of Malvern thinks this is a good decision. As someone said above it is great that this is being done while the Bomber is here to see it, this is just how things should be done.
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16. Quinton Baggie.
We lost 1 – 0 to Leicester thanks to late Allan Clarke goal, the match you are thinking of was against Sheffield Wednesday which I think was a 3rd round tie. Although Tony scored the over the shoulder half volley goal we still lost!.
I was at both games unfortunately!.
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15-
if you are ‘THE’ Ann Jones,may I say you and Bomber are BOTH legends.
We are proud to have you both associated with the Baggies.
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I should have said we lost 1-0 to a late Allan Clarke goal, it looks like I was suggesting Allan is no longer with us when he still is (I think).
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Bomber was and still is a Legend. Well done Baggies and like someone said before great its being done while he`s still around.
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So pleased to hear this news. Not only a great goal scorer, a scorer of great goals AND, on occasion, an awe inspiring goalkeeper.
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I would loved to see the King and Bomber celebrated together. As a pair they where equal to the best, and Bombers volley against Leicester, his free kick against Banks and his header against Liverpool are great bomber moments.
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27 Bob.
I don’t know if that’s the same headed goal but I remember one at home around 63/64 at the Smethwick End. I think it was Kenny Foggo that crossed it from the right and Bomber was running in and bulleted a header from somewhere between the penalty spot and the edge of the area without even needing to jump or break his stride (I suppose that was down to the quality of the cross.)
Anyway despite the fact that he wasn’t renowned for headed goals, I can still see that header going in as if it was yesterday and it remains one of my most memorable goals. If we’d had Sky in those days they’d have played it for weeks after but thanks to the fact that the BBC held us in the same esteem that they do now we were hardly ever on the Telly (it was in the days when MOTD featured only one or two games.)
Do any other old fogies remember it?
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Great way to honor a fantastic player for your club. Loyalty is a dirty word in the modern game and Bomber sums the word LOYALTY up perfectly.
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What about Bombers display in goal at Blackpool a great display, but didn’t quite remember the four steps rule that operated in those days. We had sensible refs then.
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28 Bully,
I can’t help you with the exact goal you’re talking about,because the first game I clearly remember going to was a little later,at home to Liverpool in Nov.1964 (it was just after we signed ‘King’ Jeff,and he scored as we won 3-0)-but is this any help?
According to my ‘Albion History’ book,’Bomber’ made his debut in Sept.63,away to Ipswich,and he scored the equaliser as we went on to win 2-1.
He scored 5 goals that season,but only 2 at home-
one was a couple of weeks later,when we beat Villa 4-3 at the Hawthorns,
and the other was in April 64 when we lost at home to Forest 2-3.
Anything ring a bell?
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Here’s an interesting bit of trivia-
HOW DID ‘BOMBER’ GET HIS NICKNAME?
The man himself is on Youtube being asked that very question,but he couldn’t remember any specific reason for it.
I may be wrong,but this is what I recall-
In Feb.1969 we played Arsenal at home in the 5th.Round of the F.A.Cup.(I remember because I’ve still got the ticket stub for the ‘woodman corner’-sad?).
Anyway,it was a tight game,with few chances,then late in the match Albion won a free-kick about 25 yards from goal(BRE).
I recall Tony took the kick,and drilled it past the entire Arsenal defence into the back of the net,that was the winning goal,1-0 to the Baggies,job done!!
The next morning,a national newspaper (I think the Mirror) carried the match report,with the headline-
‘BROWN BOMBS ARSENAL OUT OF CUP’.
And our Hero then became ‘The Bomber’.
That’s how I remember it,does anyone else have any recollections?
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(28)
Bully,
You are right about his headed goals. Bet he still remembers his equaliser down the “Hole” (Custard Bowl). Smacked the ball in with his right fist 3-3. Everyone was astounded when the referee allowed it. Mind you the ref was on the blind side (Not literally).
I would still love a statue of him striking the ball with his trademark tongue hanging out. Would be unique.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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i wasn’t born till 69 but his 30 yarder at wolves (3-0) was one of the highlights of my childhood. one of those memories that will come with me to the grave. cyrille chests it into his path and BANG!!
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Can’t believe it’s took so long but he is a true Albion legend so it’s only right and proper.
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33 JtH,
funniest thing ever.
I was only about 13,but I went to that game at the molineux with our kid,who parked his moped away from the ground so we didn’t get stuck in traffic afterwards.
About 10 minutes from the end,wolves were winning 3-1,and our kid said ‘let’s go,so we can get to the bike before the crowd leaves (there was about 50,000 there!!).
When we got home,we thought we’d lost,but the Baggies had scored two more goals,and for the equaliser,’Bomber’ was in front of goal with the ball waist high,so he did a ‘Thierry Henry’ and ‘pushed’ the ball over the line.
Probably the only bad thing he ever did.
Apparently,the wolves goalkeeper,Phil Parkes,was so angry the goal was given,that he ran after the Ref.(who was heading to the halfway line for the restart),and jumped on his back.
Needless to say,he got sent off.
So the moral is-
never leave before the final whistle,you never know what you might miss………
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16 i think your on about the goal at sheff wed(yes i was there)that goal made it 1-1 but we went on to lose 2-1 bout 1970-1 ish whats even more remarkable about that goal is one of the great springet brotheres( Peter) was in goal and he stood there in disbelief as the ball flew past him,i think if his brother Ron had been in goal with him he wouldent have stopped it …
ps The late great Peter springet was also in goal for qpr when the beat us 3-2 in league cup final( i think)
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16 Quinton baggie
That’s Bobby Charlton’s favourite goal.
Adéu
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Thanks Kev
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Rocket and Jack.
Thanks for trying to help and after reading your posts I think it might have been the year after. Sorry.
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(36)
Cantello,
I was on their south bank, Tone came racing into their area towards us and jumped to head the ball, it was level with his head his fist came around and in it went. He was on the referee’s blind side, that is why he got away with it. My relatives were dumbstruck. Don’t remember whether or not he stuck his tongue out for that one though. It was us BAGGIES who loved to go a wandering that night.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
P.S. Anyone else have a view on that match.
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Yes he could have been named “Pile Driver”, “Block Buster”, “Shot Gun”, but we chose the best name.
BOING~~~~BOUNG~~~~JtH.
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