Baggies fan who said no to Wolves dies at 61

A football coach who once turned down the chance to play for Wolves because of his loyalty to West Bromwich Albion has died. Reg Warmer played for community teams around the Black Country his whole life.

He also coached the Wolverhampton women's team. But Reg, from Tipton, was such a loyal Albion fan he once turned down a professional contract to play for Wolverhampton Wanderers because they were his rivals. "He spoke his mind and he loved the Albion, they were his obsession. That's what he was like," said his daughter Katie Warner.

"He played a couple of games for them but he didn't get on with Stan Cullis so he left and vowed never to play professionally for anyone but the Albion."

Reg, of Shaw Road, died suddenly last Thursday aged 61, from a suspected heart attack.

Trainee teacher Katie said: "I bought him a hot air balloon ride last Christmas and he was meant to be going on it that day. I went down in the morning to hurry him up and I found him.

"It's always been just me and my dad, he was brilliant. His whole life he had a mass of curly hair and one of his friends said to me that the only thing bigger than his hair was his heart. "

She added: "Dad has always followed the Albion, he went to Europe with them and he went to all their Wembley games.

"He had a massive rattle that he would take to the games and it was so big his friend knocked himself out with it once. He never let him forget it."

His passion was always football and in his last years he spent much of his free time training the Wolverhampton women's team.

Katie, who played for the team added: "As well as the Albion he loved community teams. All the girls loved him, he was like a father figure, but he was always hard on me. He'd be shouting from the sidelines."

Reg also played for Palethorps, which later became Tipton Town.

His funeral is next Friday at noon at Tipton Methodist Church.