Final date led to the perfect match

Dave and Carol Matthews always remembered their first date. But then the 1968 FA Cup Final was a difficult day to forget.

The couple were later married for almost 42 years before the much-loved Albion kitman's death in April left his family, friends and an entire club in shock.

And it all began with a day out at Wembley 45 years ago when the then Carol Ewen was persuaded to accompany her future husband to one of the Baggies' most famous games.

"I used to work at a chemist called Bannister and Thatcher, over the road from the old Express & Star office in West Bromwich," recalled Carol, who this week took delivery of Dave's autobiography, Mr Albion – completed by his family in his honour.

"The club used to use our chemist for a lot of bandages, antibiotics and other things that players might need.

"That's how we met but our first date was the FA Cup Final in 1968.

"We went down on the official train and we were supposed to be staying at one of the lads' aunts, but she wanted us in by 10pm and, after just winning the Cup, we didn't want that. So after having a drink and a meal in London, we slept in St James's Park for the night and came back the next day!"

Three years later the couple were married and they stayed together until this year, when Dave's shock death at home in Halesowen left family and friends distraught and the future of his long-mooted autobiography in doubt.

The 67-year-old had committed three quarters of his life to print alongside freelance journalist and ghost writer David Instone when a rare heart condition claimed his life.

It left Carol and daughters Alison and Clare to decide whether they should complete his work.

Eventually, they used diaries, tapes and family memories to fill in the blanks and finish the story of a life dedicated to the Baggies from the age of 16, when he applied for a job as a groundsman and instead wound up in the kit room.

Carol believes there was never a serious doubt that the book, which is now in shops, would be published in honour of the man dubbed 'Mr Albion' by Baggies legend Cyrille Regis.

"We thought it would be a lasting tribute to him if we could finish it," she said.

"I spoke to the girls and they decided they would like to go on and finish it, and we never really said 'no, that's it' or thought we didn't want to go on. I knew it was Dave's dream to have his book published.

"There probably were stories that Dave would have known and hadn't written down that could have gone in the book, but they were lost when he died.

"David came over and talked to us and we tried to fill in as best we could.

"For about 12 years the book was in Dave's mind and he used to make notes in diaries and on tapes.

"Dave had passed on all of the diaries and tapes to David, and a lot of people were very good.

"They went over to Ron Atkinson's house, and when Tony Mowbray was down here with Middlesbrough to play one of the local teams, they met up with him.

"It all came together in the end. The ex-players have been extremely kind and Ally Robertson did the foreword."

The loyalty that enabled the Matthews family to complete Dave's book was the same loyalty that prompted one of the greatest ever turnouts for a Hawthorns dinner when he celebrated 50 years at the club in 2011.

A who's who of Albion players and managers from five decades converged on The Hawthorns to celebrate a barely believable half-a-century of service.

Tragically, less than two years later, the cast would assemble again to pay their respects at his funeral.

Yet Carol believes the memories of his special night two years ago stuck with Dave, first through his successful fight with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and into his all-too-brief retirement.

"I think he was overwhelmed," said Carol, aged 69. "He couldn't believe that so many managers and players had given their time and made the effort to go along.

"He always got on well with people. I've never heard anybody say a bad word about him. And we saw it at his funeral as well, with all the players that turned out for him.

"It was the only job he ever had. He got a bit disillusioned with a couple of the managers and considered leaving but he always thought better of it.

"I think he would have enjoyed the finished book because there is humour in there.

"There is no 'kiss and tell' to it but there is a lot of gentle humour. I think he would have liked it."