Home
Forest at home. Wedged in at the front of the Brummie. Dad (RIP) standing far enough away to have a swear and a fag but close enough to see us. The atmosphere was electric. Twenty-seven thousand fans waiting for the inevitable Baggies goals that would power us back into Division One. "Willie, Willie Johnston, Willie Johnston on the wi-iing"... roared the Baggies faithful. And then it happened. Micky Martin lets fly and the net ripples.![Daz Ward with Dad [Albert], brother [Paul] and Rebel the dog](images/WestBromDaz.jpg)
"YEEESSS!!!" One-nil to the Baggies and we're on our way. Then it happened again. The hero of The Hawthorns, our show-man topped it all off. Cutting in from the wing and wrapping things up... Two-nil. And the boys under Johnny Giles' leadership were on their way back up! Think the thing I'll always remember, though, was the walk back home. Dad would walk about ten yards ahead of us, as me and my brother Paul would kick a can and re-enact Willie's goal. As we got close to home, by Sandwell hospital, a van-full of Forest fans drove past and decided to give us a bit of verbal. We looked up and there was the old fella with his arm raised high reminding them of the score... Well, at least that's what he told us he was doing!
Daz Ward
Josiah 'Joe' Reader played for the Albion first team from 1888-9 season through to 1900-01 making him unique as the only player to play on three of the grounds the Albion played at, Four Acre's Cricket Ground, Stoney Lane and The Hawthorns. He was also the last player to wear long trousers as part of his kit. Capped by England in 1894 and having played for the Football League too, Joe won a cup winner's medal in 1892 and a loser's medal in 1895. His medals and England Cap, as well as a shirt and his trousers, remain in the family.
Joe was revered at the Albion for so many of his 88 years as a player, trainer coach and then in his later life, as a steward at the ground as a gentleman. So much so that I recall that as a child of around ten years of age I visited the offices of the Hawthorns with my father. As we entered the Superintendent of Police for West Bromwich was leaving, took one look at me and said, "Goodness, it's a little Joe Reader". Many of the stories have been passed through the generations through my Grandmother (Joe's daughter) and his granddaughter (my Mother) to us and as his great grand children, my sister Ann, and I, can re-tell them as best as we can.
Joe Reader was very tall (6 foot 4 inches) - he stood head and shoulders above his team mates and in some of the photographs above the suited gents in their top hats, it was therefore very surprising to hear that having annoyed the Sunderland fans with an extraordinary display he needed to be smuggled out of the ground and to the station to avoid their wrath. How did his team mates manage that?
Joe's wife used to wash the kit but given the current day's wages of £100,000 a week from the top clubs how would the players manage on the pay that he received for playing, eight shillings (40p) a week in the season and six shillings (30p) in the close season.
Ahead of a big game such as a Cup Final the team used to go to a retreat rather like last season when the Albion went to the Algarve. The difference is that a hundred and ten years ago they went to The Cross at Kingswinford.
During the Second World War my grandmother said that he received a letter from Australia addressed to "Albion Joe, England". No postcode, no full address, no surname and in wartime too - and they say that the postal service has improved. I am told that in his later years Joe had recovered from illness and was asked if he was going to the match this week. His reply was, "No not this week, they are only playing the Villa and if they were playing in the back garden I'd draw the curtains!" I have inherited that feeling about our closest neighbours! Joe died weeks before the 1954 FA Cup Final and whilst in hospital many of the team of the time visited Joe, much to the delight of the other Albion mad supporters who were patients at the time. At his funeral there were wreaths from most of the First Division clubs of the time and many other teams sent their condolences.
The link with the Albion for the family doesn't stop there. When my mother took home Eric Painter to meet her parents, Joe (who lived with them) asked whether Eric was related to Jack Painter, who Joe knew had played for the Albion (primarily in the reserves) in the 1880's. When Eric replied that he was his Grandson, Joe immediately gave his blessing and so that was how our parents came together. Eric went on to be Chief Steward at the Albion from the mid 70's through to shortly before his death in 1989.
As his children Ann and I have been regulars for many years and are now shareholders. Ann has been a season ticket holder for well over 25 years whilst I was once a steward, and after taking time out from regular attendance when my children were young, I now travel from the Vale of Evesham as a season ticket holder as well as attending a number of away games each season.
John H Painter
top
website design |