Walsall vs Birmingham City 1942

[ianlambert]

Does anyone have a copy of the Walsall vs Birmingham City programmes from 14 Nov 1942? My relative made a one-off guest appearance for Walsall in that match.

Thank you.

[SADDLERSFAN]

I have that programme v Birmingham but he is not in the line up..
I have a Coventry v Walsall 1942/3 Dec 12th he is in that line up. Also he played the week later in the 7-1 defeat away to Stoke Dec 19th.

[ianlambert]

I have this report, which indicated that he only played the one match. His name was Dunc Colquhoun. I should have mentioned his name when I posted. That said, I'd be interested to see if he was on the team sheets for the matches you mention.

By beating Birmingham on Saturday, Walsall completed a notable trio of victories at Fellows Park.
They had previously lowered the colours of Wolves and Aston Villa, and if they can do the same to West Bromwich Albion next Saturday, they will have the “scalps” of the Midlands Big Four at their belt - an outstanding achievement even in wartime football.
It was a very near thing against Birmingham, not only because the issue was decided by a single goal - and what a goal! - but also because before that came along, the “Blues” had had so much the better of the argument that they might have established themselves in a strong position if they had been as effective in the goal area as they were in getting there.
Some of the midfield football played by Birmingham in the first half was as good as anything seen on the ground for a long time. Soundly supported by a strong halfback line, their clever forwards frequently had the Walsall defence in difficulties.
A One-Way Attack
Apart from an occasional Walsall raid, the attack was almost a one-way affair, but although they were allowed little rest, Lewis, Morgan and Tranter never relaxed the keenness of their tackling, and Shelton and Male once more demonstrated the reliability of their full-back partnership. The opposition the Birmingham forwards encountered was certainly commendable.
Even so, a few chances were created only to be woefully wasted. Shaw, the Walsall-born player who has now had a good run with Birmingham, and McCormick, were notable offenders in this respect. The Tottenham Hotspur forward missed just before the interval when it seemed almost impossible for him to do so.
To add to the visitors’ discomfiture, when they did get on the mark, they found Williams in excellent form. Walsall’s young pre-war goalkeeper returned to the team after several weeks’ absence and although he was not tested as often as he might have been, he had some critical situations to deal with and he made a couple of exceptionally smart saves from Ottwell.
How The Goal Came
There was a narrow escape for Walsall immediately after the interval when McCormick shot against the crossbar and it was only a few minutes later that Brown gave us another sample of his remarkable opportunism.
Vinall had wandered out to the right wing, and when he lifted the ball into the middle Brown gathered it near the edge of the penalty area. For a split second he had no one near him and a clear sight of the goal, and that was long enough for him to swing his strong right foot and send in a smashing drive which left Merrick helpless. It was twin brother to a goal I remember seeing Brown score at Molineux last season.
Moreover, it was apparently just the tonic Walsall needed. At any rate, they more than held their own afterwards and it became Birmingham’s turn to be hard pressed.
More than once, the lead was almost increased. The best effort came from Colquhoun, a new outside-right from the R.A.F. He has had some experience with Bradford City and generally shaped well. He hit the cross-bar with a long shot, and placed several corner kicks dangerously. He takes them with his left foot, and causes the ball to swerve in awkwardly for the defence. Unfortunately he has now left the district and is no longer available.
Walsall also tried a new outside-left in Mitchell, who is in the Navy but expects to have a shore job locally for some time. He has played for Queen’s Park Rangers and Fulham Juniors, and although he was not altogether a successful substitute for Wood, he showed some neat touches.
Ashly may return to the side in place of Colquhoun against the Albion at the Hawthorns to-day, and L. Jarvis and Wood are also amongst the players from which the team will be selected.