Billy Wright was one of England's - indeed the world's - greatest football ambassadors.
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My three legendary W-inners are Billy Wright, Arthur Wharton and Tommy Walker.
A-Z OF BRITISH FOOTBALLING LEGENDS
Billy Wright
Billy Wright was one of England's - indeed the world's - greatest football ambassadors. Born in Ironbridge, Shropshire on the 6th February 1924, he attended Madeley Senior School and was a star centre forward for the school team, in one game netting ten goals!
Though an Arsenal supporter as a boy, when Wolves advertised for youngsters to go to Molineux for trials, Billy was one of the first to apply and made his debut for Wanderers in a B team game against Walsall Wood at only 14 years of age! He broke into the first team shortly after the outbreak of the war in the 2-1 victory at Notts County and signed as a professional at 17.
At first, he specialised as a midfield anchorman before switching to centre half. Despite standing only 5ft 8in, he commanded the centre of the defence in the air as well as on the ground and was both a tough tackler and fine passer. Throughout his long career, he was never once sent off nor even cautioned!
During the War, he joined the army but still made over 100 appearances for the Wolves in wartime football. He picked up his first major honour when Wolves overcame Leicester City the 1949 FA Cup Final. Five years later, Wolves captured the League Championship. These were the years before English clubs were allowed to participate in the European Cup, so Wolves took on Europe's finest clubs in a series of dramatic floodlit friendlies.
During the next three years, Billy led Wolves to second, third and sixth respectively in the League before, in 1957-58 and 1958-59, the Championship trophy was again secured. Billy was an ever-present during these years. In fact, in nine seasons in the 50s, he missed just 31 games, several of those absences due to international call-ups. In all, he made 490 League appearances for the Wolves, scoring 13 goals. 48 FA Cup appearances, plus European matches took his total was 541.
His record for England was exceptional. He was capped on 105 occasions, most of those as skipper, playing his first full international against Scotland at Wembley in 1947. Fifty one of those caps were at right half, eight at left half and 46 at centre half. Captain of England 90 times, he set an all-time record of 70 successive international appearances later equalled by Bobby Moore. He made his last international appearance in 1960 in an 8-1 thrashing of the United States in Los Angeles.
Of his 105 games, 60 were won, 23 drawn, 21 lost with one game abandoned. His record of 105 caps was to stand for 20 years until broken by Bobby Charlton in 1970.
He played his last league game for Wolves in 1959. Shortly afterwards, he was awarded the CBE for his services to football and announced his retirement from the game just before the start of the following season. Elected Footballer of the Year in 1952, he was later made a Life Member of the Football Association. He died in September, 1994.
Arthur Wharton
Arthur Wharton was the first black professional footballer in the Football League. Born in Jamestown, Accra, Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1865, he came to England to study around 1882 but soon made a name for himself in athletics, winning the Amateur Athletics Association 100 yards sprint in a world record time of ten seconds (the first world record).
A supreme all-round athlete, his other sports were cricket, cycling and football, and it was while playing for Darlington as a goalkeeper that Wharton was spotted by Preston North End in 1885-86, joining them the following season during which they reached the semi finals of the FA Cup.
By 1889, he had turned professional, and played for Rotherham Town, Sheffield United, Stalybridge Celtic and Ashton North End, finishing his football career in 1902 playing for Stockport County in the old Division Two.
During the 1890s, a goalkeeper could handle the ball anywhere in his half of the pitch and could be charged down with or without the ball! Trying to grab the ball in a crowded goalmouth, the goalie needed to be able to look after himself physically. An unorthodox and entertaining performer, Arthur would apparently wait in a crouching position at the side of the goal before rushing out to save the ball. He also possessed a phenomenal punch and, with his sprinting background, sometimes played on the wing.
After he retired from football, he worked in a South Yorkshire colliery and died, penniless, in December 1930.
Tommy Walker
Tommy Walker was a Scottish international of exquisite skill, the son of the illustrious playmaker, Bobby. During a distinguished playing career as an inside right he won 20 caps in succession for Scotland and his outstanding sense of fair play warmed everyone privileged enough to have met him.
He will always be remembered for a penalty kick he took against England at Wembley on a windy day in 1936. Several times the ball was blown from the spot but he converted coolly to give Scotland a famous victory.
Journalist Jack Harkness said: "Tommy was always more interested in thanking those who had helped him score than receiving any pats on his back." Tommy himself explained: "Scoring was often the easiest part. As often as not, a teammate had done some wonderful work in getting the ball over to me. He was the one who deserved the praise."
Born in 1915 in Livingston Village, he was signed by Fife & Lothian club Linlithgow Rose FC in June 1931 for £35. In May 1932, he joined Edinburgh club, Hearts, making his debut at 17. Regarded as the hottest property in Scottish football, Arsenal were willing to pay a world record fee of £12,000 for him in 1934-35 but he stayed with Hearts, scoring prolifically until the War intervened.
In September 1946, Chelsea snapped him up for £8,000 where he joined a glittering forward line including Tommy Lawton and Len Goulden but, though a happy and eventful time, Chelsea won nothing and Tommy returned to finish his career on Tynecastle two years later.
