10 Greatest West Bromwich Albion Players Ever
Throughout their rich 146-year history, West Brom have set down markers for other clubs to follow aided by their amazing scouting system and once-fabled attacking trident in the 1949-1955 period. In the cascading serendipity of emotions, the Baggies have churned out some amazing talents in their cesspool of ambition and success and players who have redefined established parameters. Here, we go about the onerous, yet enviable job of listing the 10 greatest West Brom players ever.
Based on consistency, longevity, success, impact, loyalty and dedication, here are the 10 greatest West Brom players ever.
10. John Wile (1970-1983)
Wile joined West Bromwich Albion in December 1970. He spent more than 12 years at Albion and was club captain during and after Ron Atkinson’s spell as manager.
He was captain throughout the glorious late 1970s. Forming an almost impenetrable centre-half pairing with Ally Robertson, Wile was a sound, composed and uncompromising defender during his spell with the club.
Wile made a total of 619 senior appearances for Albion. His most famous moment came when he played with blood pouring from a head wound during the 1978 FA Cup semi-final against Ipswich at Highbury. An amazing servant for the club, Wile defined longevity while plying his trade as he made 500 appearances for the club.
9. Ray Barlow (1944-1960)
Perhaps Albion’s most gifted ever player, Barlow was a supreme footballer with every attribute in the book, making him the perfect midfielder at left-half.
Barlow is probably best remembered for his versatility – he could play left-half, centre-half, inside-forward, and even centre-forward. He had supreme positional sense and was a major force in leading West Brom
He was part of the 1954 FA Cup-winning team under the management of Vic Buckingham. This team came close to accomplishing a League and Cup double that year but finished runners-up in the League behind Wolverhampton by four points. One of the greatest West Brom players ever, Barlow was criminally restricted to just one England cap.
8. Cyrille Regis (1977-1984)
Cyrille Regis played professional football for 19 years but the most prolific part of his career was when he played for West Brom. He was an explosive striker and the press called him ‘Smokin Joe’ because his build was like that of boxer Joe Fraizer.
He was spotted by West Bromwich Albion’s chief scout Ronnie Allen, who recommended signing him. Regis made his first team debut in a League Cup match against Rotherham United in 1977, scoring twice in a 4–0 win. His 1982 long-range strike against Norwich was voted as the goal of the season.
Regis was named Young Player of the Year in 1979, making him one of the greatest West Brom players ever. He played for Coventry City, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Wycombe Wanderers, but never achieved the same level of success.
7. Billy Bassett (1886-1899)
Virtually the founder of what we know today as West Bromwich Albion, Bassett was a flying outside-right who scored goals, won two FA Cup winner’s medals, and played 16 times for England.
He joined the Baggies in 1886, playing outside-right. Bassett scored his debut League goal on 15 September 1888 at the County Ground, against Derby County. When he made his League debut he was 19 years 225 days old; that made him, on that first day of League football, West Bromwich Albion’s youngest player.
He was quick, direct and highly effective, he possessed superb ball control and could score goals as well as make them. Bassett became an Albion director and later a chairman in 1905 and helped the club avoid bankruptcy by paying the players’ summer wages from his pocket.
6. Jeff Astle (1964-1974)
Jeff Astle was a thunderous header of the ball, and supreme leader of the line. He joined West Brom in 1964 for £25,000. He scored 174 goals in 361 games for the Baggies, including the only goal in the 1968 FA Cup Final, in which he completed the feat of scoring in every round of the competition.
Astle also scored in the 1970 League Cup Final and became the first man to score in both Cup finals. At the height of Astle’s Albion career, the words “ASTLE IS THE KING” appeared in large white letters on the brickwork of Primrose Bridge, which carries Cradley Road over a canal in Netherton, in the heart of the Black Country.
Only won five England caps. Astle joined Albion from Notts County and eventually left the club to finish his career in non-league football, playing for DunstableTown, Weymouth and Hillingdon Borough.
5. Ronnie Allen (1950-1961)
Allen was perhaps the most complete forward to represent the club. A complete footballer. The Puskas-like forward helped Albion emulate the inspirational football of the great Hungarian side of the 1950s.
Two great feet played all along the forward line, reinventing the centre-forward role by dropping deep, a footballing intellect which won him five England caps. He scored twice in the 1954 FA Cup Final win. A visionary and a true giant of the club. Allen joined Albion from Port Vale in March 1950 and left for Crystal Palace in May 1961.
Subsequently, he returned to act as scouting advisor from January to May 1977 then as manager from June 1977 to December 1977 before leaving to act as advisor to the Saudi Arabian national team. He returned as manager between July 1981 and May 1982 and was general manager after that until June 1983, later acting as coach and scout at the club.
4. Bryan Robson (1972-1981)
Robson was a celebrated midfielder who excelled in tackle, passing, and scoring goals. He started as a reserve player in West Bromwich and quickly moved up to the senior team. He experienced top-flight football for the first time during the 1976-77 season, appearing regularly in the side.
However, his rapid progress was halted when he received his first serious injury, breaking his left leg in a tackle with Tottenham Hotspur striker Chris Jones. After returning, he scored his first professional hat-trick in a 4–0 win against Ipswich Town. Manager Atkinson left Robson out of the FA Cup semi-final defeat but recalled him for the latter stages of the league campaign as Albion qualified for the UEFA Cup.
In 1978-79, Robson was a key player, starting 41 out of 42 league games and wearing the number 7 shirt. He played a major part in Albion finishing third in Division One and reaching the UEFA Cup quarter-finals.
3. W.G. Richardson (1929-1945)
William ‘Ginger’ Richardson served the club with distinction for 16 years, scoring 202 in 320 appearances. He was the first to 200 league goals (202 in total), scored ten hat-tricks, four goals four times, and won one England cap.
Richardson, primarily playing as a centre forward, scored four goals in five minutes for the Baggies against West Ham United at Upton Park on 7 November 1931, a record that is still in Guinness World Records. He scored both of West Brom’s goals when they won the 1931 FA Cup Final, beating Midlands rivals Birmingham 2–1.
In the 1935-36 season, he scored 39 goals, which is still the West Brom record for top scorer in the top division of the English football league system. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest West Brom players ever.
2. Jesse Pennington (1903-1922)
Pennington was an elegant defender. He played left-back for almost 20 years and was regarded as an elegant defender. He served as captain when West Brom won its League title and brought the club to Division Two success.
Although his career was interrupted by World War I, Pennington made 455 league appearances for the club. He remains the only man to captain Albion to a League title, back in 1920. He also helped the club to Division Two success in 1910/11 and was a losing FA Cup finalist in 1912.
Pennington was capped 25 times by England, also skippering the national team. He returned to Albion as a scout between 1950-1960. After retiring, he was made a life member of the club in 1969, a year before he died in Kidderminster.
1. Tony Brown (1963-1980)
Brown, a key player for West Bromwich Albion, made more appearances and scored more goals than any other player. He joined the club as an apprentice professional in 1961 and turned professional in 1963. Brown became a regular first-team player during the 1964-65 campaign, bridging the late 1960s era with Albion’s FA Cup and League Cup success.
He became the first player to score in every round of the League Cup, including a hat-trick in the semi-final against Peterborough United. In the final, Brown’s goal helped his team win a 4–1 second leg victory over West Ham United, securing his first major honour.
Described as ‘Mr Albion’ by former boss Ron Atkinson, Brown is also the record goalscorer for the club in the League, FA Cup, and European competition, and scored the goal that clinched Albion’s promotion in 1976.
Honourable Mentions: Laurie Cunningham, John Osborne, Russel Hoult, Don Howe, Willie Johnston, Derek Statham.
Checkout: 10 Greatest Players To Play For Both West Brom And Wolves
laurie Cunningham hands down
EWhat about Derek Kevan 157 goals oin 262 apperances far better that both |Regis and Astle. Saw him score 5 second half goals gainst Everton he wouod be worth a fortune today. one of the most undertrated goalscorers
Willie kept cuningham out die side..that good