SPAIN, Portugal, perhaps even as far as the Middle East – they are the choice of destination for most of England’s professional football clubs who can afford some warm-weather training in the winter break.
But 50 years ago this week, West Bromwich Albion chose the less-than-tropical climate of Jersey to send their players to recharge the batteries in between matches in the old second division of the Football League.
Locals were treated to sight of England 1970 World Cup striker Jeff Astle, in his final season at the club, Scottish international Asa Hartford, one-cap wonder Tony Brown and their team-mates training on the golden sands of St Brelade’s Bay.
The previous season, West Brom were relegated from Division I, having finished bottom of the table, and were hoping to bounce straight back up.
They arrived in the Island on the back of a 4-1 win away at Nottingham Forest and in fifth place, two off the three automatic promotion places, though manager Don Howe said: “We must get two points at home and one away in the remaining games to be in with a reasonablechance.”
But the jaunt to Jersey did nothing to forge their fortune.
On return they drew 1-1 at home to Blackpool and only won three more times in the league that season, ending in a disappointing eighth.
Watching them train was respected First Tower United coach Brian Beckett, who was with the midlands club as an amateur in his youth.
“Albion’s training programme is no different to the Tower’s,” Beckett told the JEP, though you could interpret that as damning the professional outfit rather more than championing his own efforts. That said, Beckett would briefly move back to England to become coach of Southend United’s youth team, as well as their first-team physiotherapist.
