I've been boring my lad to death by recalling memories from my 40 plus years as a fan of the club. We got onto the subject of the Reserve team (the concept of reserve teams is lost on the youth of today as they are badged as under 23 / academy teams).

During my formative years , in the late 70s and early 80s I would often go down to the Cross Keys to watch the reserves (my mum would drop me off when visiting my gran if my dad was working) in divsions 1 and 2 of the WML. This was the era when our first team were in the WML Premier Division.

for reserve games were very thin to say the least , but it was an enjoyable way to pass a Saturday afternoon. I don't remember players switching between the first and reserve teams too much. I can't remember when the reserves were disbanded, but a number of other clubs higher up the pyramid e.g. Telford and Worcester had reserve teams competing against Hednesford when they were in the Southern League. Some other teams that no longer exist such as Brewood, Albrighton and Stafford South End also played at this level.

I'm wondering if anyone else has any memories of the reserve team that they wish to share as the subject never comes up and us old duffers won't be around for ever to share the memories!

As a slight aside I've just seen a picture of John Richards pointing out that he used to turn out for "Wolves A" [which would have been their third string] in the 1970s before breaking through to the first team... and of course they used to play in the WMRL back in the day... (I think!)

And yes, the reserves would often comprise a stand-alone squad, indeed I recall reading about a player who'd been signed "to captain the reserve team..."

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Don't worry. Mt 6:25-34

The last I remember about the reserve team is that Johnny Allen managed them before becoming Baldwin's assistant in the first team. If my memory serves me well, Kevin Foster took over.

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Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grubb.

This took me back.

I was unwisely promoted into the Reserves in late 82/83 as a callow youth teamer alongside a few other young uns: my old school mate Adrian Camp, Nigel Williams (played a few 1st games as well I think. Why did no-one tell us we shouldn't call him "nigger"?) and a chunky centre half with ginger hair whose name I can't remember.

Didn't last long but I remember there were a few players who'd been around the 1st team in the set up (Frank McLeod?) as well as our youth team manager and Kingsmead (??) school teacher Paul Kent who used to spend most of the games getting abused by kids from school!

Had I been a year younger I'd have played against Liverpool in the FA Youth Cup.... Probably for the best.

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Stuart Bowman

Thanks for the response. I have vague recollections of Paul Kent and also Nigel Williams (he did play in the first team and having dug out an Old Rothmans Non-League annual collection recently I have checked and he is on the first team picture - 81/82 I think.

I didn't go to Kingsmead so it wasn't me dishing out the abuse!