To represent your country is the pinnacle, the proudest moment for any professional footballer. Journalist and Albion fan Spencer Vignes remembers Albion's internationals of the past, some of whom picked up a number of caps, others just a few minutes of action...
For the best part of 80 years, Albion didn't really ‘do’ internationals. There was the occasional exception to the rule – Ireland-born Charlie Webb springs to mind as does Tommy Cook, who in 1925, played up front for England against Wales – but with us thrashing around the third tier, the Goldstone Ground was never going to be brimming with international managers keeping tabs on their talent. Then, towards the late 1970s, Albion began making waves. The players doing the splashing started to get noticed and more than a few were chosen to represent their respective countries in the years spanning 1976 to 1986, then our ‘golden’ period of top-flight football, FA Cup runs and challenging for promotion to the First Division.
Ireland did well out of us with Mark Lawrenson, Michael Robinson, Tony Grealish, Gerry Ryan, Kieran O’Regan and Gary Howlett representing the Republic, and Sammy Morgan, Sammy Nelson, Danny Wilson and Steve Penney stepping out for the North. Left midfielder/winger Peter O'Sullivan should have picked up way more than three measly Welsh caps, but at least some form of international recognition came his way. Unlike Jimmy Case and Gordon Smith that his, zero England and Scotland caps whatsoever respectively. What the heck was that all about?
Peter Ward outdid Jimmy and Smudger, but only by eight minutes. Selected for an England tour to Australia at the end of the 1979/80 campaign, Wardy sat on the subs’ bench for a friendly where he steadfastly remained until manager Ron Greenwood finally gave him the green light as the clock counted down.
“When I got up off the bench there were about 22 minutes to go but the board just wouldn't go up,” Ward recalls. “I kept on looking, as you would, but the thing just wouldn't go up. I still think it was more than eight minutes, but hey, it was a great feeling to be putting on an England shirt. It doesn't happen to many players. Lots of good ones haven't been capped at all.”
No doubt about it, the England squad was a tough nut to crack for any player from any club during the early 80s, unless you had Ipswich connections that is. Much as I still admire the late Town and England boss Bobby Robson, being on the Portman Road payroll certainly didn't dent your chances of wearing the Three Lions at the time. Which is why Steve Foster's achievements during 1982 deserve special mention.
Fozzie’s form at the heart of Albion's defence during the early Eighties thoroughly merited international recognition and he duly made his debut for England in a 4-0 win over Northern Ireland at Wembley in February 1982. Three months later he was selected again, this time against Holland as manager Ron Greenwood looked to whittle out the probables from the possibles ahead of the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain. He did well enough in a 2-0 victory to make ‘Ron’s 22’. Altogether now, ‘This time, more than any other time, this time...’ Come on, you know you want to join in!
Fozzie wasn't first choice for either of the centre-back berths but that didn't prevent him from enjoying the tournament. In the event, he started against Kuwait in England's third and final group match, a 1-0 win. “Sharing a room with Glenn Hoddle for six weeks, a man who could tune a television with his left foot, was just amazing,” said Foster. With Robson then taking over, he would never play for his country again. “But there's no regrets, it just never happened.”
Inevitably, Albion's nosedive in fortunes from the end of the Eighties led to fewer players being selected for international duty, until the well was pretty much dry. Penny continued playing for Northern Ireland until December 1988 while John Byrne picked up one of his 23 Republic of Ireland caps during the 1990/91 season. Although our little Russian – sorry, make that Belarusian – loanee Sergei Gotsmanov made 31 appearances for Russia, none of them came while he was at the Goldstone, so he doesn't make the cut. The same rule applies to the likes of Joe Corrigan (England), Gary Stevens (England) and Stefan Iovan (Romania).
Anyone out there remember Moshe Garini, our Israeli international? Signed by Alan Mullery from Maccabi Netanya in May 1980, Garini made a solitary appearance for us during the 1980/81 season, admittedly at a time when competition for places was stiff and only one substitute allowed per side. While at the Goldstone, he did, however, make two international appearances. A definite case of Israel winning the club versus country debate there.
I'll leave you with a story. As a 16-year-old, Steve Foster was rejected by Southampton manager Lawrie McMenemy who nevertheless told him to ‘go out and prove me wrong’. After making his England debut against Northern Ireland, Fozzie received a telegram from McMenemy. ‘Well done, you proved me wrong’ it read. “That was class, nothing but class,” said Foster of the gesture.