FEATURE BY SAMUEL McKEOWN
Vernon’s fl eeting fame made football history
IT’S a far cry from striding the hallowed turf at some of England’s most famous football cathedrals to collecting bins in the West Midlands.
Sandwell Council employee and refuse collector Vernon Hodgson, 58, of West Bromwich, was once one of the country’s most promising players and a pioneer for black sportsman.
Dad of three Vernon thought his time under the spotlight was well and truly over, until last November when he was thrust back in to the limelight after starring in a BBC documentary ‘Whites vs Blacks: How Football Changed a Nation.’
The documentary showcased former full back Vernon, father to Steven, 36, Leigh-Anne, 35 and Shae-Leigh, 9, as a former Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion player, and his role in one of the most notorious games in football history.
In the show, the long-time waste operative spoke about the highs and lows of being a professional black footballer in the 1970s, and gave new insights on the match where he found himself shoulder to shoulder with the famous ‘Three Degrees’ – pioneering black footballers Brendon Batson and the late England players Laurie Cunningham and Cyrille Regis.
Vernon’s promising football career was jeopardised when he tore his cruciate ligament at the age of 18 on 3rd March 1978, playing for Birmingham City reserves – the injury which would cruelly end his promising career.
Vernon had signed for West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 1978 when he played in Len Cantello’s Testimonial Match on 15 May 1979, the famous game which saw a black team pitted against a white XI.
High-spirited Vernon is a source of endless entertaining anecdotes about his short-lived career as a professional footballer in the 1970s. He is all too willing to give new insights on the testimonial, where he found himself lining up with legendary WBA stars Cunningham, Batson and Regis.
Vernon, who was interviewed by presenter and West Brom fan, Adrian Chiles, added: “I remember the testimonial match vividly. Remi Moses and I were asked by manager Len Cantello whether we’d like to play for the Cyrille Regis XI, and it was only when we walked into the dressing room we realised we were part of an all-black professional team.”
Starting as an apprentice with Birmingham City, Vernon cleaned the boots of internationalists Kenny Burns and Trevor Francis, and eventually became the fi rst black professional to represent the second city club under legendary manager Sir Alf Ramsey.
Vernon recalled his time as an apprentice: “Scotland star Kenny Burns signed a contract with Patrick boots and he got me a pair for free, and England international Trevor introduced me to Birmingham comedian Jasper Carrott and Jeff Lynne from the band ELO, because I cleaned their boots.
“I made my debut for Birmingham City reserves at Plymouth in 1976, but I was haunted by one bloke in the crowd giving me racial abuse. When the game fi nished I punched him.
“The next morning I got a rollicking from fellow player Willie Bell, who said: ‘Vern, you’ve got to be professional - you’re going to get this all the time being a black player’.
Shared a pitch with the legends
“After that, I knew I was never going to react again because someone spoke to me about it, which made me strong.
“I didn’t get it half as bad as Cyrille, Laurie, and Brendon who were playing in front of 15,000 fans. It must have made them stronger to play as a trio, dealing with that together, and probably made them play better too.”
As well as playing under some great managers, Vernon shared the same pitch and training ground with the likes of Scotland’s shamed World Cup star Willie Johnston, and former Liverpool legend Bruce Grobbelaar.
Vernon preferred consumption in his football days included cigarettes and loads of alcohol, a far cry the professionalism of today’s top players.
He added: “During my West Brom days, I was a fully-fl edged drinker and smoker, sharing cigarettes on the back on the coach with Willie Johnston – but I packed all that in, a long time ago.
“I played with some great players at the Albion including Liverpool legend, goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar, who not many people know had a stint at the Hawthorns. Bruce was the fi ttest man I’ve ever met in my life, he was a specimen and a half – a real universal solider.
“Bruce was released at Albion. We think he didn’t sign because
TALKING SERCO: Vernon (above) with his waste wagon at Serco’s Sandwell site. Left - Vernon with his former teammates from the famous game which featured on the BBC documentary
44 SHM February, 2018
www.skiphiremagazine.co.uk
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