Precious Insight Into Talent-Spotters Of Yesteryear
Charles Bamforth delves into the archives once more and examines the role of the men whose job it was to find gifted young footballers towards the end of the Stan Cullis era. He concentrates in particular on the area of Lancashire close to where he was brought up and on an individual whose eye roamed over the best the north-west had to offer.
George Noakes – at the head of a major recruiting operation.
An article in the Daily Express on August 23, 1960 was headlined “On Parade. The men who make Wolves”. The piece was accompanied by a photo showing the scouts from up and down the British Isles credited with bringing the raw talent to Molineux.
Dead centre, of course – and surprisingly the only one not looking at the camera (maybe Stan Cullis was lurking!) – was George Noakes. Cited as the only full-timer and the ‘master-spotter’ of the Black Country, Wanderers’ chief scout was quoted as saying: “Some (of our scouts) are on retainers, the rest just get their expenses and we look after them when they find a player.”
This was three years before Tommy Lawton was recruited as the club’s scout for Nottinghamshire. But there were still some notable names, including Mark Crook, the genius behind Wath Wanderers, the nursery in Yorkshire of whom this website has written so much.
Harold Hobbs, who won two England caps while a winger at Charlton, was the head scout in London.
There was Fred Holbeach, who served Mansfield, Luton and Yeovil before heading to Northern Ireland to play for Glenavon, Derry and Shelbourne. After the war, he managed March Town but returned to Ulster to become Wolves’ scout there.
Among those he recommended to Wolves were George Eastham, Frank Stapleton and David O’Leary, none of whom the club followed up on. He also discovered Jimmy Kelly, Sammy Wright and Maurice Daly and combined his duties with work as a lollipop man, guiding kids safely across the road.
And there was Bootle lad Alf Hanson. His given name was Adolf but, growing up in the 1930s, he unsurprisingly preferred to be called Alf.
He played for Liverpool and attracted a fee of £7,500 when signing for Chelsea in 1938 before winning a cap for England during the war. Afterwards, he was player-manager at South Liverpool, Shelbourne and Ellesmere Port Town before becoming Wolves’ main scout in Liverpool and North Wales. His day job was at the Wylfa Power Station off Anglesey but he discovered one of the many fine Wolves keepers, Fred Davies.
As an exercise in digging deeper into the operations of a scout, let us focus on Widnes-based Jim Moffat. Undoubtedly his finest discoveries were Gerry Mannion, the winger from Burtonwood, just up the road from him, and a gloriously left-footed defender from Huyton by the name of John McAlle.
Many other youngsters from his neck of the woods were pointed Wolves’ way, including blond left-back Alan Stephens from Halewood, Dave Molyneux from St Helens, Eddie Gould from Prescot, right-back Gerry Farrell, the Kirkby lad who these days is so active in the Wolves Former Players Association and (we believe) John Rutter from Warrington. John Richards was not among this group, having been spotted by Tony Penman.
Farrell recalled: “I had signed schoolboy forms for Everton as a 14-year-old and still have a letter from Everton to my Dad stating: ‘Further to your son’s request to leave the club, we have decided to let him go’! It was my dream to play for them!
“My Dad, without me knowing, sent letters to a few clubs, including Port Vale and Wolves. Both were immediately interested and sent scouts to watch me play for my club side. Jim Moffat made positive contact for Wolves. He was very personable and made all the right noises.
“Port Vale’s manager was Stanley Matthews, who wrote to Dad, inviting me to play in their B team. After fourth-team games at each club, both wanted me to sign apprentice forms. I was very close to signing for Vale when Jim stepped in and offered me terms with Wolves and the possibility of being captain of the youth team. That swung it. Dad was a bit gutted because Matthews was his hero.”
Gerry still has hand-written letters from Jim Moffat. The first, to his father and dated October 29, 1967, started: “Dear Mr Farrell, I’ve arranged for Gerald to play at Wolverhampton on Saturday (11/11/67) at right-back.”
On November 7, Moffat sent another letter: “Dear Mr Farrell, can you see that Gerald reports to Molineux Ground at 1pm on Saturday? May I also point out that we are looking for a full-back for our youth XI and to have a go would be advisable. Phil Shaw or Jack Robinson will look after you re expenses when you get there and the coach for the team will be Dave Lapworth.”
The game was in the Worcestershire Combination against Halesowen at Castlecroft and finished 2-1 in favour of the visitors. Wolves side was Phil WEIR, Gerry FARRELL, Eric MOORE, WILSON, Rod HEMPHILL, Neil CHARLTON, Paul HOLLOWAY, DUGDALE, Alan CHILD (1), Ken WADE, Paddy CONNOLLY.
Jim Moffatt.
I believe the 17-year-old Moore was another Moffat find. He was on trial from St Helens Town. His dad of the same name had been a prominent full-back at Everton, Chesterfield and Tranmere and ran a pub in St Helens.
Gerry did not get that FA Youth Cup slot, the no 2 shirt being given instead to midfielder Stuart Darfield for the 5-2 defeat at home to Coventry, who had Willie Carr in their side. But he was in the fold.
There is another interesting letter from Jim Moffat, this one dated November 3, 1969. Again, it is hand-written on headed notepaper that said that Moffat was Lancashire, North & South Wales and Cheshire chief representative, seemingly ever-resident at 44 Ireland Street, Widnes.
“Gerry, thank you for replying to my recent letter and it would appear to me that Dave Molyneux, Eddie Gould and John McAlle can’t write. Not heard from them. Your parents were getting a wee bit worried about you, Gerry, and I convinced your father that all was well. Apparently, you had said that you were down in the dumps or something like that. However, like I said before, get on with it and the results will come.”
At the end of the season, Farrell signed full-time forms for Wolves, a few weeks before John Richards did the same. After plenty of second-team games for the club, he headed off to Blackburn, then Johannesburg Rangers and Morecambe.
Another young right-back discovered by Moffat saw his life take a distinctly different turn. Paul Eyes, a Runcorn lad who had represented Liverpool Schools, was playing for a boys’ open-age side in the area as well as for his grammar school, St Francis Xavier. Jim Moffat went knocking on the door to speak to his mum and dad but only after contact by post.
Just like Farrell, Paul has kept letters, one on October 19, 1969 reading: “Dear Mr and Mrs Eyes, I’ve had my local scouts watching your son play in recent weeks and as a result of their reports, I’ve watched him myself on the last two Saturdays. I like his general play and attitude to the game and have invited him to come to Wolverhampton and play in our B team on Saturday next. He has accepted and I shall be coming to your home on Tuesday at about 7.30 to see you and have a conversation with you both. Paul has quite a fair share of ability. I feel he can get on in the game.”
Gerry Farrell in his Wolves days.
Three days later, Moffat penned another letter to Paul’s parents, thanking them for their hospitality and confirming that their son should present himself at Molineux at 1pm on the Saturday. He also expressed the hope he would impress and ‘play himself into the youth team versus Walsall Youth.’
It was the same bait Moffat had tossed out to young Farrell a couple of years earlier. Wolves were indeed scheduled to play their first FA Youth Cup tie of 1969-70 against Walsall at Molineux on November 7. And who ended up playing at right-back? Gerry Farrell!
There was one other letter from Jim Moffat before Paul made his initial trip to Wolverhampton, this one a day after the previous one. It said: “We would like Paul to stop in Wolverhampton and train with the players from Tuesday onwards of next week. I understand it is half term, so he would be able to do this. Mr McGarry would be able to have a good look at him perform as well. If this is agreeable to Paul and yourselves, when you report to Mr Lapworth (Dave) on Saturday, please tell him ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and he will pass the message on to Joe Gardiner on Sunday. This will give us time to arrange digs etc.”
Eyes duly played at right back in the Midland Combination game against Coleshill at Castlecroft on Saturday, October 25. The visitors won 3-2 against a Wolves side fielding: BANKS, EYES, Richard DAMS, M WOODHOUSE (1), VALE, Alan STEPHENS, Barry POWELL, Eddie GOULD, EVANS, Alan SUNDERLAND (1), Steve MATTOX. Sub NEWMAN.
I asked Paul how it was for a youngster coming into a side comprised of other triallists such as the keeper, regular amateurs like Dams and Woodhouse and also apprentices such as Stephens, Powell, Gould and Sunderland.
“I don’t recall any specific tactical instructions,” he said. ” I was just told to play. And I was pleased with how I did.”
Joe Gardiner….his Wolves career was closely linked to those of the Weare goalkeeping brothers…..as it was to so many.
He must have done well because Joe Gardiner penned this letter two days later: “I am writing to say that Mr Moffat has sent me some very good reports concerning your footballing and I am very pleased to learn that you have decided to sign for Wolves.”
It seems Paul must have travelled back after the game because there is a letter from Jim Moffat dated October 26 saying there would be someone to meet the youngster at Wolverhampton station on the Wednesday evening: “I know he will enjoy himself doing a couple of days of training and he should relax and get the most out of it. He will be watched by Mr McGarry and Co.”
There was no game for the Wolves B team the following Saturday and one wonders if Paul attended the first-team game at Molineux in which Mike O’Grady’s spectacular shot did for Albion in front of the Match of the Day cameras. He does remember walking with his father from the station to Molineux for one game at that time and being smacked around the head by a gang of hooligans.
Another letter from Joe Gardiner dated November 27 informs Paul to report again to Molineux two days later at the customary 1pm and this time Eyes would be boarding the bus to Moor Green as part of a squad containing full-time professionals Jeff Wealands, Roger Grice and Mick Kent and who won by a solitary goal.
Another letter arrived on December 23 from Joe Gardiner, who no doubt hoped it would be received before Chsrtimas. It asked the Runcorn lad to report again to Wolves on the 27th. He duly pitched up but at right-back for the Wolves fourth team in the game against Quarry Bank Celtic was Gerry Farrell.
No Eyes on the team sheet, which must have been a frustration for him because scoring two goals at centre-forward was John Richards. Wolves had no Central League game that day, one on which dense fog caused many cancellations including Wolves’ home game against Coventry (as I recall very well, having travelled myself from Wigan that morning).
Joe Gardiner wrote to the Eyes household on December 30, saying he was sorry Paul hadn’t had a game the previous week and inviting him down for January 3. Paul duly played his third and final match in Wolves’ Midland Combination side in a 3-0 loss at Solihull Borough.
“I skived off from a couple of Saturday morning games for my school team to go to play for Wolves,” Paul added. “The school didn’t like that and told me in no uncertain terms that my priority was to play for them. That wouldn’t happen these days. A school would be proud to see one of their own getting recognised.
“I was a good student and had got my O levels. I was also enjoying my football with a boys’ team in Runcorn in an open age league. But the attitude of the school made me angry and my parents supported me when I insisted on moving to a different school to do my A levels.
That was Helsby Grammar, a rugby-playing establishment, so there would be no conflict with games for Wolves, or indeed for my local club, Runcorn, of the Northern Premier League.
“I had already started with Runcorn while I was at St Francis Xavier. The officials at my boys’ club received a message one Saturday from Runcorn, saying they were short of a right-back. And so it was that I headed off to play for the Linnets at Gainsborough Trinity.
“I never told them I had played that morning for the school! The next week, there was a game against Bradford Park Avenue, who had just dropped out of the old Fourth Division.
“So now I was a Runcorn player, selected for the Cheshire FA team, and Wolves were still keen. In fact I have another letter from Jim Moffat, dated October 18, 1970 – exactly a year after he first contacted my parents. It said: “I note you are doing very well with Runcorn. I trust that our arrangement, in view of these other clubs being so interested, will still hold good and that you will join us as soon as it is possible for you to do so. We will of course have to go through Runcorn FC but there will be no difficulty there. John Richards was asking about you in the week. He is now taking history at the college, having passed out already in economics.’
“’Arrangement?’ There was no such agreement. Looking back, though, I really should have signed for Wolves. But as Mr Moffat noted, there were several clubs interested.
“I played one game for Blackburn’s youth team. Sheffield United and Manchester City were keen. But then John Aston, the former United player whose son was on the left wing in the European Cup winning side of 1968, knocked on the door. He was chief scout under Wilf McGuinness and he said some magic words that naturally wowed my parents: ‘Paul should come to United, a good Roman Catholic club’.
And rather than wanting me to sign professional forms, as Wolves did, United said I should continue at Helsby Grammar School to complete my A levels. So, I signed for United.
Paul Eyes in recent years.
“Other young players at Old Trafford at the time included Brian Greenhoff, Tommy O’Neil, Tony Young and Sammy McIlroy. I played my first game for the third team in a Manchester derby. There were seven full-time professionals in red shirts that day. I played quite a lot of games in the A and B teams and reached the second team in the Central League.
“In due course, I asked the youth coach, Bill Foulkes, another veteran of the European glory team, where I stood. He told me they liked me and, once they had unloaded a few other players, would be signing me. I told him that if he thought I was good enough, then the club would sign me immediately. Foulkes asked me what I proposed to do. I told him that I was off to university. Which is exactly what I did.
“I started at Leeds Carnegie, the physical education college. I played for their football team in the Yorkshire League. I also got into the English Universities representative XI but transferred to Leeds University to read chemistry. So I spent four years in Leeds before getting a job with Rank Hovis McDougall, the brief being to sell to farmers in East Yorkshire.
“I pretty quickly realised I was not cut out for that. I would arrive at the farm and be greeted by the farmer telling me to get lost (and not necessarily using those words). I would say: ‘Oh, shall I come back later?’ to which the reply would be even more colourful!
“So I enrolled on a post graduate certificate in education at Hull University. My young wife and I were already living in beautiful Beverley.
“Once I completed my studies, I started looking for teaching jobs but I was ineligible in the East Riding as my grant had come from Cheshire. One day in Beverley, I was tucking in to some fish and chips wrapped in newspaper, when I picked up another paper, The Universe.
“There was an advert for a job teaching chemistry at the St John Fisher Roman Catholic High School in Wigan. I got it and have lived in and around the town ever since. After St John Fisher, I was at the Cardinal Newman High School in Hindley and for 26 years was deputy head of St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School in Ashton-in-Makerfield.”
Paul Eyes combined his teaching with plenty of non-League football, playing not only for Runcorn but also Goole, New Mills, Droylsden, Netherfield, St Helens Town and Warrington Town. He loved playing and was still turning out for Park Villa in a Wigan local league in his mid-30s.
The young John Richards.
He even got the odd game as a youngster for Rylands in Warrington, the team John Richards had played for in the Mid-Cheshire League.
“I was actually serving a suspension but played for Rylands, managed by a neighbour called Jim Owen, under an assumed name. I remember how friendly John Richards was when I spent that time at Wolves and he was very interested to chat about our common contacts in the Warrington area, including Mr Owen.
“While teaching, I also took my FA coaching badges and coached at Wigan for ten years or so. Until a few years ago, I also scouted for Everton.”
So, we can only wonder what would have happened if Jim Moffat had prevailed and Paul Eyes’ parents had not been so swayed by John Aston.
And we might also wonder what might have happened if a Scots-born lad raised in Widnes had excited Mr Moffat as much as the likes of Mannion, McAlle, Farrell and Eyes did.
The scout passed up the chance to pursue Ted McDougall, who went on to have an excellent career with Bournemouth, Norwich, Manchester United, Scotland and others.
But there was one person in the Moffat household who did have the eye for McDougall. Daughter Joan Moffat married Ted in Widnes on April 26, 1969.