INTRODUCTION

Ronnie Allen's career in football spanned 53 years - and this story of his life in the game does not pretend to be a biography in the fullest sense of the word. It's simply a tribute in words to truly great footballer.

One could go on and on, writing sentence after sentence about Ronnie but over the years Albion's history from 1950 to 1961 when he was a star player and then during the late 1970s and 1980s when he was a manager and also coach, has been covered in depth and this is not a book about the club itself.

And with Ronnie having appeared in over 450 first-class games for the Baggies and scored well over 230 goals, statistics speak for themselves.  Some people I know will say there could have been another 100 pages written about the great man - but I have concentrated on his life as a footballer, not what transpired outside the game, that's for someone else to talk about.

In the past books on the careers of three other superb Albion marksmen - Jeff Astle, Tony Brown and Bob Taylor - have been produced, and I compiled the Cyrille Regis Story. All three of those players are still alive - sadly Ronnie isn't - and therefore the opportunity of an in-depth interview with the great man was missed.

As a result, the facts and stats about Ronnie's life in football have been condensed into this paperback publication and although I am sure someone, somewhere will say it doesn't do the former Hawthorns' hero justice, for me it represents an official record of one of Albion's finest ever goalscorers.

No-one else has considered writing a book on Ronnie... I have - fifty years after he wrote his own autobiography, which was published in the summer of 1955 by the London firm, Stanley Paul and Company Limited and entitled: 'It's Goals That Count.'

This 2005 publication is, in a way, a re-run of that best seller, with loads of added information and statistics covering the last six years of his career at The Hawthorns (1955-61), his spell with Crystal Palace where he ended his playing days at competitive level, his association with Baggies' arch rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers and near neighbours Walsall, his coaching exploits in Spain, Portugal, Greece and Saudi Arabia and his later years with Albion which included two spells as manager, his service as a scout and also that of coach.

Sadly, there aren't too many of his former Albion team-mates or indeed, his opponents, alive today, but those who are rated Ronnie as one of the finest centre-forwards in the game. Certainly the fans who saw him in action - and I'm one of thousands - will say, in so many words, he was a great footballer, a terrific marksman who thrilled The Hawthorns faithful week after week with some breath-taking performances and stunning goals, especially in the early to mid 1950s when he was at his best.

But, no matter how keen the memories of ex-players, team-mates, opponents and supporters alike, there can be no adequate substitute for the man himself who might have explained more thoroughly how his days in soccer panned out after 1955.

Only he could have recalled his true emotions of success and failure and provided us with insights far deeper than any collection of newspaper cuttings, match day programmes, soccer magazines and even words and comments from other people involved in the game of football.

So what is the point in trying to write an account of Ronnie's life after 1955?

There are several. Firstly, he was such an important player in West Bromwich Albion's history, a giant in terms of prestige and legend at the club. These facts deserve to be laid out as fully as possible.

Secondly, his managerial and coaching career was adventurous to say the least - but he obviously enjoyed every minute of it, despite few heart-breaking moments and huge disappointments.

Thirdly, for a man who loved his football, Ronnie wanted to be involved in the game every minute of the day - even when he was playing golf or cricket, he often brought football into his conversation on the links or at the crease.

And last, there can have been few people who enjoyed the game more than he did. Forget the money, the luxury life style, the attraction of sponsorship, advertising, TV and all that goes with the game today, Ronnie was paid the same as most First Division players of his era. He didn't have a posh car, a luxury house. He was simply a footballer - but what a good 'un at that. And after retiring he did a pretty useful job as a coach and manager.

Sadly, Ronnie died in 9 June 2001 at the age of 72.... but his football achievements live on.

Tony Matthews

October 2005