NEWS, NOTES & MILESTONES

2008 - Albion 1-4 Leicester - League Championship - The Hawthorns
1995 - Albion 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers - League Division One - The Hawthorns
1989 - Albion 2-0 Blackburn Rovers - Second Division - The Hawthorns

BIRTHS

1985 - Curtis Davies

The Leytonstone-born defender started his playing career at the age of 15 as a trainee with Wimbledon but was released just one year later. Despite this set-back he was soon back in the game, winning a scholarship at Luton Town following a successful trial spell. He made his first team debut for the club as a substitute in November 2003 but it was the 2004/05 season where he would make a name for himself. After just 62 appearances for the 'Hatters', September 2005 would see Albion sign the player in a £3million deal.

He quickly impressed at The Hawthorns despite the club suffering relegation in his first season. He was made captain for the following season but failed to lead Albion straight back up, losing to Derby County at Wembley in the Play-Off Final. Davies would leave The Hawthorns for Aston Villa in acrimonious circumstances just months after the Wembley defeat, joining Villa initially on a season-long loan before a rumoured £8million deal was completed a year later. He spent a disappointing and injury-hit three and a half years at Villa Park before joining Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee in January 2011.

Whilst at St Andrews Davies recovered some of the form he had shown earlier in his career, becoming an integral part of the Blues' defence. The defender returned to the Premier League in July 2013 when he joined newly promoted Hull City.

1925 - Andy McCall

Scottish inside-forward Andy McCall started his playing career at Junior level with Blantyre Celtic before moving to England to join Blackpool in July 1947. He spent three and a half years at Bloomfield Road before making an £8,500 move to The Hawthorns in January 1951. He made just 32 appearances in 18 months for Albion before moving onto Leeds United in August 1952. He finished his playing career in 1960 after a four year spell with Halifax Town.

McCall, who is the father of former Scotland international Stuart, was badly burned in the Valley Parade fire disaster in May 1985 whilst watching his son play for Bradford City.

1917 - Richard Pike

Despite being a regular goalscorer for the club's reserve and minor teams, Finchley-born Richard Pike made just one first team appearance for Albion, in April 1939 away at Nottingham Forest. He joined the Baggies in 1937 from amateur football and would spend nine years at The Hawthorns before leaving for Banbury Spencer in May 1946. He died in Banbury in 1988 at the age of 70.

DEATHS

1997 - Len Millard

Coseley-born Len Millard joined Albion aged 18 as an amateur in 1937 after having previously played local non-league football. He made his first team debut for the Baggies in August 1942 away at Northampton Town in a wartime Football League South match and made his league debut proper against Swansea Town on the opening day of the 1946/47 season. He would go on to miss just 13 league games during the following 10 seasons. The highlight of his Albion career was undoubtedly captaining the great 1953/54 side to FA Cup glory when they beat Tom Finney's Preston North End 3-2 at Wembley.

In the summer of 1958, having spent 21 years with the Baggies and having made 627 first team appearances for the club, Len left The Hawthorns to take over as manager of non-league Stafford Rangers, a role he held for three years.

Len, who actually started his playing career as a centre-forward before converting to left-back, is rightly remembered as one of Albion's greatest players. He sadly suffered ill-health in his later years which saw him have a leg amputated in 1989. He died in a nursing home in his hometown in 1997 at the age of 78.

DEBUTS

2014 - Liam O'Neil (as substitute) v Swansea City, Liberty Stadium, Premier League

1986 - Darren Bradley & Paul Dyson v Leicester City, The Hawthorns, First Division.

1947 - Jack Vernon v West Ham United, Upton Park, Second Division.
 

FAREWELLS

1986 - Michael Forsyth v Leicester City, The Hawthorns, First Division.

1969 - Ian Collard v Burnley, Turf Moor, First Division.

1958 - Jim Sanders v Everton, The Hawthorns, First Division.

1890 - Charles Donnachie & James Nicholls v Stoke, Stoney Lane, Football League.

TRANSFERS

None known.

RESULTS