NEWS, NOTES & MILESTONES

BIRTHS

1985 - Leon Barnett

Stevenage-born Leon Barnett started his playing career in Luton Town’s youth system, progressing through it before signing professional terms. After a loan spell at Aylesbury United the young defender finally broke into Luton’s first team where he became a regular, winning the club’s official Player of the Year award for 2006/07. A £3million pound move to Albion followed in July 2007 and the player quickly impressed, many fans rating him as good as, if not better than, the recently departed Curtis Davies. However, following the club’s promotion to the Premier League in 2008, Barnett struggled to hold down a first team place, making just 11 league appearances.

In November 2009, Barnett joined Coventry City on a short-term loan, the deal later being extended until the end of the 2009/10 season. The player never really impressed during his spell with the Sky Blues and in August 2010 he joined Norwich City on loan until January. In December, shortly before his loan deal was due to expire, it was confirmed that Barnett would join Norwich permanently at the end the loan for an undisclosed fee. Much like during the rest of his career, the player struggled to pin down a regular first team place at Carrow Road and following a period on loan at Cardiff City in early 2013 he joined Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee.

1955 - Andy Gray

Glasgow-born Andy Gray started his professional career in Scotland with Dundee United where he notched an impressive 46 goals in 62 appearances. In October 1975 he was snapped up in a £110,000 deal by Aston Villa for whom he continued to score regularly, winning England's Golden Boot for the 1976/77 season with 25 league goals. His 29 goals in the following season earned him both the PFA Young Player of the Year and PFA Players' Player of the Year awards - Gray was the first player to win both awards for the same season. After four hugely successful seasons at Villa Park Gray joined Wolves in September 1979 for a then-British record £1,469,000. The highlight of his four year stay at Molineux was scoring the winning goal in the 1980 League Cup Final at Wembley against Nottingham Forest.

Gray left Wolves in November 1983 joining Everton for £250,000. In almost two years at Goodison Park he won First Division, FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup medals. He returned to Villa in the summer of 1985 but his second spell at the club was not a success with the club relegated to the Second Division in 1987. After a short spell on loan at Notts County, Gray joined Albion, initially on loan, in the autumn of 1987. He scored two goals on his Albion debut away at Plymouth Argyle and was an influential figure in the Baggies’ successful battle against relegation. He left The Hawthorns after just one year, joining his boyhood heroes Glasgow Rangers. After a year in Scotland he returned to England with Cheltenham Town where he would hang up his boots in 1990.

After finishing his playing career Gray had spells coaching at both Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday before he decided to concentrate on his new career as a football pundit and commentator. He was a regular face on Sky Sports for almost 20 years before accusations of sexism ended with him losing his job with the broadcaster. He currently works for radio station Talk Sport and Arab TV channel Al Jazeera Sport.

DEATHS

None known.

DEBUTS

1895 - James Spooner v Wolverhampton Wanderers, The Hawthorns, First Division.
 

FAREWELLS

1991 - Don Goodman v Stoke City, The Hawthorns, Second Division.

1985 - Paul Bradshaw v West Ham United, The Hawthorns, First Division. (The player rejoined Albion in 1988)

TRANSFERS

2001 - Daniele Dichio joins Albion from Sunderland in a £1,250,000 deal.

RESULTS