The approaching go to of West Ham United to the Gtech Group Stadium jogs my memory that there have been a number of gamers who’ve ably represented each golf equipment. Maybe, for the reason that 1960’s probably the most notable have been Stated Benrahma, Roger Cross and John Dick however going again into the 1950’s there was one other excellent ahead who graced the colors of each golf equipment with nice distinction. Billy Dare. And he was distinctive in a number of methods.
In contrast to most centre-forwards of his time, he was brief in stature at round 5ft 5 inches. Nevertheless, he definitely made up for it, being described as “A gutsy and stocky little battler”. He scored 68 targets in 222 appearances for The Bees, and was prime scorer in 1951/1952 with 16. And for West Ham he scored 52 in whole, in 125 appearances. together with prime scoring with 25 in 1955-1956, and being a part of the promotion profitable ahead line of 1957/1958 that scored over 100 targets while clinching the Second Division title.
Outstanding figures for a participant who performed throughout the entrance 5 and was typically a winger.
After serving within the Forces as a PT Teacher, the place he was capable of hone his soccer expertise, Billy joined Hendon, a prime newbie facet within the 1940’s, and rapidly made his mark, with eight targets in simply ten appearances.
He was then signed up by Harry Curtis for the Bees in 1948. The membership had lately fallen out of the previous First Division, simply after soccer’s resumption following the top of World Warfare Two. Attendances at Griffin Park nonetheless averaged over 22,000, rising to over 38,000 on one event. Billy made his Brentford debut, within the previous Second Division, on 12th March 1949 towards Luton City. He quickly grew to become a crowd favorite, exhibiting his scoring prowess by grabbing 4 targets in a handful of video games earlier than the season ended. His skilled profession then actually took off and, in 1950, he was chosen, together with Brentford goalkeeper Alf Jefferies, to signify a London choose workforce versus a Belgium consultant workforce at The Heysel stadium.
His colleagues in his early Brentford days included Irish Worldwide and Brentford star of the 1930’s, Invoice Gorman, Ken Coote, who went on to interrupt the Brentford look file, future England and West Ham Supervisor Ron Greenwood, future England star Peter Broadbent, legendary former England centre-forward Tommy Lawton and future Fulham star and TV pundit Jimmy Hill. In reality, his colleagues included some who starred for the membership from the mid 1930’s, to some who have been mainstays into the 1960’s!
January 1952. Billy Dare thumps Brentford into the lead towards Leicester Metropolis in entrance of a packed Griffin Park.
The Bees No 11 is former Celtic and Chelsea left winger Johnny Paton, and the Bees No 2 is correct again Ken Horne, who represented Brentford in 223 video games”
Though most of Billy’s Brentford profession concerned scoring or creating targets, he is without doubt one of the few outfield Bees gamers to have really performed in purpose for the membership. On Easter Monday 1951, he took over between the sticks from injured Brentford goalkeeper Alf Jefferies, towards Sheffield United-despite, at simply 5 ft 5 inches, being the shortest participant within the workforce!
He was so extremely rated in his heyday that West Ham signed him from Brentford in 1954, for a payment reputed to be £10,000 (a fairly hefty sum in these days), and the switch was so noteworthy that Billy was the primary ever soccer signing to be filmed stay on BBC tv!
The cash was a lot wanted by Brentford at the moment, and he quickly proved an astute acquisition for ‘The Hammers’, enjoying a significant function of their climb out of the previous Second Division.
Jimmy Hill rescued me once I climbed up the chimney!
Right here’s Invoice Dare at Walton Strolling Soccer , having demonstrated a few of his late Father’s soccer expertise
I lately had the pleasure of chatting to the late Billy Dare’s son, Invoice, who lives within the space and was capable of share a number of photographs and anecdotes about his father. He remembers that in his Dad’s Brentford days his household lived in a membership floor ground maisonette in Whitton. The aforementioned Jimmy Hill lived within the higher maisonette and sometimes child sat younger Invoice, as soon as even rescuing him when he one way or the other managed to climb up the chimney!
Invoice remembers his dad notably had a really excessive regard for his Brentford colleagues Ken Coote and Tommy Lawton, and likewise Billy Sperrin, who later taught younger Invoice in school.
Across the time that Billy had established himself as a formidable ahead in West London, huge issues have been taking place on the opposite facet of London too. The West Ham boss Ted Fenton, and a few of his senior gamers, impressed with watching the legendary Hungarian facet who thrashed England 6-3 at Wembley, in 1953, determined to satisfy up usually, as ‘An Academy of Ideas’, to evaluate the right way to enhance, and develop technique, techniques and training. They sowed the seeds of the rise of their membership, which finally led to the event of gamers akin to England World Cup-winning trio, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.
So, when Billy joined The Hammers, his new workforce mates have been a bunch of males who additionally devoutly studied teaching and who went on to have distinguished careers in soccer administration, particularly John Bond, Dave Sexton, Frank O’Farrell, Ken Brown, Noel Cantwell and the bigger than life character, Malcolm Allison. Invoice recollects his dad telling him that Allison, who was a famend playboy, would typically break a curfew when staying in accommodations on away journeys, and as soon as requested Billy to let him in by means of the window!
Billy himself additionally studied for his teaching {qualifications}. He had a spell as Supervisor of Ruislip Manor after retiring as an expert participant, within the early 1960’s. Nevertheless, he was later tempted again into enjoying Sunday League soccer when into his 40’s, and even performed in the identical workforce as younger Invoice!
Invoice recounts his dad telling him about his 1955 West Ham debut, which was at Upton Park versus Leeds United. “Marking him was the enormous Leeds centre-half, the nice Welsh Worldwide, John Charles. Billy was profitable nothing within the air towards his significantly taller opponent. In these days, earlier than enjoying it out from the again grew to become extra frequent, goalkeepers nearly at all times ‘ kicked it lengthy’ . So Dad was amazed when he lastly gained a header, flicking it on to the winger. He remembered pondering ‘I’ve simply overwhelmed John Charles within the air!’ Solely to seek out, as he landed and rotated, John Charles was bending down tying his bootlaces!”
In Billy’s latter days at Upton Park, a younger apprentice was given the duty of cleansing Billy’s boots. It was a lad who would go on to have a good profession. His identify was …Bobby Moore!
In his later profession, Billy performed for Yiewsley (later often called Hillingdon Borough) and likewise turned out for choose groups, in testimonial matches and many others. He as soon as performed towards Brentford at Griffin Park for a Choose Eleven that additionally included one of many then World’s biggest gamers, Stanley Matthews, on the wing.
Off the pitch, Billy was famend as an excellent singer. His son Invoice has clearly inherited his late father’s soccer and vocal abilities. He performs professionally for his duo ‘The Ukaye Ukes’ and, regardless that in his early seventies, he performs Strolling Soccer to a excessive customary, domestically, at Walton Strolling Soccer. Effectively price following!
I by no means personally had the privilege of watching Billy Dare, however I do keep in mind older Brentford supporters eulogising about how good and the way well-liked he was. Older West Ham followers instructed me likewise. We thank his son Invoice for these nice reminiscences, and for sharing a few of his uncommon photographs, which we hope you take pleasure in!
Up The Bees!
