Fond memories of football hero (From Halesowen News)

Fond memories of football hero

11:00am Monday 8th June 2009

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Your recent article on Gerry Hitchens recalled memories for me as he was one of my boyhood footballing heroes.

While playing for the Villa, Gerry lived in Dunstall Road, Halesowen, and often called in the shop where my father worked, George Bridge the butchers in Hagley Street, Halesowen (now occupied by the dentist, Adrian Williams).

When our annual family holiday coincided with the Villa away match at Blackpool, Gerry kindly provided match tickets for us, which we collected from him outside the Bloomfield Road players' entrance.

There are many playing memories of him including when Gerry played in the Villa side that won the 2nd Division in the 1959/60 season.

This year will be the 50th anniversary of when Villa trounced Charlton Athletic 11-1 at Villa Park on 14th November 1959 and he scored 5 of those goals.

He went on to play for England and remains one of the few English players to achieve success in Italian football.

Gerry fully earned all the success he achieved and it was a tragedy he died so young.

I shall look forward to reading the book which is being issued later this year.

Charles Shakespeare, Halesowen

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