Graham Lovett
Encyclopedia
Graham John Lovett is a retired English footballer who played most of his career as a midfielder
for West Bromwich Albion
, where he was on the winning sides for the 1966 Football League Cup Final
and the 1968 FA Cup Final
. His was forced to retire from the game at 26, following two serious car crashes.
and attended Cockshut Hill
and Sheldon Heath schools, whom he represented at football, as well as playing for the Birmingham & County Schools team. At school, he initially intended to follow a career in accountancy
, but following the death of his father while Graham was studying for his A levels, his plans changed and he took up the offer of an apprenticeship from West Bromwich Albion
in February 1964.
. As a youngster he was compared by his manager, Jimmy Hagan
, to Duncan Edwards
, the Manchester United
and England
player who had died in the Munich air disaster
in 1958. Lovett was profiled in a matchday programme in which the writer explained how Lovett had acquired his nickname of "Shuv":
Lovett soon established himself in the first team and in March 1966 played in the first leg of the League Cup Final
against West Ham United
. Although Albion lost the first leg 2–1, they won the second (when Lovett was replaced by Bobby Hope
) 4–1 to take the cup on aggregate.
Lovett, with his great strength and ability to pass the ball long or short, was becoming an important part of Albion's plans, but his career was interrupted when, on Christmas Eve 1966, he was involved in a car accident on the M1 motorway
when his car ran off the road into a ditch. Lovett suffered a broken neck but an operation involving bone grafts enabled him to start to rebuild his football career.
By the end of 1967, he was back in training and playing for the reserves and returned to the first team in January 1968. On 27 January, he became the first Albion player to come on as a substitute in an FA Cup match when he replaced Dick Krzywicki at Colchester United
. Lovett's return to the side added "a new precision" to the team who went on to defeat Colchester 4–0 in the replay, in which Lovett made his first start in just over a year.
In the Fourth round of the cup, Albion met Southampton
who held them to a 1–1 draw at The Hawthorns
; in the replay at The Dell, goalkeeper John Osborne
had to go to hospital at half-time with concussion. Captain Graham Williams went in goal, with Lovett coming on as substitute. Hugh Fisher
then scored for the "Saints" to bring the scores level at 2–2 before, with two minutes remaining, Lovett ran through the midfield unchecked. His shot hit the post and rebounded to Clive Clark
who passed to the unmarked Jeff Astle
to score and put Albion through to the next round. After defeating Portsmouth
in Round Five, Albion had a long drawn-out tie against Liverpool
which went to a second replay, before defeating local rivals Birmingham City
in the semi-final to set up a final at Wembley against Everton
.
In the final
, played on 18 May 1968, Lovett was selected at outside right and had an early opportunity to score but was too slow to make the most of his chance. There was no score until Astle scored the only goal of the match in the first half of extra time, enabling Albion to win the cup for the fifth time.
Following their victory in the FA Cup, Albion entered the Cup Winners' Cup where they were drawn against Dinamo Bucharest in the second round. After a 1–1 draw in the first leg, Albion defeated their Romanian opponents 4–0 at The Hawthorns
, with Lovett opening the scoring in the 35th minute. In the next round, they were defeated 1–0 by Scottish side, Dunfermline Athletic
.
By the end of the 1968–69 season, Lovett had become an established fixture in the Albion side. On 31 May 1969, following an international tournament in Palo Alto, California
, Lovett was driving home from the airport when a bus, which had rounded a corner on the wrong side of the road in Quinton
, collided with his car. In the accident, Lovett broke his thighbone, had a collapsed lung and broken ribs. As a result of the accident, Lovett was out of action for nearly two years and was never to successfully return to first-team football. In 1973, in Birmingham Crown Court, he was awarded £14,000 damages against the West Midlands Transport Executive.
In an attempt to rebuild his career, he was loaned to Southampton
for a month in November 1971 with a view to a possible permanent transfer. Lovett made three appearances for Southampton, replacing Bobby Stokes
; the first was in a 2–1 victory over Leeds United
, followed by an 8–0 defeat at Everton
(equalling Southampton's largest loss) and a 5–2 defeat by Manchester United
. Lovett's trial was not considered a success by the Southampton management and he returned to West Bromwich Albion.
Lovett was released from his contract in June 1972 and dropped into non-league football
with Worcester City
, eventually retiring completely in 1977.
newspaper in the West Midlands before emigrating to southern Spain.
He later settled in Thailand with his wife, Elizabeth. In March 2008, he flew to England to join in the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the FA Cup victory.
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, where he was on the winning sides for the 1966 Football League Cup Final
1966 Football League Cup Final
The 1966 Football League Cup Final, the sixth Football League Cup final to be staged since the competition's inception, was contested between West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United...
and the 1968 FA Cup Final
1968 FA Cup Final
The 1968 FA Cup Final was contested by West Bromwich Albion and Everton at Wembley. West Brom won by a single goal, scored by Jeff Astle three minutes into extra time. The goal meant that Astle had scored in every round of that season's competition....
. His was forced to retire from the game at 26, following two serious car crashes.
Early life
Lovett was born in Sheldon, West MidlandsSheldon, West Midlands
Sheldon is an area of eastern Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. It is close to the border with the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull and Birmingham International Airport....
and attended Cockshut Hill
Cockshut Hill Technology College
Cockshut Hill Technology College is a secondary school in the Yardley area of Birmingham, England. The Principal of the school is Mrs Mary Kirkland, who took over from Mr Richard Sloan in 2007....
and Sheldon Heath schools, whom he represented at football, as well as playing for the Birmingham & County Schools team. At school, he initially intended to follow a career in accountancy
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
, but following the death of his father while Graham was studying for his A levels, his plans changed and he took up the offer of an apprenticeship from West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
in February 1964.
Football career
Lovett signed as a professional in November 1964 and made his first team debut within three weeks as Albion lost 2–0 at home to ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. As a youngster he was compared by his manager, Jimmy Hagan
Jimmy Hagan
James Hagan was an English football player and manager born in Washington, County Durham, England. He played between 1938 and 1958 for Sheffield United and once for England. As manager he had his greatest successes with S.L...
, to Duncan Edwards
Duncan Edwards
Duncan Edwards was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and the England national team. He was one of the Busby Babes, the young United team formed under manager Matt Busby in the mid 1950s, and one of eight players who died as a result of the Munich air disaster.Born in Dudley,...
, the Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
player who had died in the Munich air disaster
Munich air disaster
The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...
in 1958. Lovett was profiled in a matchday programme in which the writer explained how Lovett had acquired his nickname of "Shuv":
Graham drives an eight year old car which cost him £150 – and gets his leg pulled by the first teamers about the number of times it needs "a shove".Lovett himself played down the praise he was receiving:
It's great to be in the first team and playing with the big names against the big names, but there is a nagging feeling which make me wonder whether you deserve the praise, and whether it's going to last. And I am really lost when they start talking about Duncan Edwards or Ray BarlowRay BarlowRaymond John Barlow is an English former professional footballer. He joined West Bromwich Albion in 1944 and was part of the 1954 FA Cup winning team. Barlow joined Albion's neighbours Birmingham City in 1960...
, neither of whom I ever saw play. But once the game starts, it's all different. The stars often seem quite ordinary when it's under way. And I never have time to worry about the reputations of the opposition.
Lovett soon established himself in the first team and in March 1966 played in the first leg of the League Cup Final
1966 Football League Cup Final
The 1966 Football League Cup Final, the sixth Football League Cup final to be staged since the competition's inception, was contested between West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United...
against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. Although Albion lost the first leg 2–1, they won the second (when Lovett was replaced by Bobby Hope
Bobby Hope
Robert "Bobby" Hope is a Scottish former footballer who made more than 400 appearances as a midfielder in the Football League. He played more than 300 league games for West Bromwich Albion where he spent most of his club career. He won two caps for Scotland.Hope played for West Brom between 1959...
) 4–1 to take the cup on aggregate.
Lovett, with his great strength and ability to pass the ball long or short, was becoming an important part of Albion's plans, but his career was interrupted when, on Christmas Eve 1966, he was involved in a car accident on the M1 motorway
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
when his car ran off the road into a ditch. Lovett suffered a broken neck but an operation involving bone grafts enabled him to start to rebuild his football career.
By the end of 1967, he was back in training and playing for the reserves and returned to the first team in January 1968. On 27 January, he became the first Albion player to come on as a substitute in an FA Cup match when he replaced Dick Krzywicki at Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
. Lovett's return to the side added "a new precision" to the team who went on to defeat Colchester 4–0 in the replay, in which Lovett made his first start in just over a year.
In the Fourth round of the cup, Albion met Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
who held them to a 1–1 draw at The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, Sandwell, England, with a capacity of 26,484. It has been the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C. since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. The ground was the last Football League ground to be built in the...
; in the replay at The Dell, goalkeeper John Osborne
John Osborne (footballer)
John Osborne was an English football goalkeeper. He played for Chesterfield, West Bromwich Albion and Shamrock Rovers. Osborne was a member of Albion's winning team in the 1968 FA Cup final....
had to go to hospital at half-time with concussion. Captain Graham Williams went in goal, with Lovett coming on as substitute. Hugh Fisher
Hugh Fisher (Footballer)
Hugh Donnelly Fisher is a Scottish former professional footballer who played for Southampton between 1966 and 1976 and was a substitute in the 1976 FA Cup Final.-Early career:...
then scored for the "Saints" to bring the scores level at 2–2 before, with two minutes remaining, Lovett ran through the midfield unchecked. His shot hit the post and rebounded to Clive Clark
Clive Clark (footballer)
Clive Clark is an English former footballer.-Career:Clark was a skilful left-winger who began his career at Leeds United. He joined Queens Park Rangers in September 1958, making his debut against Bournemouth and went on to play 66 league games for Rangers, scoring 8 goals. A move to West Bromwich...
who passed to the unmarked Jeff Astle
Jeff Astle
Jeffrey "The King" Astle was an English footballer. He played 361 games for West Bromwich Albion, scoring 174 goals, and was one of the most iconic players in the history of the club...
to score and put Albion through to the next round. After defeating Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in Round Five, Albion had a long drawn-out tie against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
which went to a second replay, before defeating local rivals Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in the semi-final to set up a final at Wembley against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.
In the final
1968 FA Cup Final
The 1968 FA Cup Final was contested by West Bromwich Albion and Everton at Wembley. West Brom won by a single goal, scored by Jeff Astle three minutes into extra time. The goal meant that Astle had scored in every round of that season's competition....
, played on 18 May 1968, Lovett was selected at outside right and had an early opportunity to score but was too slow to make the most of his chance. There was no score until Astle scored the only goal of the match in the first half of extra time, enabling Albion to win the cup for the fifth time.
Following their victory in the FA Cup, Albion entered the Cup Winners' Cup where they were drawn against Dinamo Bucharest in the second round. After a 1–1 draw in the first leg, Albion defeated their Romanian opponents 4–0 at The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns is an all-seater football stadium in West Bromwich, Sandwell, England, with a capacity of 26,484. It has been the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C. since 1900, when it became the sixth ground to be used by the club. The ground was the last Football League ground to be built in the...
, with Lovett opening the scoring in the 35th minute. In the next round, they were defeated 1–0 by Scottish side, Dunfermline Athletic
Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife, commonly known as just Dunfermline. They currently compete in the Scottish Premier League....
.
By the end of the 1968–69 season, Lovett had become an established fixture in the Albion side. On 31 May 1969, following an international tournament in Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, Lovett was driving home from the airport when a bus, which had rounded a corner on the wrong side of the road in Quinton
Quinton, Birmingham
Quinton is a suburb on the western edge of Birmingham, England. It is a Birmingham City Council ward within the Edgbaston formal district, and forms a part of the Birmingham Edgbaston parliamentary constituency.The area is served by .-Geography:...
, collided with his car. In the accident, Lovett broke his thighbone, had a collapsed lung and broken ribs. As a result of the accident, Lovett was out of action for nearly two years and was never to successfully return to first-team football. In 1973, in Birmingham Crown Court, he was awarded £14,000 damages against the West Midlands Transport Executive.
In an attempt to rebuild his career, he was loaned to Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
for a month in November 1971 with a view to a possible permanent transfer. Lovett made three appearances for Southampton, replacing Bobby Stokes
Bobby Stokes
Bobby Stokes was an English footballer, well known for scoring the winning goal in the 83rd minute of the FA Cup Final for Southampton F.C. against Manchester United in 1976.-Early career:...
; the first was in a 2–1 victory over Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, followed by an 8–0 defeat at Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
(equalling Southampton's largest loss) and a 5–2 defeat by Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. Lovett's trial was not considered a success by the Southampton management and he returned to West Bromwich Albion.
Lovett was released from his contract in June 1972 and dropped into non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
with Worcester City
Worcester City F.C.
Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at St George's Lane.-History:...
, eventually retiring completely in 1977.
Later life
On retiring from football, he worked in advertising for the Express & StarExpress & Star
The Express & Star is an evening newspaper based in Wolverhampton, England, published Monday to Saturday in nine different editions covering the Black Country, Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area from Tamworth to Kidderminster. It as widely perceived as being moderately right-wing...
newspaper in the West Midlands before emigrating to southern Spain.
He later settled in Thailand with his wife, Elizabeth. In March 2008, he flew to England to join in the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the FA Cup victory.
Honours
West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
winners: 19661966 Football League Cup FinalThe 1966 Football League Cup Final, the sixth Football League Cup final to be staged since the competition's inception, was contested between West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United... - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winners: 19681968 FA Cup FinalThe 1968 FA Cup Final was contested by West Bromwich Albion and Everton at Wembley. West Brom won by a single goal, scored by Jeff Astle three minutes into extra time. The goal meant that Astle had scored in every round of that season's competition....