<
>

Former West Brom coach Albert McPherson dies

West Brom paid tribute to their former first team and youth coach Albert McPherson, who died at the weekend.

The Baggies announced on Monday that Salford-born McPherson had passed away the previous day aged 87.

As a player he was a centre-half who made over 350 appearances for Walsall and skippered them through back-to-back promotions from the fourth to second tiers in 1959-60 and 1960-61.

After leaving the Saddlers in 1964, he became trainer-coach at West Brom under Jimmy Hagan.

McPherson worked with the first team for a couple of seasons, seeing the Baggies win the League Cup in 1966 and reach the final in the following campaign, and then switched to the club's youth and reserve system, remaining with them until the 1980s.

West Brom's tribute on their website to an "unsung hero" and "Albion legend" ended with the words "rest easy Albert", while Walsall's piece on the news concluded with: "The thoughts of everyone here at Walsall FC are with his family and friends at this sad time. May he rest in peace."