Testimonial games are rare beasts these days, certainly at this level of the game. Few players stick around long enough to do the necessary ten years of service required to earn one, while the hefty wages paid in the Premier League in particular mean that the top players no longer need one last bumper payday – tax free – so that they can go off into the sunset and buy a pub at the end of their careers.  

In earlier times, things were very different and through the 1960s and ‘70s in particular, there was a veritable stream of Albion testimonials for the likes of Tony Brown, Jeff Astle, Graham Williams, Sir Robert Hope et al. But one of the more memorable came in May 1978 when it was John Osborne’s turn to be rewarded for long service.  

Ossie was about to hang up the gloves – for the second time after a brief spell away when life under Don Howe became too much to bear – following the emergence of Tony Godden as Albion’s number one in the previous 18 months, and it was only right that the FA Cup winner should get the proper send off.  

As usual in such circumstances, special opposition were lined up and, following the obligatory celebrity game prior to kick-off, an Albion side took on a team assembled for the occasion by John Giles, including the likes of Trevor Francis and Nobby Stiles.  

But the big news of the night, the thing that packed the punters in, wasn’t the appearance of prime footballing bloodstock. It was the arrival of some real horseflesh instead… 

David Nurse, descendant of giants in the Albion story in the shape of Dan and Lou Nurse – Dan a promotion winning skipper and director, Lou the chairman who replaced Billy Bassett on his death – was a shareholder at the time and, as such, was intimately involved in affairs at the club. It made perfect sense then that he should be involved with arranging John Osborne’s testimonial events as part of his committee.  

“We would get together and throw ideas around about events that would capture people’s attention and help us raise money for John”, recalls David. “As the game was approaching, we were trying to come up with a gimmick that would bump up the crowd. It was probably around the time of the Grand National and somebody suggested getting Red Rum to the game. 

“He was at the height of his fame then, he’d won the Grand National for the third time the year before, a hugely popular horse, a real celebrity! I asked John if he knew Emlyn Hughes from games against Liverpool, because Emlyn was involved in horse racing, so he got on the phone to him. From there, we were onto Ginger McCain, the trainer, and before we knew it, we’d fixed up the appearance fee and Red Rum was booked for the game! 

“We made a song and dance of it and there was a lot of interest in it leading up to the game, so much so that I got a call from the Chief Constable saying, “I understand you’re bringing Red Rum to The Hawthorns?” 

“I thought, ‘Oh no, we’re getting to have to bring police in to deal with the crowds and pay some more costs!’ But he said, ‘Don’t worry, leave it to me, we’ll meet them coming in on the motorway and give the horsebox a police escort to The Hawthorns!’ 

“When they arrived, we took the box to the bottom of Halfords Lane, where the stadium curved round to join the Smethwick End. There was space there and that’s where we brought him into the ground from. 

“The horse was an absolute professional! As soon as they got here, apparently he just relaxed in the box as though he was saying, ‘Right, I know what I’ve got to do here!’ They said afterwards they could have just left him to it, he’d have strolled around the ground on his own, no problem!” 

 As it turns out, this wasn’t Red Rum’s first association with the Albion, for Tony Brown remembers coming across the horse back in April 1967. Back then, Red Rum was approaching a first ever race, on the flat, in a five furlong selling plate race at, of course, Aintree.  

 “We would occasionally get tips and this time, one of the scouts was at the ground and said, ‘I’ve had word about this horse running its first race, they reckon it’s going to win. Red Rum’s the name.’ 

“That was enough for Jeff Astle, so after training, we went off to the bookies to get a bet on and I remember listening to the commentary. A very close race it was, neck and neck, and in the end, they called for a photo finish. We thought he’d blown it, but then it came over that Red Rum had won by a nose! In the books now, it says it was a dead heat with Curlicue, but we definitely got our full pay out – they’re not having the money back now any road!”