West Brom mourn Albert McPherson, youth coach who helped develop Bryan Robson
Monday 12 January 2015 16:32, UK
West Brom have announced the death, aged 87, of their former youth coach Albert McPherson.
Bryan Robson, Remi Moses and Ally Robertson are among the famous Albion players who developed under McPherson, who began his coaching career at The Hawthorns after a long playing career with Walsall.
West Brom great Tony Brown paid tribute to McPherson, telling the club website: "Albert was a football man, through and through, steeped in the game, he watched it, talked about it all the time.
"He was old school, he made sure you knew what you needed to do, he was very clear in his instructions. He was a lovely fella to talk to, but you knew where you stood with him as well. He didn’t mess around, he would tell you off if he wasn’t happy.
"I remember training with him under Jimmy Hagan back in the ‘60s, but then I trained with him again at the end of my career here in 1981, when Ronnie Allen took me out of the first team squad and I went to train with the kids.
"Watching him at first hand, you could see why he was so good with the youngsters because they hung on his every word, they worked hard and he instilled real discipline in them.
"I think you can tell just how good he was when you look at Albion’s record of bringing players through. Look at all those players that emerged in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
"Then, after he left in 1984, what homegrown players have we brought through in the last 30 years up until the last couple of years? I think that is testimony to how good Albert was."
