So who's this KIT NAPIER?

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

He lived round the corner from me in Portslade. We occasionally kicked balls over his fence, which backed on to Easthill park. I seem to recall he was a Busby Babe and survived the Munich disaster.

I believe he came into the side as a youngster, straight after the Munich disaster. I stand to be corrected but I think Big Al was the last player to score a hattrick in an FA Cup Semi-Final. ( 1958 )

You are correct. He was not on the plane, according to Wiki. And yes he was the last player to score 3 in a cup sem.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

But how many games did we win after wardy replaced binney? That switch derailed our promotion push

Just checked the records and you have a fair point. Wardy replaced Binney for 3 games and we didn't win any of them ( two draws and a defeat ) Taylor then, clearly, realised his mistake and brought Fred back for a home game v Port Vale, in which he scored and we won. Easter did for us, with three games in four days and only two draws and by the time of the final game, another draw, we had slipped to 4th and missed out.
In the excitement of Ward bursting onto the scene ( 6 goals in 8 games ) most of us overlooked the fact that Taylor's gamble didn't work and dropping Binney actually unsettled the side. One win, five draws and two defeats was a poor finish from a side that looked likely to go up.
The whole season was one of...very good at home ( p 23 pts 39 )...very poor away ( p 23 pts 14 ) and it ended with Taylor leaving and joining Cloughie at Forest. Could football history have been rewritten if Taylor had stayed?

 

[Zesh Rehman]

Bobby Z is not in the same league as Wardy.

Shame on you, naughty Freddie.

Yeah, that's right. Peter Ward is no where near as good as Bobby.

Can we start singing about Bobby more and forget about Ward? It's boring for anyone below the age of 50

 

[bobby baxter]

He lived off his sensational debut goal at the Goldstone but the stories of his lifestyle were always doing the rounds. It was rumoured that he went missing on one occasion and was found asleep, on a local building site, in a condition best described as less than professional.

Alan Duffy !! Spent more time in Sherrys than on the training ground.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

We have been blessed with some fantastic characters up front, many of whom are mentioned above, and I have been privileged to see in our colours (they didn't all play in the stripes).
Kit Napier was the worst advert for the anti smoking campaign ever - I still think he was the quickest centre forward we ever had, apart from maybe Wardy.
Bobby Smith signing was the equivalent of Shearer signing for us after his England career. Shame he hit the bottle as he had more years in him.
Ken Beamish was an elegant striker who I remember playing well from successive vists to Spotland in the early 70s.
Alex Dawson was one of several Man U youth players who got into their first team following Munich, just to make their numbers up. Played for Man U in the post minich final and then for Preston in the 64 cup final and was just above the bravest centre forward I have seen - albeit that he was built like a brick outhouse.
Fat Fred Binney was just the most unlikely looking footballer who defied his shape and size to be one of the best lower division strikers ever.

 

[lawros left foot]

I remember Duffy shooting from the edge of the box and the ball hit one post, went behind the back of the keepr, hit the other post and back into play. Goldstone, South stand. Apart from that, my recollection of Duffy was beard, long hair, scruffy and useless. Wiki shows his career was short, and for a striker, poor (10 goals in 109 games total, 6 in 50 for us).

I seem to remember Duffy scoring in front of the North Stand against Walsall, maybe , in about the sixth minute of injury time. It was a freezing cold night game, and he got either the winner or an equaliser

 

[bobby baxter]

In my time following the Albion (1959 - Present) the top goalscorers have been:

K Napier 99
Ward 95
Zamora 89
Nogan 60
Connor 59
Nelson 59
Murray 57
Barnes 53
Forster 51

Nobody else above 50, in all competitions. Having said that, the player who I saw scoring the most was the superb Jimmy Collins (an inside forward - attacking midfield player of today) who seemed to score in every game during the 60s.

I remember the excitement when we signed Jimmy Collins from Spurs, it was said Bill Nicholson was keeping him out of the side because he was a similar player, although not quite as good, as John White.
Hard Scotsman who played local Sunday football well into his fifties

 

[Eeyore]

Peter Taylor decided to drop Binney for the trip to Hereford ( top of the table clash ) and we were all shocked at the time. Fred was a regular goalscorer and had over 20 goals that season , with at least 8 games to play.
I've checked the records and Fred had four goals in five games immediately leading up to the Hereford trip. It was a big decision and all anybody was talking about before the game. None of us had seen Wardy play in the reserves but I did bump into someone on the day who informed me that this young player was ' different class '
50 seconds into the game, we had the answer.

Thanks for taking the time. I was only 7 years old then and used to listen to the games via the radio reports. I never understood why Fred left with his scoring record being so good.

 

[marlowe]

One of these two is Kit Napier but I'm not quite sure which one. The nicotine stained fingers might be a bit of a clue..

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Yeah, that's right. Peter Ward is no where near as good as Bobby.

Can we start singing about Bobby more and forget about Ward? It's boring for anyone below the age of 50

Lets sing about both of them and appreciate the part that both have played in the folklore of this club.
I would love to listen to fans extolling the virtues of Arthur Attwood, Bullet Jones, Tommy Cook, Dave Sexton, Jimmy Langley and Eric Gill. Pay older fans some respect re their memories as one day, you may well be chastised for going on about some ancient player called Zamora.
I grew up with Moore and Charlton and Greaves but it didn't stop me being interested in Puskas, Di Stefano, Finney and Matthews.

 

[wolfie]

Lets sing about both of them and appreciate the part that both have played in the folklore of this club.
I would love to listen to fans extolling the virtues of Arthur Attwood, Bullet Jones, Tommy Cook, Dave Sexton, Jimmy Langley and Eric Gill. Pay older fans some respect re their memories as one day, you may well be chastised for going on about some ancient player called Zamora.
I grew up with Moore and Charlton and Greaves but it didn't stop me being interested in Puskas, Di Stefano, Finney and Matthews.

Hear Hear ! Without it's history and nostalgia, football isn't the same.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Sorry if this has already been posted

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?17079-I-ve-found-Kit-Napier!

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Great to read through this thread. Kit Napier was my absolute hero during the early years as an Albion fan. The sense of expectation when he received the ball was only replicated for me by Ward and Zamora in their pomp - and maybe Vicente in a couple of his brief cameos. Was a big disappointment when we let Napier move on.

I've been trying to think of a contemporary Albion player who might give a sense of perspective to those who did not see Napier play. He was a tall and deceptively swift wide player capable of scoring important goals and with the occasional touch of audacity.

I'm sure his goals direct from corners were intended. I recall the widespread acclaim for Brazil players curling corners and free kicks in the early 70's and thinking: but 'our' Kit Napier has been doing that for a while...!!

Maybe others will come up with a more obvious contemporary - Zamora has a similar physique, skill and scoring record but then he is more of an out and out striker. Maybe Nogan to some extent. Whereas Napier often played a wider role. Maybe the physique, style and the manner of Will Buckley's goals against Donny in the opener at The Amex hint at the sort of player that Kit Napier was. Probably still doesn't do him justice.

 

[fleet]

I loved watching Kit play - but at that time we were playing in lower leagues mostly (old third division) and it was a very different game - much more physical. Hard to compare him with BZ as things are so different

 

[severnside gull]

Wilkinson spent 5 years with us, the same as he spent at Wednesday (with whom he is normally associated). He was a bow legged winger. I saw him play. My recollection is he was on the left, and 'Tiger' Tawse was on the right, but I have a notoriously poor feel for formation

Your memory is fine. Wilkinson was on the left wing. Not a bad player but never a fans' favourite. I remember when he suffered a cheekbone fracture - I think against Tranmere but could be wrong on that. It was the season we played in white I think.

 

[Robinjakarta]

The Napiers were unrelated.

On a similar note, the team once contained two Bobby Smiths and a Jack Smith!

 

[Robinjakarta]

He lived round the corner from me in Portslade. We occasionally kicked balls over his fence, which backed on to Easthill park. I seem to recall he was a Busby Babe and survived the Munich disaster.

I believe he came into the side as a youngster, straight after the Munich disaster. I stand to be corrected but I think Big Al was the last player to score a hattrick in an FA Cup Semi-Final. ( 1958 )

I'm sure that's correct. Despite that, he wasn't considered good enough for the first team by Matt Busby, so came to us.

 

[Barry Izbak]

May have been at my first game, Barrow at home, 1969.

My first game also

 

[DavePage]

Side by side

Come on you Shrimps, that used to scare the opposition.
But we did have a Kit, a Nobby and a Willie….happy days

 

[Return of the Rev]

I'm sure that's correct. Despite that, he wasn't considered good enough for the first team by Matt Busby, so came to us.

I'm sure we had a Busby that played for us,was he the great mans son?