In 1927/28, City had finished third from bottom of the Birmingham League. However, things were about to change, both on and off the field. The club became a limited company and, from the funds gained through issuing shares, City were for the first time able to hire a player-manager, Frank Womack, who had unexpectedly been released by Birmingham. He confessed in an article written for the Sports Argus in June 1929 that he had not planned for the future, but had assumed that on retirement (he started as a player with Birmingham in 1908) he would join the backroom staff at St. Andrews. Several other League clubs wanted to sign Womack, but he joined Worcester as a new challenge and a route into management.

Womack used his experience and contacts to sign up a number of players with Football League experience. The players from the previous season were nearly all released and in seven weeks, Womack was able to put together a very strong team. The only two survivors were amateurs Peter Wakefield, a goalkeeper, and Reg Cox, a utility player.

The initial signings were defenders Rowland Hill from Stafford (an ex-Wolves man), Cyril Staniforth from Sheffield Wednesday, and Julie Garratt and John Mee from Birmingham. The forwards who joined were better known: Jack Byers from West Brom, renowned for his pace and powerful shooting, Jack Russell (another former Birmingham player, described by Womack as one of the best players never to have won a full international cap) from Bristol Rovers, Billy Boswell (ex Wolves, a former Football League representative player) from Gillingham, John Morris from Stafford and John Burn, a goalscoring Birmingham amateur winger.

When it became apparent that Wakefield was out of his depth in such experienced company, goalkeeper Lennie Boot joined from Aberystwyth a month into the new season. Boot was the dressing room comedian, a wanderer who stayed nowhere long, having been at Bradford, Huddersfield, Fulham and Nottingham Forest after breaking into League football in 1922.

As the season progressed, Womack strengthened the team with Fred Corbett, a promising full-back, Syd Glidden, a half back who played for nine League teams during his career, and ex-international inside forward Jimmy Moore, who he persuaded out of retirement. Wakefield, Mee and Morris were released to accommodate newcomers.

With a new stand having been built on the Brookside, crowds flocked to St. George’s Lane and the combination of experience and young talent was too strong for most Birmingham League teams. In the first six games of the season, City scored 30 goals, and were undefeated until the start of November.

Boswell and Byers formed a lethal combination on the left side of the attack. Scot Bobby Kerr proved himself to be a fine creator of goals on the right wing, and Womack showed that he could still perform at full-back. Garrett proved himself to be a dominant all-round player at half-back. In short, there were many similarities with the successful team that Nobby Clark would put together half a century later.

City scored 102 goals in a 34-match league season, with Boswell getting 37, a club record, and won 16 out of 17 at home. Surprisingly, despite ten wins in the final eleven matches, the Birmingham League title wasn’t clinched until the final game of the season, when City eased past Stourbridge 4-0 at the Lane. City finished two points in front of Stafford Rangers.

There was also a good run in the F.A. Cup through to the first round proper, where we lost at Walsall. About 2,000 City fans flocked to Fellows Park for the game, which was played on a pitch ankle deep in mud. City went ahead but faded as the game wore on and lost 1-3. The consensus was that, had the game been played at the Lane, we would have won. The season was rounded off by lifting the Worcestershire Senior Cup against local rivals Kidderminster Harriers.

Womack had produced a team that Worcester could be proud of. They line-up here as follows:

Back: Directors R. Cox, J. Hewlett, M. Roberts, Cllr. T. Duckworth, W. Davis, W. Godsell, A. Lupton, R. Fairbairn
Standing: S. Bevan (Trainer), Syd Gliddon, Jimmy Moore, Cyril Staniforth, Lenny Boot, Julie Garratt, Thompson (Assistant Trainer), Fred Corbett
Seated: F. Bullock (Chairman), Jack Byers, John Burn, Ron Hazell, Billy Boswell, Jack Russell, F. Monger (Secretary)
Front: Frank Womack (Player-Manager)

The Official History of Worcester City FC is available for sale in our online store price £20 which includes a copy of the final match day programme at St Georges Lane.