Wolverhampton Wanderers legend Derek Dougan 'caused Cup Final death crash' says Aston Villa hero

Nov 28 2010 Exclusive by Adam Aspinall, Sunday Mercury

SOCCER star Bobby Thomson has revealed one of the darkest episodes in Midland football history – and blamed legend Derek Dougan for the death of a journalist.

The young Aston Villa stars were involved in a horrific car crash on September 6, 1961, just hours after their team’s League Cup final victory over Rotherham United.

The car Bobby was driving hit a tree, killing local journalist Malcolm Williams instantly. He was just 23.

The football pals survived with minor injuries – but mystery always surrounded the reason behind the crash.

Now Thomson, 72, has broken a 50-year silence to lay the blame on a drunk Derek Dougan, who went on to become a Wolverhampton Wanderers’ legend.

Writing in his new autobiography, the former Villa forward recalled the events which led to tragedy after his team had lifted the inaugural League Cup with a 3 - 2 victory.

Bobby says: “No more than hours after picking up my cup winner’s medal at Villa Park, I was involved in a tragedy I will never forget and remember as clear as if it happened yesterday.

“A few hours after the final whistle, we were driving home in my new stylish Vauxhall Velox, along with journalist Malcolm Williams.

“It was my very first car, and I had only had it a few months. We decided to stop at a little club near Villa Park called Ernie’s, and it had a backroom bar.

“I was more tired than anything, having played for two hours.

‘‘Malcolm and Derek had a few drinks, but I didn’t bother because I was driving home and especially because I was taking passengers.

“When we left the club in the early hours, we headed home towards Wolverhampton, via Willenhall, with Dougan in the passenger seat and Malcolm in the back.

“I knew the road like the back of my hand, and I was aware that there was an S-bend along the road that you had to take at about 5 mph.

“Although we were full of spirit following the win, it wasn’t the right time for Dougan’s antics. He used to think it was funny to mess about in the car while I was driving.

“The trouble with Derek was that it wouldn’t take him long to get drunk, maybe just a few pints, and he’d had more than a few at Ernie’s that night and had been drinking all day, as he wasn’t playing in the cup final.

“I was trying to slow down on approach to this S-bend, on the junction of Walsall Street and Walsall Road, when out of the blue he started playing up.