This Is Your Life: Billy Wright 1

Billy WRIGHT CBE (1924-1994)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Billy Wright, footballer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the EMI Studios in London’s St John’s Wood.

Billy’s association with Wolverhampton Wanderers began in 1938 when aged only 14 years old he made his debut in a B team game. He signed as a professional at 17, and became club captain at the end of the Second World War, leading the team to victory in the First Division title three times (1954, 1958 and 1959) as well as the FA Cup in 1949.

Billy holds the record for the longest unbroken run in competitive international football - he was the first football player in the world to earn 100 caps - and made a total of 105 appearances for England, captaining them a record 90 times, including during their campaigns at the 1950, 1954 and 1958 World Cup finals. He retired from playing in August 1959 and became manager of England's youth team in 1960.

Billy Wright was a subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions - surprised again by Michael Aspel in September 1989 at Thames Television’s Teddington Studios.

programme details...

Edition No: 163
Subject No: 164
Broadcast live: Mon 8 May 1961
Broadcast time: 7.30-8.00pm
Venue: BBC Television Theatre
Series: 6
Edition: 34

on the guest list...

Dave King
Albert Tye
Annie Colley
Arthur Colley
Terry Springthorpe
Ellen Mearden
Jimmy Mullen
Kenneth Kirkland
Howard Jones
Joy Beverley - wife
Teddy Beverley – sister-in-law
Babs Beverley – sister-in-law
Michael Reed
Ferenc Puskas
The Showbiz Football Eleven:
Pip Wedge
John Burgess
Frank Boyd
Ziggy Jackson
Chas McDevitt
Bill Parry
Alec Forbes
Jimmy Henney
Bill Cotton
Jack Gordon
Wally Barnes
Stan Cullis
Norman Newell
Cyril Ornadel

production team...

Researchers: Liam Nolan, Nickola Sterne, P J Kennedy
Writer: John Sandilands
Director: Michael Goodwin
Producer: T Leslie Jackson

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Billy Wright

second tribute

Match of the Day

tackling football's top names

Family Life

keeping it in the family

Life Second Time Around

surprised again!

The Beverley Sisters