Shared Shirts: John Kaye

A League Cup and FA Cup winner at West Bromwich Albion, we caught up with former City player and manager John Kaye about his time at both clubs.  

Winning the League Cup & FA Cup at WBA: 

“To play in the Football League Cup final three times and an FA Cup final over the space over five to six years was a fantastic feeling really. It’s a player's dream to win silverware, and we were fortunate in such a short period of time to play in four finals, winning two and losing two, so we didn't go too bad, really.

“It was fantastic,” said Kaye when asked about winning the FA Cup. “It was a bit disappointing in the end for me, because I got injured after about 20 minutes as I did my ankle. I managed to play the 90 minutes, but once I stopped running about, I think my ankle was that swollen, I just couldn't go on any further. It was a bit disappointing in the end for me, not being able to finish the extra time. Other than that, to win the cup, it is a player’s dream really to win the FA Cup.”

Signing for Hull City: 

Transitioning into a centre back later in his Baggies career, Kaye left West Brom in November 1971 to join Hull City. Making his City debut against Millwall on 27 November 1971 before scoring his first goals for the club, netting a brace in a 4-3 win over Middlesbrough, the now-84-year-old was delighted to join the Tigers.

“It was an ideal move for me really, because I’m from Goole originally and I can remember the first few games. I think I scored two or three goals. I did score two goals from centre-half against Middlesbrough in a 4-3 win and my first game might have been against Millwall.”

Relationship with both clubs:

Being invited to be part of the club’s 120th celebrations in our home fixture against Cardiff City in September 2024, Kaye concluded the interview by speaking about the fans of both Hull City and West Bromwich Albion.

“It was just fantastic coming back recently and being appreciated,” said Kaye when asked about attending the Cardiff fixture as part of the legends parade. “People bring things up. I've forgotten most of them, but then they bring it up and I remember, and we can talk about things like that, which is fantastic for me.”

“West Brom is a family club; everybody feels at home there. To me, the fans were great. A lot of them speak to me now. We've got an Ex-Players Association, and we get together about two or three times a year, and it's amazing how many people turn up. There must be 50 or 60 people wanting autographs. It's just amazing that they keep coming year after year.”