Bert Williams signs ball 60 years later

Wolves great Bert Williams finally got round to signing a football last night – 60 years on.

The 91-year-old goalkeeping legend gave a leather caseball to Rowley Hall Primary School in Rowley Regis way back in 1951. The ball, marked 'Bert Williams, Wolverhampton Wanderers' on one side, with the word 'Molineux' on the other, has been hidden in a cupboard. Site manager John Green only found it when he came to clear it out.

The ball is taking pride of place as the top item in an auction for school funds.

"Having Bert's signature on this ball is going to mean there is a lot of interest in it," said school office manager Sylvia Downing.

Two football-mad pupils, Sam Downing, from Cradley Heath, and Joel Cook, from Rowley Regis, both aged eight, went to Bert's house in Shifnal to get Bert's autograph. Bert said: "I don't remember the ball, but I was delighted to sign it."

Admission to the auction tonight is £1.