He didn't have any links with crime (so far as we know) but he was famous for two things. First, he spent many years with Stanley Matthews in his pocket. Second, he served the longest suspension of any Villa player. On Christmas Day 1942 he was sent off in a friendly at Leicester and banned sine die. He was allowed to play again in August of the followlng year, after having missed sixteen matches.
Quote from: dave.woodhall on August 12, 2018, 11:32:14 PMHe didn't have any links with crime (so far as we know) but he was famous for two things. First, he spent many years with Stanley Matthews in his pocket. Second, he served the longest suspension of any Villa player. On Christmas Day 1942 he was sent off in a friendly at Leicester and banned sine die. He was allowed to play again in August of the followlng year, after having missed sixteen matches. My old man used to regale me with stories of how Cummings had Matthews terrified. He reckoned that the first opportunity Cummings got, he would have Matthews hammered into the crowd and there was never any threat from him after that. I don't know about the veracity of that but my old man loved him.
Quote from: dave shelley on August 13, 2018, 09:03:10 PMQuote from: dave.woodhall on August 12, 2018, 11:32:14 PMHe didn't have any links with crime (so far as we know) but he was famous for two things. First, he spent many years with Stanley Matthews in his pocket. Second, he served the longest suspension of any Villa player. On Christmas Day 1942 he was sent off in a friendly at Leicester and banned sine die. He was allowed to play again in August of the followlng year, after having missed sixteen matches. My old man used to regale me with stories of how Cummings had Matthews terrified. He reckoned that the first opportunity Cummings got, he would have Matthews hammered into the crowd and there was never any threat from him after that. I don't know about the veracity of that but my old man loved him.My dad tells the tale that Cummings told Matthews that " He could dance as much as he liked but he was going to put him into the crowd". Bill Shankley picked him in his All Time XI.Does anyone know if he worked at Fort Dunlop after his playing days?