Jeffrey (Jeff) Hall was born in Scunthorpe, but at just three days old he came, with his parents Percy and Minnie and older sister, Joan, to live in Wilsden, near Bradford, and help Percy’s sister run the New Inn where they lived during Jeff’s earliest years.
Jeff grew up in the village, went to Wilsden School then Bingley Secondary Modern and trained in joinery at Bingley Technical School, before working for a short time as a textile fitter at Prince-Smith & Stells in Keighley. He played for the village football team, then Keighley St Anne’s, and Bradford Park Avenue as an amateur. He was a talented musician, playing euphonium and could have made a career of it, as his father advocated. Jeff, however, was determined that he was going to play football and, to emphasise his point, had his two front teeth removed.
He did National Service with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers where he was spotted playing in a match by a scout from Birmingham City who signed him up.
Jeff made his debut, switching from right-half to right-back, in 1951 and moved to the first team two years later, as they worked their way back into the first division and to their highest ever finish, sixth, and the FA Cup final, both in the 1955-56 season, although the Blues lost the FA Cup to Manchester City, 3-1. He also scored his only senior goal for his club when he played outside right against Stoke City in 1953 because regular Jackie Stewart was injured.
Jeff is still fondly remembered by Birmingham City as much for his likeable character and polite demeanour as his considerable ability, and a clock in his memory has been a feature of their St Andrew’s ground since shortly after his death.
As well as making 227 appearances for his club, Jeff played 17 times for England. Percy wept when his son brought home his England cap and placed it into his father’s hands. Even though Jeff was now a household name across the country, he was still helping to deliver the newspapers for the family business on his visits home.
On March 21st 1959 Birmingham City played Portsmouth away. Jeff complained of a sore throat after the match and travelled back to Birmingham by car with friends to get him home sooner. He became worse over the next 48 hours and was diagnosed with polio, hospitalised and placed in an iron lung to help him breathe. The Press reported that he was critically ill but giving cause for hope, but he died on April 4th, two weeks after what turned out to be his final match. His funeral was held in Wilsden and he is buried in the Wilsden cemetery at Shay Lane. Birmingham City FC paid for the funeral and gravestone.
In the midst of her grief his wife of less than two years, Dawn, made public pleas to the nation, and the world, to take up the vaccination against polio. Such was the shock that a young, supremely fit footballer could fall victim to this disease, that uptake of the injectable vaccine (first introduced to the UK in 1956) immediately leapt to a level where emergency supplies had to be flown in from the USA and queues formed at the clinics.
The Birmingham City Vice-chairman at the time of Jeff’s death said this:
“If personality, good living and playing ability are the qualifications of an International player, then Jeff was born an International.”
The blue plaque placed on the New Inn in memory of Jeff Hall was unveiled by his nephew, Chris Miller, in the presence of his Birmingham City team-mate Mike Hellawell on 23rd November 2019.
Birmingham City Former Players’ Association commissioned and paid for a replacement carved headstone from local business Galbraith Memorials. Ian Galbraith also kindly refurbished the rest of the grave at his own expense.
