It is 10 years ago that a plaque was unveiled at a cottage in Ironbridge with the inscription “Birthplace of William Ambrose (Billy) Wright. 1924 to 1994. Wolverhampton Wanderers and England.”

The unveiling was performed by Joy Beverley-Wright, widow of the great Wolves and England hero. The Gorge Parish Council had decided that there should be something to mark Billy’s birthplace at 33 Belmont Road, Ironbridge.

But since then there have been whispers. Not something anybody wants to go on the record as saying, you understand.

Nobody is suggesting that Billy was not born in Ironbridge.

But one or two local folk have quietly raised doubts that he was actually born at that property.

Over the years, the Wright family had lived at several different addresses in Ironbridge.

So when Steve Bean, who lives near Pontesbury, sent us an e-mail about another matter and ended it with a PS saying “if I can help with any other quick searches, please ask – I enjoy doing family research for friends and so on”, we took up his offer and set him the task of getting to the bottom of the Billy Wright birthplace “mystery”.

And the upshot is that, unless somebody comes up with something really surprising, Steve has triumphantly proven that there is no mistake about the address.

The plaque is indeed on the correct property.

“I attach a scan of Billy Wright’s entry in the birth register.

“As you will see, this confirms the place of birth as 33 Belmont Road, Ironbridge,” he said.

The full birth entry turned up by Steve reads: (entry number) 85; (when and where born) Sixth February, 1924, 33 Belmont Road, Ironbridge, Madeley Wd (or Madeley M.D. – the writing is unclear); (name) William Ambrose; (sex) Boy; (name and surname of father) Thomas Wright; (name, surname, and maiden name of mother) Annie Wright, formerly Thompson; (occupation of father) General Iron Moulder; (signature, description, and residence of informant) Thomas Wright, Father, 33 Belmont Road, Ironbridge; (when registered) Seventeenth March, 1924; (signature of registrar) E. Pattersmith.

So there we have it: Billy Wright 1, Sceptics 0!

By Toby Neal