Roy Hodgson is tops for grandfather Jerry

A grandfather?who cheekily asked England manager Roy Hodgson for his Albion tracksuit top in a good luck note was delighted when it was sent to his home. Jerry Kelleher, aged 82, wrote to the former Hawthorns head coach to congratulate him on his new job. The Smethwick father-of-three and grandfather-of-eight said: “I wrote to say good luck with the England job. I then said that he would no longer have need for his Albion jacket with his initials on, and jokingly asked if I could have it.” Mr Kelleher said he was shocked when a few days later the zip-up tracksuit top turned up in a parcel at his home. He said: “I couldn’t believe it; I wasn’t quite sure that it was genuine at first, but I think it is now. There wasn’t a note with it. I was very surprised, I didn’t expect it because I was only joking.” Mr Kelleher has been an Albion fan since he moved to Smethwick 61 years ago from Cork in Ireland. The former Accles and Pollock worker has a season ticket and says he will wear the tracksuit top at the first game of the season. He said: “I have always had a great deal of respect for Hodgson, he is a real gentleman and has a good football brain. You could see that when he was at a game, he was always thinking. “It will be very different for him as England manager. Albion are like a family, all very close. In the England team he has to deal with players who earn too much and aren’t as respectful. It will be difficult but I think he is the best man for the job.” After that first game, Mr Kelleher intends to auction off the top and all the proceeds will go to St Mary’s Hospice in Birmingham. Before that he will be wearing it when he can, and he will be taking it with him when he goes over to visit family and friends in Cork.