Former West Ham United winger of the early 50s, Tommy Southren, has died at the age of 76 after a short illness.

Tommy passed away on Monday, May 10 at the QEII hospital, Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, where he lived.

In issue 10 of EX we carried a letter from Tommy's son, Tom junior, who informed us that his father was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.

A speedy right-winger with good dribbling skills, Sunderland-born Tommy was signed by the Hammers from Peartree Old Boys FC in 1950 at the age of 22.

He made his debut against Sheffield United on September 9, 1950 and made 64 league and 2 cup appearances, scoring three goals over a spell of four seasons.

His most successful season was 1953-54, when he made 24 starts in the number seven shirt and scored twice.

During his time at Upton Park Tommy also represented London v Berlin.

Tommy moved to Aston Villa for a fee of £10,000 (a big amount back then) after a deal agreed by West Ham boss Ted Fenton on New Year's Eve, 1954. After four seasons with Villa, he joined AFC Bournemouth, where he ended his playing career after two seasons.

A fuller tribute, written by Tommy's brother, appears in issue 15.