[2] In the 1949 close season Brocklebank signed him for a second time, taking him to First Division club Birmingham City for a fee of £10,000.
[9] Capel, described as a "powerful, bustling player", failed to settle at Birmingham, and moved to Nottingham Forest a few months later.
[4] He and Wally Ardron formed "a lethal striking partnership"[10] which contributed to Forest, under the management of Billy Walker, winning the Third Division South title in the 1950–51 season.
They won the Central Alliance North title, scoring 158 goals in the 30 games available, and finished the season with a flourish.
He served in the Royal Marines during the Second World War, alongside fellow footballers Eddie Quigley and Ken Oliver.