Wolves' Greatest Games

John Hendley

Description

As one of the twelve pioneers of English football in 1888, Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced all four tiers of the game and the club has written its name in the history books by winning every domestic honour. Wanderers became the first club to be champions of all four divisions and have also won FA Cup and League Cup finals. In the 1950s, floodlit contests against the greatest teams from around the world pulled in huge crowds and brought about the birth of European competition. Wolves' Greatest Games looks back at one hundred of the greatest games, from 1888 right through to the present day.Key features- Features one hundred of Wolverhampton Wanderers' most memorable games from across the club's history- Details the effect of the club's great managers and finest players on those games- Includes contemporary and historic images from these legendary matches- The book is fully endorsed by the club- Written by veteran football writer and Wolves programme editor John Hendley, author of Wolves On This Day and Wolves Miscellany

Informations

• Publié par: Pitch Publishing (Brighton) Ltd
• Date de parution: 07 novembre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781909178267
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

First published by Pitch Publishing, 2012 Pitch Publishing A2 Yeoman Gate Yeoman Way Durrington BN13 3QZ www.pitchpublishing.co.uk
© John Hendley, 2012
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the Publisher.
ISBN 978-1-909178-26-7
Ebook Conversion by www.ebookpartnership.com
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
Acknowledgements
The Matches: Wolves 1 Aston Villa 1
Wolves 1 Everton 0
Newcastle United 1 Wolves 3
Wolves 7 Bradford City 2
Wolves 2 Arsenal 0
Wolves 7 Everton 0
Wolves 5 Grimsby Town 0
Wolves 6 Arsenal 1
Liverpool 1 Wolves 5
Bolton Wanderers 0 Wolves 5
Wolves 1 Manchester United 1
Leicester City 1 Wolves 3
Wolves 6 Birmingham City 1
South Western Districts 0 Wolves 11
Wolves 5 Chelsea 3
Huddersfield Town 1 Wolves 7
Wolves 6 Manchester United 2
Wolves 8 Chelsea 1
Wolves 3 South Africa 1
West Bromwich Albion 0 Wolves 1
Wolves 4 West Bromwich Albion 4
Wolves 4 Moscow Spartak 0
Wolves 3 Honved 2
Wolves 6 Huddersfield Town 4
Cardiff City 1 Wolves 9
Wolves 2 Moscow Dynamo 1
Wolves 5 Luton Town 4
Chelsea 3 Wolves 3
Wolves 4 Preston North End 3
Wolves 3 Real Madrid 2
Wolves 6 Chelsea 1
Wolves 7 Portsmouth 0
Wolves 6 Arsenal 1
Wolves 5 Luton Town 0
Wolves 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Manchester City 4 Wolves 6
Wolves 9 Fulham 0
Chelsea 1 Wolves 5
Blackburn Rovers 0 Wolves 3
Wolves 4 Everton 1
Wolves 3 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Wolves 8 Manchester City 1
Wolves 7 West Bromwich Albion 0
Wolves 4 West Ham 3
Wolves 8 Portsmouth 2
Wolves 1 Everton 1
Portsmouth 2 Wolves 3
Wolves 4 Hull City 0
Wolves 4 Bury 1
Aberdeen 5 Wolves 6
Wolves 3 West Bromwich Albion 3
Wolves 5 Newcastle United 0
Wolves 3 Nottingham Forest 3
Wolves 3 Chelsea 0
Wolves 3 Manchester United 2
West Bromwich Albion 2 Wolves 4
Heart of Midlothian 1 Wolves 3
Wolves 0 Heart of Midlothian 1
Wolves 5 Arsenal 1
Manchester United 1 Wolves 3
Wolves 2 Leeds United 1
Wolves 1 Tottenham Hotspur 2
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Wolves 1
Wolves 5 Stoke City 3
Wolves 2 Coventry City 0
Arsenal 1 Wolves 3
Manchester City 1 Wolves 2
Wolves 4 Newcastle United 2
Wolves 7 Chelsea 1
Burnley 1 Wolves 5
Wolves 3 Charlton Athletic 0
Hereford United 1 Wolves 6
Bolton Wanderers 0 Wolves 1
Everton 2 Wolves 3
Norwich City 0 Wolves 4
Nottingham Forest 0 Wolves 1
West Bromwich Albion 1 Wolves 3
Liverpool 0 Wolves 1
Wolves 3 Stockport County 1
Burnley 0 Wolves 2
Wolves 6 Mansfield Town 2
West Bromwich Albion 1 Wolves 2
Newcastle United 1 Wolves 4
Derby County 1 Wolves 2
Wolves 6 Newcastle United 2
Wolves 3 Millwall 1
Wolves 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1
Port Vale 2 Wolves 4
Wolves 3 Birmingham City 2
West Bromwich Albion 2 Wolves 4
Norwich City 0 Wolves 2
Leeds United 0 Wolves 1
Bristol City 1 Wolves 6
Wolves 3 Newcastle United 2
Sheffield United 0 Wolves 3
Wolves 4 Leicester City 3
Wolves 1 Manchester United 0
Charlton Athletic 2 Wolves 3
Derby County 2 Wolves 3
West Ham 1 Wolves 3
Wolves 2 Manchester United 1
Wolves 3 Tottenham Hotspur 3
FOREWORD
L OOKING BACK, when I joined Wolves from Huddersfield Town as a 20-yearold in 1968, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would have such a long and enjoyable stay with the club or that I would become the man who has played more times in gold and black than any other. It is an honour I cherish.
In total I played 609 times for the club and they were very special days. Yes, there were disappointments along the way but I was proud to be in a team that, in the early seventies, were one of the best in the country. Losing out in the FA Cup and League Cup semi-finals was a bitter blow in 1973, but from the depths of despair we fought back to get to Wembley the next year.
It had always been my dream to play there and to do so against a highly-rated Manchester City side, and to beat them in a game regarded by many as one of the best at the stadium in years, was something that I recall with great pride. We did it again six years later when we were again the underdogs, this time against Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest, and once again we came out on top.
It wasn’t just those high profile matches that gave me so much pleasure. Many of the 609 I played, whether it be a league or a cup game, helped me to put together a career that most people would have given their eye teeth for. I wound up my playing days with a short spell at Stoke and I have to say when it was all over, there was a big void in my life.
It wasn’t just playing in the games that I missed. The everyday banter that is part of a footballer’s life in training and in the dressing room is something that I still yearn for to this day. My job was fun – you had to work hard to stay fit, but it was fun and I loved it.
When Foz, sorry it doesn’t sound right when I say John, told me he was writing a book about 100 Wolves games, many of which I played in, I made him promise me a copy.
By way of return he asked me to write this foreword and it’s something that I’m only too happy to do. Foz is as passionate about Wolves as I was, and indeed still am. Over my years with them, like myself, a lot of the players were at Molineux for a long time. Men like John Richards, Kenny Hibbitt, John McAlle, Waggy and dear old Frank Munro are examples.
There were many more and we weren’t just work colleagues, we were all friends which is one of the reasons that we did so well. We were all in it together and we fought as a team. I still live in the area and still enjoy the lads’ company every now and then.
It’s always good to talk about Wolves games gone by and now, thanks to this book, I’m looking forward to reading about some of them too.
Derek Parkin – Wolverhampton Wanderers 1968-1982
INTRODUCTION
O NE OF the things that I love about football is the memories that it evokes – especially the good time memories. I suppose it falls under the heading of nostalgia to recall victories against all the odds, footballers idolised from the stands and, yes, the terraces. For all the comforts of modern stadia, how I miss the atmosphere provided by standing supporters in the old North and South Banks at Molineux.
I thoroughly enjoy reading old match reports or watching DVDs of games gone by and it was while viewing a replay of Derek Dougan’s home debut against Hull City, shown on Match of the Day that evening, that I thought "why not write about some of these games?"
You will notice from the cover of this book, that the title doesn’t include the word "the" before 100 greatest games. I haven’t seen every game that Wolves have played and, even if I had done, then it would only be my opinion as to which are the greatest and I don’t believe that is my right. Every Wolves fan will have their own thoughts on the best games they have seen. There would always be questions asked about omissions which is why I left the title open.
So, how have I selected 100 games? Obviously I went for the cup successes and I have made a point of including details of the all rounds leading up to the respective finals.
There is just one defeat featured in the 100 games, the Uefa Cup reversal against Spurs. Such were the performances of Wolves both on the road to, and in the final, I felt it needed to be included. I selected a handful of pre-war matches and a plethora from the glory days of the 1950s.
While I don’t wish to be any older than I already am, I would have loved to have seen Wolves’ teams playing in the 15 years that followed the war. While my supporting days didn’t begin until 1965, I have watched some great players wearing gold and black and although I have had my share of bitter disappointments, many times have I enjoyed the feeling that a good performance or result can bring.
I hope this book brings back memories of games that you have seen, or will give you an insight into those that you missed.
John Hendley
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
O NCE MORE I offer my truly grateful thanks to my good friend Steve Gordos. He witnessed the floodlit friendlies and glory games of the 1950s watching some of football’s greats as they plied their trade wearing the gold and black of Wolverhampton Wanderers. His advice while I have written this book has been invaluable as has his proof-reading skills.
Thanks also to father and son photographers Dave and Sam Bagnall who have supplied any pictures I requested from them without fuss and in the blink of an eye. Also many thanks to AMA Sports Photo Agency for the use of some of their excellent work, and to Wolverhampton Wanderers for allowing me to dip into their vast archive.
Then there are the players that I’ve pestered in compiling this book. Derek Parkin, who has been kind enough to write the foreword, John Richards, John McAlle, Phil Parkes and Dave Wagstaffe have all received telephone calls and been asked about incidents from games that they played in. Considering that they played over 2,300 times for Wolves between them, it was amazing how easily they recalled things. So to Squeak, JR, Scouse, Lofty and Waggy, many thanks lads.
Last but not least thanks to Paul Camillin of Pitch Publishing for his patience and for letting me write this book. It has been a labour of love.
I T WAS a little over 12 years since the club began under the guise of St Luke’s FC that Wolves were invited to be one of the 12 clubs who founded the Football League. In 1879, St Luke’s amalgamated with the nearby Wanderers Cricket Club w