Sad News Of One-Time Wolves Coach
Norman Bodell in recent years.
John Richards is helping circulate the announcement that early-1970s Molineux coach Norman Bodell has passed away at the age of 86.
The Wolves Former Players Association chairman was contacted by the club with the news by email and is spreading the sad word, especially among those whose careers here crossed over with that of the Mancunian.
Bodell spent what he called ‘four wonderful years’ coaching Wolves’ reserves after a tip-off from Dave Maclaren on a coaching course at Lilleshall led to a surprise close-season interview with Bill McGarry.
The post being vacated by the Australia-bound keeper was offered to him inside ten minutes and the former Barrow manager quickly grew to love the disciplinary ways of his Molineux boss.
His past work as a physical training instructor in the Army had clearly instilled some of the same habits into him and, having bought a bungalow in Penn close to where Kenny Hibbitt lived, he felt totally settled and satisfied.
“Considering where I had been, Wolves felt like Real Madrid to me, with the quality of players, the organisation and the training ground,” he told us in a long face-to-face meeting near Solihull six years ago. “I loved it. It was a wonderful experience; a four-year joy.”
He was full of pride when several of the young players he had coached featured in the 1974 League Cup final triumph shortly before he departed for Preston.
Richards had been among the teenage hopefuls Bodell supervised and said today: “Norman was great. He was an encourager, not a shouter.
“A lot of players who he worked with came through to the first team and he was a big part of that progression. He was very well respected by so many of us and the lads I’ve been in touch with today were very sorry to hear the news.”
It took no less a figure than Bobby Charlton to prise Bodell away from Molineux and, when the World Cup hero’s hopes of a managerial career quickly petered out at Deepdale, his no 2 made the short hop to Blackburn.
And such was the impression he made there on Jim Smith that the so-called Bald Eagle also took him to Birmingham several years later. Again, Norman was rated highly enough to survive managerial change, remaining at St Andrew’s throughout Ron Saunders’s subsequent reign there and then following the former Villa man to Albion, where Bodell eventually linked up with Bobby Gould.
Norman (left) with comedian Leslie Crowther during his coaching career in the West Midlands.
As a player, the Oldham-born defender amassed around 250 games with Rochdale, Crewe and Halifax before he dropped into non-League with Altrincham.
His time at Spotland was highlighted by an unlikely appearance in a League Cup final, Rochdale being beaten over two legs by Norwich in 1961-62 at the conclusion of the second staging of the tournament.
Anyone wishing to read or re-read our lengthy 2018 interview with Norman should click on The Joy Of Wolves – Wolves Heroes to do so.
His funeral is next Thursday (December 19) in Charter Chapel at Canley Crematorium, Charter Avenue, Canley, Coventry, CV4 7DF (2.30pm).