Upsetting News Of League Cup Final Hero
Gary Pierce with the silverware he did so much to help win.
Gary Pierce, the headline act of Wolves’ 1974 Wembley conquest of Manchester City, has died in his home-town, Bury.
The upsetting announcement concerning the side’s unlikely star came this morning following what is described as a short illness.
Gary, who was 74, died in a hospice after suffering various health problems and casts a further shadow over Molineux a few weeks on from the loss of David Woodfield, Peter McParland and Colin Booth.
Team-mates and supporters have been saddened by his passing-away on the eve of the Premier League season’s final game, which means four of the 12 players used in the club’s first League Cup final triumph have now been lost.
“Gary was such a popular and likeable character who fitted straightaway into the dressing room here,” said former Wolves striker and now vice-president John Richards.
“He arrived initially as cover to Phil Parkes and, like Lofty, he never drove a car. But with his broad Lancashire accent and bubbly personality, he was a great addition to the squad.
“He also showed he was a very good goalkeeper, particularly on that incredible day at Wembley when he put in such a brilliant performance to help us win the League Cup.
Gary puts himself in the firing line at Bolton before being carried off injured in this last game of the 1976-77 season.
“He was a really nice lad, who we were really pleased to welcome back to FPA events in recent years, including the shows marking the 50th anniversary of that League Cup victory and at Bar Sport in Cannock.
“This is such sad news. We will all miss Gary greatly and send our sincere condolences to all of his family and friends.”
Pierce, signed from Huddersfield in the summer of 1973, played 111 times in Wolves’ first team, including remaining an ever-present in the title-winning 1976-77 Second Division season. He joined Barnsley in 1979.
We will be posting a fuller tribute to him in the coming weeks and send our own deepest condolences in the meantime to his loved ones and close friends.