Regret At Missing Mark’s Molineux Return
Mark McGhee photographed on Wolves’ pre-season tour of Austria and Germany in 1996.
Saturday, May 10: Was disappointed to miss seeing Mark McGhee at Molineux today when he joined Paul Berry on the microphone in the Billy Wright Stand corporate rooms before Wolves’ home game against Brighton. Mike Stowell’s surprise 60th birthday bash took us instead to Bristol, where we were delighted to meet up with Paul McLoughlin, the 1989 Graham Turner signing who had three years in these parts in the shadow of Steve Bull and Andy Mutch. Also there were many of the goalkeeping legend’s football friends from Leicester and the West Country.
Monday, May 12: Enjoyed backing up the efforts of club historian Peter Crump and helping out with some information on Stuart Gray’s long playing and coaching career for his son, Tim. The 65-year-old is reported to be stepping down from Fulham’s backroom team this summer following a full decade in situ and after proving himself as one of the great survivors of the dug-out.
Friday, May 16: Steven Fletcher has been released by Wrexham at the age of 38. The former Wolves striker scored eight goals in 2024-25 and underlined his status as a fans’ favourite, stressing now that he was leaving ‘with a heavy heart’ and ‘not by choice’. But he has become a victim of manager Phil Parkinson’s determination to maintain the Welsh club’s astonishing upward momentum under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as they prepare for life in the Championship.
Tuesday, May 27: Interesting to read that Nathan Mendez-Laing has ended his long service to Derby by linking up with his former Pride Park boss, Paul Warne, at Milton Keynes Dons. The 33-year-old Brummie learned his trade across several years in Wolves’ academy but had to move on to gain the vast Football League experience that has come his way. The winger played more than 140 Rams games and scored the Easter Monday goal at Albion that secured a vital victory in their ultimately successful survival battle.
Sunday, May 25: Pleasing to see Matt Jarvis back at Molineux and in the media room at Wolves’ end-of-season home game against Brentford this afternoon. The former winger now spends many of his match-days at West Ham on ambassador duty and was delighted to meet up with Dave Edwards today, among others. Andy Thompson and Lee Naylor were also among us at our last gathering for two and a half months or so at what felt like a farewell from certain members of Vitor Pereira’s squad.
Rob Kelly (right) pictured with his boss, Uwe Rosler, when they were together at Malmo.
Wednesday, May 28: Great to hear that Peter Knowles had dropped in at New Cross Hospital to check on the condition of Phil Parkes following the keeper’s fall a few weeks ago. Various team-mates from the 1960s and 1970s have been on the visitor list but, in terms of friendship, this one takes some beating. Knowles and Parkes first met more than 60 years ago and became first-team colleagues in 1966-67. ‘Lofty’ is due to be moved to Oswestry Hospital for more specialised treatment very soon.
Thursday, May 29: Well done to Mick McCarthy on being inducted into the League Managers Association’s hall of fame. The 66-year-old, who oversaw 270 Wolves matches from 2006 to 2012 and slightly more than that in charge of Ipswich, was honoured alongside Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, David Moyes and Ian Holloway for passing the 1,000-game mark in the dug-out.
Saturday, May 31: Experience told us that it might well happen – and now it has. Rob Kelly has left Aarhus along with his boss, Uwe Rosler, following the club’s shocking end to the season. For so long, it looked like being a successful 2024-25 campaign for them but seven successive closing defeats have brought about a predictable parting of the ways.