Hailing Those Who Went Under The Radar
Sunday, March 1: Finally caught up on reading the Wolves v Chelsea programme from a few weeks ago and was pleased to see they had used my contribution to the regular ‘Underrated Gold’ guest-writer feature just inside the back cover. It keeps alive my record of having had articles printed in the Wolves programme in every season for about the last 38.
Tuesday, March 3: Another outstanding and possibly unexpected Molineux night as Wolves brought down reigning champions Liverpool in the most dramatic style – a result that questions the wisdom of those of us who gave tonight’s League game a miss in favour of going to the FA Cup clash of the same two clubs later this week. Still thrilled by the outcome nonetheless!
Friday, March 6: Had a busy FA Cup night at Molineux with listening to Jody Craddock as well as Paul Cook before part two of this week’s Wolves v Liverpool confrontations. Then found myself sitting two seats along from former Anfield and England keeper David James in the press box. A shame the outcome to the tie was nothing like as pleasing.
Mick Kearns….turned out in recognition of a good pal.
Saturday, March 14: So good to spend time with Rob Kelly and Mike Stowell after today’s exciting draw between their clubs, Reading and Plymouth, and to hear their thoughts on the thrilling ascent of both sides in League One. Spending time with Rob’s boss, Leam Richardson, topped off a visit that was further illuminated by the company en route of John Lalley and Tim Sherriff, the latter a Warwickshire-based Wolves fan with whom I spent much time on pre-season tours to Austria, Germany, Sweden and Ireland in the 1990s.
Tuesday, March 17: Another shout-out for Scott Pritchard and his amazing www.wolvescompletehistory.co.uk website, especially, on this occasion, for the new addition provided by Melbourne-based Mark Povah. Click on the video on the welcome page for seven minutes of magnificent nostalgia. Wonderful stuff!
Friday, March 20: Bumped into Mick Kearns today at the funeral of our good mutual friend, the Walsall journalist Paul Marston. The early 1980s Wolves keeper was asked to give the eulogy at a packed service but was so close to the 90-year-old former Saddlers correspondent – both through hundreds and hundreds of games that he had played in and even more hours that they had spent together on the golf course – that he feared his emotions might get the better of him. The task was instead expertly carried out by BBC Sport Online’s Michael Beardmore, with the gathering including other ex-Walsall players Richard O’Kelly, Peter Hart, Nick Athey and Stan Bennett and a considerable number of media personnel from across the patch and beyond.
Derek Parkin on a return visit to Molineux with Richard Green.
Wednesday, March 25: Great to hear from the Wolves Former Players Association’s Richard Green that a new tribute to Derek Parkin has been established in the Molineux Museum. The club’s all-time record appearance maker was present at the invitation of historian Peter Crump to view a feature we hope many supporters will also soon want to see.
Monday, March 30: Good to see Backpass (the issue with Malcolm Allison on the front) adding to the chorus of praise for the Feeding The Wolves book by Ashley Ball and Chris Brook. “An extraordinary story…..painstakingly researched….richly illustrated” are among the deserved platitudes chosen by reviewer Jon Culley for this detailed look at Mark Crook and Wath Wanderers. “Crook might justifiably have been called the best talent-spotter in English football,” the writer concludes. Less happily, issue 96 of this outstanding magazine also contains an obituary of Terry Wharton, which is expertly written, as usual, by Ivan Ponting.