Obituaries

Frank Munro: 1947 – 2011

A Player And Story Teller Supreme

What do Phil Parkes, Geoff Palmer, Derek Parkin, Mike Bailey, Frank Munro, John McAlle, Kenny Hibbitt, John Richards, Derek Dougan and Dave Wagstaffe have in common? Answer: They all played upwards – in many cases a long way upwards – of 320 first-team matches for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Now what else links Parkes, Palmer, Parkin, Bailey, McAlle, Hibbitt, Richards, Dougan and Wagstaffe? Answer: They all had testimonials. Please note that Munro’s name is not on the second list.

Dean Richards: 1974 – 2011

Shock Death Of A Rare Talent

First Mark Kendall, then Paul Birch. Now, much younger still, Dean Richards. Life really isn’t fair. When we decided to include an obituaries section on this website, it was assumed we would be using it to house fulsome tributes to heroes of the 1950s and, eventually, one or two from the 1960s.

David Burnside: 1939 – 2009

Radical Thinker With A Rebellious Streak

David Burnside would have been 70 in December and a video about his life and times was already being prepared as part of his surprise party. There was no shortage of material. Forty-three competitive appearances and five goals for Wolverhampton Wanderers were only the start of it for a man who did things a little differently. So much so that he wanted to call the autobiography I was helping him write ‘Me And My Bad Attitude’.

Bobby Thomson: 1943 – 2009

Tea Set Man An Outstanding Pro

There’s a numbness today among Wolves fans and players of a certain generation. In Bobby Thomson, they saw a man who looked like he would live to be 100 but who has been taken away at the age of 65.

Paul Birch: 1962 – 2009

A True Terrier And A Top Bloke

What worth is there now to the stroke of fortune Paul Birch enjoyed on the evening of his testimonial game in 1991? The good luck he had in timing his big night to coincide with the first hero’s return of David Platt to Aston Villa from a new life in Italy turned a healthy crowd in the Second City into a bumper one.

Jimmy Murray: 1935 – 2008

A Record To Stand Comparison With The Best

Had Jimmy Murray now been in his prime, Wolverhampton Wanderers would not have been standing three points clear at the top of the Championship. They would not have hit 23 goals in eight League matches to set their sights once more on winning promotion and they would not have been clutching an eight-point advantage over third-placed Reading.

Bill Shorthouse: 1922 – 2008

Goodbye To An Unsung Hero

Bill Shorthouse isn’t often mentioned in the very top echelons of Wolverhampton Wanderers greats because he wasn’t hugely gifted, nor possessing of the charisma of some around him. He was a defender who did, quite brilliantly as it happens, what he was paid to do.

Mark Kendall: 1958 – 2008

Sad Passing Of A Born Joker

January 24, 1987 wasn’t just significant as the date on which Wayne Hennessey took his first gulp of air outside the womb. On the very same day, another Welshman was making his sizeable mark in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ goal.

By a further quirk, Wolves were playing in Wales that afternoon – and Mark Kendall used the 2-0 victory over Cardiff City to convince manager Graham Turner and the club’s directors that he was the real deal.