Goal hero Andy Gray in post-match ecstasy.

Come Monday, it’s exactly 30 years since Wolves lifted the League Cup for the second time.

And Wolves Heroes are heralding the impending landmark day with an extended look back at the unlikely triumph pulled off by John Barnwell’s side.

Lifelong Wanderes fan John Lalley reflects in depth on the club’s second League Cup winning season by studying the background to the success and the unfolding trail to Wembley.

His article has already been posted in our Features area, complete with stirring photos.

John recounts how Barnwell and Richie Barker out-thought their counterparts Brian Clough and Peter Taylor in building the base for a shock victory over a Nottingham Forest side who were on their way to retaining the European Cup.

John Barnwell's no 2 Richie Barker with the Wembley spoils.

Forest also dominated the League Cup at that time and were hot favourites to prevail, only to be checked by Andy Gray’s tap-in winner.

It was a notable day, too, for Emlyn Hughes, the skipper who is singled out for a special mention in our reminiscences.

Take a read now and join us in toasting the 1980 Wembley winners all over again, as well as wondering where the years have gone.

By John Lalley

The inspirational John Barnwell consoles Willie Carr after Wolves' 1979 FA Cup semi-final KO.

When John Barnwell became Wolves’ manager in 1978, he joined a club facing a relegation battle.

Immediately, though, he turned fortune on its head, kept them in the top division and gave us an unlikely FA Cup semi-final appearance against Arsenal, a club he had served with distinction as a player.

The Gunners easily repelled the Wolves challenge at Villa Park but Barnwell had laid the foundation for the following season - a campaign that ranks as the most successful at Molineux over the last 30 years.

To finish sixth in the First Division represented startling progress but to climax the revival with a Wembley triumph in the League Cup was a remarkable achievement.

Just 11 months before the joy of that cup final, Barnwell had suffered life-threatening injuries in an appalling car crash. Remarkably, against all speculation, he returned to management with his characteristic chirpiness, good humour and optimism.

With his assistant Richie Barker, whose role in this era of brief success should never be underestimated, Barnwell recruited the Liverpool veteran Emlyn Hughes during pre-season and then, in early September, sensationally shattered the British transfer record by paying Villa £1.5m for striker Andy Gray.

The transaction was funded almost in its entirety by Steve Daley’s ill-fated move from Molineux to Manchester City, and interest in the club soared.

Gray started like a runaway train; all towering headers, flying elbows and boundless enthusiasm and energy. He helped himself to four goals in his first three games - victories against Everton, Manchester United and Arsenal. It was a breathtaking introduction!

Hughes and Gray were two outstanding footballers and undeniably both of them enjoyed the greatest moments of their careers away from Molineux but this single season was about to make their short association with Wolves more than worthwhile.

Dave Thomas tests Derek Parkin at Turf Moor in 1970. But the winger surprisingly flopped when brought to Molineux.

Later in the season, Barnwell, happily over his harrowing ordeal, thought he had completed the jigsaw by signing the England winger Dave Thomas from Everton.

It seemed like great business at the time. Thomas was lightning fast, tricky and creative, and the prospect of him providing ammunition for an on-fire Gray and the still formidable John Richards was mind-boggling.

In reality, Thomas endured nightmares at Molineux. He was unable to find even a vestige of form and soon drifted out of the team into oblivion. It was a real shame and even now it’s hard to fathom why it all went so sour for such a good player.

With the season barely started, the League Cup was under-way. For obscure reasons, second-round ties were fought out over two legs and, after drawing at Turf Moor, Wolves comfortably dismissed Burnley at Molineux in a low-key affair that hardly stirred the pulses.

Full-back Geoff Palmer somehow scored in both games but, in truth, little major interest was in the air despite the keen affiliation many Wolves fans had with this competition after the success of 1974. In fact, our path to the final was hardly littered with memorable clashes.

The best performance was the 2-1 win at Crystal Palace in the third round. Palace, under a confident Terry Venables, were being dubbed ‘the team of the eighties’ by some of their manager’s cohorts in Fleet Street and Wolves winning at Selhurst Park was certainly not to their liking. Clearly, it annoyed El Tel too. Within weeks, he left Palace for QPR.

In the quarter-final, Wolves took three matches to see off a spirited Grimsby, who had beaten Everton in a previous round.

John Richards is chaired off Molineux after scoring one of the goals with which Wolves overturned Swindon's first-leg lead in the 1980 League Cup semi-final.

And the semi-final, over two legs, saw them struggle big time to pip Third Division Swindon – and the feeling of relief at Molineux after scraping home 4-3 on aggregate was clearly evident.  

Our opponents at Wembley, Nottingham Forest, beat a great Liverpool side in a titanic semi-final and so booked their third consecutive appearance in the final. They were short-odds favourites to make it three wins in a row.

Promoted with Wolves in 1977, they had then left us and just about every other club in their slipstream. Astonishingly, in their initial year back in the First Division, they had won the championship and then fabulously added the European Cup to sit alongside their domination of the League Cup.

Their transformation from obscurity to domination had been remarkable and, at the centre of it all, swaggered the eccentric genius that was their manager Brian Clough.

For those not around at the time, it’s almost impossible to recount the towering public profile he exuded. He transcended football; his deliberately outrageous opinions had the media fawning upon his every word with a mixture of awe, trepidation and deference, the like of which is usually reserved for a reigning monarch.

Clough was virtually able to ‘name his price’ as a TV pundit and would then proceed to offend whoever he liked with brazen impunity. He could be boorish, lavatorily crude or cuttingly critical one moment and charming, perceptive and side-splittingly funny the next.

Back in 1980, in his pomp, he quite simply was ‘Mr Football’ and just about Mr. anything else that took his fancy; and he gloried in his role as miracle worker.

Alongside him was his equally egocentric sidekick, assistant Peter Taylor. Neither for an instant possessed one iota of doubt that Barnwell, Barker or Wolves would stand in their way. We would be chewed up and spat aside like their previous opponents - Clough’s monumental ego demanded no less.

The big entrance: No sign of Cloughie - and Peter Daniel is probably shadowing John Robertson.

As a beaming John Barnwell led Wolves out at Wembley, resplendent in his best suit and as proud as punch, Clough showed his disdain for what to him was the routine of just another final. He allowed trainer Jimmy Gordon to lead out the star-studded Forest outfit.

All cameras trained their lenses towards Cloughie when he emerged from the tunnel and sauntered confidently to the dug-out. He was sporting an open leather coat, so his trademark green goalkeeper top was visible to his expectant audience.

Cup final conventions and etiquettes were not for him. He was a deliberate picture of non-sartorial elegance. But, as he made his theatrical stroll to the bench, the Band of the Queen’s regiment struck up their rendition of ‘Hi Ho Silver Lining’ – later to become a Wolves theme song. It was a hint maybe that this might just be the day of the underdog.

As for the game itself, it was no great spectacle, but it didn’t lack for drama. Barnwell outflanked Clough in one significant area. Peter Daniel was deployed to shadow the manoeuvres of danger man John Robertson on the Forest left wing.

It worked a treat, as did Daniel’s long ball in the second half which caused the fateful Needham/Shilton collision that left Andy Gray with the ultimate in open goals gaping before his very eyes. From the terraces behind the goal, we saw Emlyn Hughes and Willie Carr throw up their arms in celebration before Gray’s left foot applied that memorable finishing touch.

I swear that, exactly as it had done six years earlier when John Richards’ winning shot hit the net, time stopped for a delicious moment. It was an ecstatic experience. And then almost immediately, came the awful realisation that there was so much time remaining. The prospect of getting this far and not winning was panic-inducing.

Paul Bradshaw is well covered by Derek Parkin, George Berry, Mel Eves and match-winner Andy Gray as he denies Dave Needham.

From then until the end, it was like The Alamo. Our goal led a charmed life, although keeper Paul Bradshaw never had to go to the extremes of sustained brilliance that his predecessor Gary Pierce unveiled in 1974.

Even now, 30 years on, when I savour the DVD, I still expect Forest to score. But they didn’t and, when the final whistle mercifully sounded, Robertson was appropriately in possession, with Daniel eyeballing him and jockeying him to the touchline, nullifying his threat to the last second.

The battle was won. And then, bedlam! Cue celebrations that were even wilder than six years previously. Up the steps, Hughes was hugged by our chairman Harry Marshall as he collected the cup.

My mind flashed back to’74 and the haunting look of misery on the face of Peter Swailes, the Manchester City chairman, when Mike Bailey lifted the trophy skywards. Wembley is no venue for losers, even for the Brian Cloughs of this world.

The crowning-glory moment of a great day.

A last word for the captain……Emlyn was a Shankly-inspired Liverpool Red. But I’m glad to recall that, not long before he died, he was among a group of former Wolves players paraded to the fans at half-time during a Molineux fixture.

He was given a fantastic reception that clearly delighted him. The characteristic beaming smile lit up his face as he waved in appreciation. For the fans and no doubt for Hughes himself, memories of a special Wembley occasion flooded back. It was magical, I promise you.

California-based Charlie Bamforth used his recent conversation with Jimmy Melia to ask the whereabouts of a former Molineux reserve who is also resident in the United States. Here is his follow-up story.

Laurie Calloway.

“I was a Baggies fan. I wanted to be a professional footballer but I vowed I would never play for the Wolves!”

What else would you expect from the son of a man who played and then scouted for West Bromwich Albion?

Laurie Calloway, raised in the Black Country in Blackheath, played for Staffordshire schoolboys as a goalscoring midfielder and was on Albion’s books as a 14-year-old, playing in the fifth team in the Warwickshire Combination.

Having returned from a two-month absence with a damaged right ankle, he started playing for a youth side called Queens Colts.

“We were up for a cup final and I got a call that morning from West Brom, who were short for their fourth team,” he recalls. “I didn’t know what to do but my dad had no doubt despite his allegiances. He said: ‘Play in the cup final. Albion must have known about this earlier in the week and have left it too late’.

“Wolves scout Billy Westwood was a friend of my dad and the next time they held trials, I went along. They offered me an apprenticeship. Funny, isn’t it? Despite all I had said before, it was a case of ‘where do I sign?’

“Jack Dowen and Joe Gardiner were on the training staff. Bobby Thomson and Ted Farmer would give me lifts to training and I was best man at Bobby’s wedding.”

Calloway wore the no 11 shirt in the team who reached the final of the 1961-62 FA Youth Cup, losing narrowly to Newcastle.

“I was probably closest to Alan Attwood,” he added. “I was a fairly high-scoring forward in the Midland Intermediate League – on the left because I was left-footed. But Stan Cullis said ‘you’re not going to make it as a flippin’ forward, I’m going to make you into a floppin’ fullback’. He never swore. I wasn’t going to argue, so I played most of my career at left-back.

“Cullis was not about to put me into the first team as the likes of Thomson, George Showell, Gerry Harris, and John Harris were in the way and they loaned me out to Rochdale with Tony Collins. Of course Stan got the bullet – and they forgot all about me!

“For four years, I played most of Rochdale’s Fourth Division games. On Tuesdays, we would play closed-door friendlies against Blackburn and one week we won 3-1 at Ewood, with me scoring two goals from left back. Come transfer deadline day, Keith Newton was lined up to go to Forest, so Eddie Quigley came for me as the replacement. But Keith’s missus didn’t fancy Nottingham and the transfer fell through. So now there’s an extra full-back on Blackburn’s books.”

Plying his trade in Lancashire.......

Actually, the signing was not quite so simple. “The secretary at Rochdale said: ‘Hang on, Calloway is not our player!’ They got on to the Wolves secretary Jack Howley and he said: ‘You’re right, he’s still ours.”

The ₤25,000 transfer fee was eventually divided between Rochdale and Wolves, Calloway stepping in 25 times to deputise for either Newton or Billy Wilson.

But he was otherwise in the reserves, including the game at Blackpool in which visiting keeper John Barton (my mother taught John – Charlie) injured his elbow in the first half. Calloway went in goal and Barton played on the left wing in those pre-substitute days. There were no goals.

“I got disgruntled at Ewood because I thought I should be in the team, who just missed out on promotion. So Quigley swapped me for Alex Russell of Southport. Peter Withe was an amateur there. We played Scunthorpe and won 5-2 – he scored three, I got the other two from left side of midfield. Ray Clemence was in goal for Scunthorpe and Kevin Keegan scored their two goals.”

The next move, to York, was not a successful one. Laurie’s mind was in a whirr when his wife was diagnosed with a serious illness but there was the highlight of beating Nobby Stiles’ Middlesbrough at Ayresome Park in the FA Cup, Calloway notching the winner. Then it was to Shrewsbury with Maurice Evans.

“I put the ball in the river there a lot,” he added. “Graham Turner was at centre-half.  I came on loan to San Jose Earthquakes and, when I got back to Shrewsbury, Alan Durban was the boss.

“The Earthquakes wanted me back but Shrewsbury said it was to be permanent or nothing. So I became the first overseas player signed for a transfer fee in the US – 25,000. I can’t remember if that was pounds or dollars but what a marvellous experience! Playing against the likes of Pele, Cruyff and Best. I was never going to do that in England.”

Laurie, now 64, was in San Jose for four years before his playing days came to an end at 34. His first coaching appointment was with Southern California Lazers. “I got the job ten days before the start of the season. They asked if I minded them bringing in a fellow from England who could bring some players with him. It turned out to be Jimmy Melia. I said: ‘Sure, I used to play with him and clean his boots’. Actually, I didn’t. I was a bit older but I did use to clean Ron Flowers’ boots and it felt like an honour.

Back in the Midlands alongside Graham Turner at Shrewsbury.

“It was a good cop, bad cop thing and Jimmy taught me a lot. We had a bunch of rag tags from England, but also Rildo, the Brazilian international. He had an emotional interest in being in LA, so came to play for very little money. He owned plenty of apartments at Copacabana, so he didn’t need the cash.”

The Lazers folded and Calloway’s next stop was to take over from the former Liverpool full-back Peter Wall at California Surf before heading to live in the wine town of Lodi and coach in Stockton. Then Seattle Sounders went calling.

“They wanted a replacement for Alan Hinton,” he added. “He had taken them to the final and a game against the Cosmos but got fired.  Why me? Maybe they knew I was a big advocate of bringing in young American talent rather than older overseas-based players.”

The Sounders folded after two years – it was the start of the demise of the NASL – and Calloway left behind the professional game to start again in youth development before moving on to Salt Lake and then San Francisco Blackhawks.

He led the latter to a national title, then joined San Jose Clash before, in 1997, stepping away from the game and following his second wife into the restaurant trade.

His wife had itchy feet, though, so it was back to football with Des Moines. Then came Syracuse and an expanding franchise but they folded and he took an appointment in Rochester.

“There was an ownership change, a guy who wanted to run things on a shoestring,” he said. “I had the second top salary, so I was let go. I stayed in the area and developed Calloway United Soccer Academy, which my wife is still running.”

Calloway (front row, far right) with Wolves' successful 1962 FA Youth Cup side.

But Des Moines called again. Laurie had enjoyed an unbeaten season there first time round and their academy was now in disarray. “They asked for recommendations of people they might approach and I gave some but none of them worked out. So they said: ‘Might you be interested?’ I flew in and negotiated in November for three weeks. And I have been here since.”

The way they were......how opponents preferred Bull and Mutch: in their training kit rather than the gold and black of match day!

Steve Bull and Andy Mutch are to link up again almost 17 years on from their last appearance together in Wolves’ attack.

The phenomenal strike duo totalled more than 410 goals for the club between them and now feature in a ‘Pure Gold’ evening at The Raven pub, Quarry Bank, next month to regale supporters with tales of their exploits for Graham Turner’s side and various England teams.

The event, on Thursday, April 8 (from 7.30pm), brings the pair together for the first time in this format, both having managed at good non-League level as part of their post-playing careers.

Promoters Midlands Memorabilia are offering tickets at £10 and have also secured an appearance by Mark Burke, one of their team-mates in the early 1990s as well as a star of the successful Wolves Masters side in much more recent times.

For an extra £5, fans will receive a flyer, a Steve Bull Now & Then dvd and a 9in x 6in photo as well as a ticket to the evening.

The players will be available throughout the event for answering questions, signing autographs and posing for pictures.

Any enquiries about arrangements should be directed to Danny Drewry – by email to info@midlandsmemorabilia.com or phone on 07882-644832.

“We’ve called the evening ‘Pure Gold’ and expect it to be full of nostalgia and reminiscences for Wolves fans,” Danny said.

“It’s our first Wolves evening and we’re delighted to be working with such big names from the club’s past.

“We’re also launching a new collection of Wolves memorabilia on the night, with exclusive limited-edition framed pictures, t-shirts, photos, caricatures, original press pictures, autographed keepsakes, programmes books and other football paraphernalia.”

Not a bad collectors' item.....

Tickets for Pure Gold are available on-line at or from behind the bar at The Raven, where raffle tickets will also be sold from. 

For a more detailed look at the work of Midlands Memorabilia, please click on the icon in the adverts area to the right of this page.

On Wednesday of last week (February 24), we were delighted to publish an email from Alan Hinton, written and sent by the Seattle-based former Wolves and England winger. It covered his formative years in the Black Country and his emergence as a first-team player at Molineux but broke off at the point where his career took a surprise twist. We promised readers an imminent part two  - and here it is, again in the player’s own words:

Alan Hinton, centre and facing camera, in transit with his Wolves colleagues in 1963. This photo is taken from Wolves In Pictures, published in association with the Birmingham Post & Mail.

“I was upset and shocked when Stan Cullis allowed me to go to Nottingham Forest in 1963-64.

When I was a youngster and Jimmy Mullen was so good to me, most kids wanted to play for the Wolves. Standards were high and, unfortunately, there was a lot of movement, with comings and goings most weeks.

I was quite surprised that Jimmy retired so early. It helped me come through, of course, but Jimmy could have played for at least another year. But I did not want to leave when I moved to the East Midlands.

Fortunately for me, Forest did well but Wolves, sadly, struggled. It’s a shame they did not keep very talented young players like  Terry Wharton and Bobby Thomson.

In 1967, Brian Clough and Peter Taylor took me to Derby County and built a great team. It was a pleasure to play for these energetic, inspirational guys. Dave Mackay was also a good manager there.

Our nine-year-old son Matthew died in 1976 from cancer and our happy life changed dramatically. We left for the USA the following year to see if the new lifestyle and opportunities would work for us.

In a 34-year spell, I have played in Dallas and Vancouver and been head coach in Tulsa, Seattle, Vancouver and Tacoma with much success, being named Coach of the Year twice. I never had a bad team.

I very much enjoyed having Wolves favourites Phil Parkes, Kenny Hibbitt, Steve Daley and Paul Bradshaw playing for me - all fine players and good people. And Tony Penman, who has lived in Wolverhampton for decades, was a superb chief scout for me for several years.

I became dear friends with Les Wilson and his wife Lois. Les still has so much love and respect for Wolves.

I built a youth programme called Crossfire that has seen hundreds of players into college soccer with scholarships.

Moving to the USA has worked out well for our family but I enjoy visiting my brothers and their families in Pattingham and Yorkshire, as I did a few months ago. They all support the Wolves, including our nephew Craig, who is the captain of Northampton.

I wish the club success as they play hard to remain in the Premier League. Marcus Hahnemann was my goalkeeper in Seattle and I sent him to England. He is a fine goalkeeper and a family man with good values.

To summarise, I loved my time at Wolves and remain so grateful for the amazing opportunity and coaching  I was given by such a grand old club.

Remember Wolves v Honved, Spartak, Moscow Dynamo and others? I was there as a very young kid with my mate Roy Morley. Sold-out crowds but the fans took care of us. We were in good hands.

The 'Wednesbury Boy' in recent years.

To Wolves, as a club, and to the fans, thank-you for giving me my big opportunity.

Best wishes again from Alan Hinton, a Wednesbury boy.

* Wolves Heroes readers may be interested in the following link to an interview conducted just before Hinton attended Derby County’s 125th anniversary celebrations early this winter. Please see http://www.soundersfc.com/media-library/Videos/Features/2009/09-September/090919-Golden-Scarf.aspx

Steve Gordos shows the Hall of Fame book inscribed with Billy Harrison's name.

Relatives of new Wolves Hall of Fame inductee Billy Harrison have been traced – thanks to some local newspaper publicity and prolific author Steve Gordos.

Efforts to track down surviving family members of the early 20th century winger in time for the recent gala dinner at Molineux proved unsuccessful.

As a result, the handsome bound book marking the player’s induction was handed for temporary keeping to Steve, who also spoke on stage with MC Bob Hall on the night about the man who played 345 matches for the club.

But the valuable keepsake is now destined for a more appropriate, long-term home after an article in the Black Country Bugle had the desired effect.

“I’ve been quite happy to look after the book because it’s a lovely souvenir, inscribed with his name, and containing countless reports of Wolves games and major events,” said Steve, who is a member of the Hall of Fame selection committee.

“But it really should be in the Harrison family and I was thrilled to hear that a relative had come forward after the Bugle did a nice piece.

“Billy’s great grandson, a Wolves fan from Derby called Peter Chesney, was apparently surfing on the Internet for information and stumbled across the article.

“He has now made contact and I believe plans are being made for Wolves to officially hand the book over to him at one of the forthcoming matches.

“It would have been lovely if Peter could have been at the dinner in January but this is the next best thing and means the book will end up in its rightful place.”

Dorset-born Peter, 31, has been a Wolves supporter for about 20 years and said: “I became a fan as soon as I was told about my great granddad.

Peter Chesney, Billy Harrison's great grandson.

“I hadn’t seriously followed a team until then and remember thinking it was a massive coincidence because it happened around the time of the 1990 World Cup, when Steve Bull was playing and scoring for England.”

Remarkably, in a development that would have headline writers drooling these days, Harrison’s wife gave birth to triplets on the day he played and scored for Wolves in their 3-1 FA Cup final win over Newcastle at Crystal Palace in 1908.

The player subsequently moved to Manchester United, Port Vale and Wrexham and also ran the Rose and Crown pub in Tettenhall before he died in 1948, aged 62.

The brief statistics and facts relating to Harrison’s career appear on this website as he is no 23 in the list in our Legends area.

Adrian Williams - pictured on his return to the West Midlands.

Adrian Williams found himself submerged in happy coincidences after enrolling on a coaching course run by the League Managers Association last Wednesday.

Not only did he bump into familiar faces there but the venue – The Hawthorns – meant he could stay on a few hours and watch Reading’s thrilling FA Cup replay victory over Albion.

“It was amazing,” he said. “I write a column in the Reading newspaper and I was very lucky to have the chance to do the course during the day and then watch the game at night.”

The former centre-half, who spent four injury-plagued years at Molineux from 1996, was also among friends in the press room before the match as he renewed acquaintances with Mick Gooding (a team-mate of his at Reading but not Wolves) and Keith Downing, who spent many years on the Wanderers coaching staff before moving on to Cheltenham and now Albion.

“It was that sort of day,” Williams added. “On the coaching course, I saw John Ward and Paul Simpson as well as people like Phil Brown, Tony Adams, Lawrie Sanchez and Don Howe.

“I’ve already done some coaching at Swindon and even had a little spell as caretaker manager there, so I’m keen to get back in if I can.

“As well as the practical side of hearing about different techniques, it’s useful to network because the more people who know you, the better.

“There’s another course at Fulham next month, when Roy Hodgson is involved, so I will be there as well.”

Williams played only 36 matches as a £750,000 Wolves signing but overcame various injury problems to make around 500 appearances in all in his professional career.

Approaching 400 of those were in two spells with his home-town club Reading, where supporters named him as the centre-half (with 60 per cent of the vote) in the club’s all-time best X1.

A signed photo that proves he hasn't changed much in more than a decade.

He also won 13 Welsh caps as well as playing for Coventry, Colin Lee’s Millwall (on loan) and Swindon.

At 38, he is registered as an occasional player with Swindon Supermarine in the Zamaretto League premier division and is working hard on his fitness.

Having gone on a cycling holiday to Spain last summer with his former Reading team-mate Nicky Forster, he then did a ‘personal trainer’ course before Christmas and runs the Reading Half Marathon in mid-March.

Bert with two other long-serving former Wolves keepers, Fred Davies (centre) and Phil Parkes (right).

World-renowned Molineux keeper Bert Williams is to be the second interviewee in our new 2010 Q and A feature.

Wolves Heroes partner John Richards, who answered a host of fans’ questions last month, is to collate supporters’ emails this time and take them to Bert for answering.

We remain grateful to www.molineuxmix.co.uk for supporting us in this venture and hand over now to JR to explain the procedure:

“I am very excited to announce that my first guest in our new series is a true Wolves legend.

Bert Williams celebrated his 90th birthday at the end of January, just a few weeks after he was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame, and is currently starring in a TV advertising campaign for Mars in the build up to the World Cup finals in South Africa.

As all Wolves fans know, Bert was one of the key players of the 1940s and 1950s when Wolverhampton Wanderers became one of the world’s most most famous and respected clubs.

Nicknamed ‘The Cat’, he played 24 times for England and in well over 400 League and Cup games for his club, and is rightly considered to be one of the true greats of the game.

Bert is a proper gentleman and I have a little advice for those eager to fire questions at him. He finds it very difficult to compare players he played with. “How can I say I prefer one player to another?” he said to me. “I played with a lot of talented players. They were all so good, in their different positions, and each contributed to the team’s success.”

So, my suggestion is: Don’t ask him who the best player was that he ever played with, nor to attempt to draw from him his all-time favourite team. He’s much too polite to risk excluding anyone he shouldn’t have!

There’s still so much to go at, though. He was an FA Cup as well as League Championship winner at Molineux and played in many of those floodlight friendlies under Stan Cullis.

Diving bravely at the feet of Chelsea forward John McNichol as Billy Wright covers.

And he has done so much with his life since retiring as a player. 

If you have any questions for Bert, please get them to me at JR@wolvesheroes.com and make sure they reach me by Monday, March 8. Alternatively, Molineux Mix members can post them on the Wolves Heroes forum area of that site

We look forward to hearing from you.” 

Best Wishes

John Richards

We at Wolves Heroes were frustrated in our attempts to set up a rendezvous with Alan Hinton when the winger with the white boots was back in the Midlands almost three months ago.

With time differences and phone call costs, what better way then, by way of compensation, to invite the former Wolves, Derby and England star to tell the story of his Molineux life (and beyond) than in an open letter to this website?

Actually, it was an email from his home on the United States’ west coast – and a weighty one at that. So much so that we plan to dip back into our inbox and use a second instalment soon. Here’s the story – in Alan’s own words:

Alan Hinton taking a bow at Seattle Sounders.

“I am now in my 68th year and live in Seattle with my wife of 45 years, Joy. Our daughter Tania and three grandchildren live ten minutes away.

I take the kids to school every morning and I am so proud of them – Matteo, 12, (named after our late son Matthew), Alexia, ten, and Isabelle, eight.

I do TV and radio pre-match and half-time work for Seattle Sounders FC and find it so enjoyable contributing to the game I have loved all my life. Sounders expect crowds of 35,000 to 40,000 this season, so they are a big draw.

I loved the Wolves from around the age of seven. I lived in Wednesbury and we were an honourable working-class family. I was the oldest of three lads, all choir boys who were kept on the move, mainly by our mother while our father worked hard to pay the bills.

A tennis ball became my best friend and was always carried with me. There was little traffic, which meant I could play in the streets and find many walls to shoot against. One week I’d be at Wolves, the next WBA, Villa, Birmingham or sometimes Walsall. So much football on our doorstep.

I played for St.Barts, then Wednesbury Town team, South East Staffordshire and Birmingham County. My headmaster was the football coach and the most impressive role model I could wish for.

Scouts came to watch on Saturday mornings and after being presented with some choices, I was so proud to join Wolves as a groundstaff boy in 1957.

George Noakes, the wonderful chief scout, was also from Wednesbury, so were Norman Deeley and John Kirkham. I was in good hands.

I played Wolverhampton Works League football at 15 and quickly grew up. My mates at Wolves were John Kirkham, Graham Newton, Terry Wharton, Bobby Thomson, Kenny Sill, David Oliphant, Freddie Goodwin, Fred Kemp, David Hughes,Vic Cockcroft, David Read, Brian Perry and David Woodfield. Anyone know what happened to these super young footballers?

Hinton in England training, watched by Wolves team-mate Ron Flowers.

Most kids wanted to play for the Wolves. Standards were high. Stan Cullis was tough and Joe Gardiner, Jack Dowen, Bill Shorthouse and others were understanding but focused on the winning tradition of this wonderful club. Jack Davies was in charge of the youngsters and Fred the groundskeeper kept us busy.

The first team was full of international superstars. Billy Wright made me feel very special, so did other household names with their kidding and encouragement.

I’m talking about Malcolm Finlayson, George Showell, Eddie Stuart, Bill Slater, Bill Shorthouse, Bobby Mason, Barry Stobart, Fred Davies, Bill Slater, Jimmy Murray, Ron Flowers, Norman Deeley, John Kirkham, Gerry Mannion, Micky Lill, Des Horne, Cliff Durandt and especially Peter Broadbent, who took care of me when I gained a first-team place just after my 18th birthday. He made me look good with his great passing and service.

Ted Farmer was the bravest and toughest goalscorer I ever played with. Serious injury  issues cut his career short. What a tragedy for Wolves and particularly for Ted!

I represented Wolves with England under-18s, under-23s and then the England first team. But I wasn’t ready to be a full international after only 26 first-team games and Cullis told me so. A little like Theo Walcott now.

I played 75 games for Wolves, scoring 29 goals, but an unpleasant surprise was in store…….”

Sincere thanks and best wishes to all.

Alan Hinton.

The rest of Alan’s story will be posted on Wolves Heroes soon.

Express & Star columnist John Lalley, who is approaching the 50th anniversary of his first visit to Molineux, has become Wolves Heroes’ latest ’signing’ and kicks off his contributions here by coming up with his favourite Wolves side from the different golden generations he has watched and savoured.

“It is the most pleasantly impossible dilemma to sit down and select the best Wolves 11 from the 50 years I have spent besotted with the club.

I literally am spoilt for choice with some exceptional talent to chose from – some of them players of the very highest quality. Peter Broadbent scored against Bolton in the first game I saw at Molineux in August, 1960. He is demonstrably one of the greatest players Wolves have ever fielded.

A team-mate that day was Ron Flowers, who, like Broadbent, stands alongside the likes of Billy Wright and Bert Williams as a player of true international quality. For me not to include Broadbent and Flowers would make no football sense, except that maybe when I first saw them, both had enjoyed their best days in a Wolves shirt.

Truth is, I’ve copped out and indulged myself by picking a couple of personal favourites alongside other players whose achievements in a gold shirt make them automatic selections regardless of the criteria.

No Steve Bull? Certainly, no player has made a more substantial impact on the club in the last 50 years. The fact that his scoring exploits occurred outside the top flight is irrelevant. He inspired the club’s resurrection from the precipice to oblivion and became a full international while doing so. His contribution is truly remarkable. He was and remains a Wolves icon but I simply cannot exclude Derek Dougan or John Richards to accommodate him.

How can I ignore Norman Deeley (pictured above right), Eddie Clamp and Malcolm Finlayson from my early days? And, talking of goalscorers, take a look at the terrific record racked up by Jimmy Murray.

My conscience is still pounding over the omission of Ken Hibbitt, a thoroughbred of a midfielder, magnificently consistent over so many years. And, from the current squad, Kevin Doyle is just about the best player I’ve seen at Molineux in the last 30 years.

Naming only 11 is an impossible conundrum but the memories in trying are priceless, so here goes in 4-4-2 formation:

MATT MURRAY: With any consideration of Murray, the natural conclusion is to bemoan his ill-fortune and speculate on what might have been but for sustained injuries. Better to recall his brief but brilliant contribution, climaxed by the best all-round season I have ever seen from a Wolves keeper (back in 2006-07). His reassuring dominance of his area, lightning reflexes and immaculate handling, underpinned by his towering physical presence, inspired an inexperienced Wolves team to the verge of promotion. His display at Norwich that season stands as the finest 90 minutes I have ever seen from a Wolves keeper. Heresy to suggest maybe but, had the fates been kinder, Murray possessed the attributes to have outstripped even Bert Williams as our best ever.

Derek Parkin - record-breaker.

DEREK PARKIN: Essentially, Parkin was a right-sided full-back who played out most of his record number of Wolves appearances on the left flank. He was a fast, resolute defender who was sharp in the tackle for a relatively slight man. His consistency was admirable. He rarely suffered any dip in form while his outstanding fitness made him an excellent overlapping attacking option. He returned unfazed from a suspected heart condition, showing tremendous reserves of character and resilience that epitomised his long and distinguished career.

FRANK MUNRO: For a period just before and after our 1974 League Cup triumph, Munro was a peerless defender; strong, reassuringly powerful, yet blessed with superb football skills that gave him the confidence to constructively play his way out of difficulty. Hoofing the ball into row Z wasn’t Frank’s style. He trusted his ability and instinctive touch and the end result was pure class – not that he ever avoided confrontation. He had an abrasive streak all right and never backed down.

BILL SLATER: Dignified, calm and classy; all the attributes you would associate with a university lecturer – a vocation Slater excelled in alongside his career in top-class football. He was a constructive and versatile player who could tackle an opponent with shuddering power and determination. Physically imposing yet scrupulously fair, he was the master of understated commitment. His last game against Blackpool summed him up. After turning in a man-of-the-match display, he left the Molineux pitch without fuss or any show of emotion, because he felt that was the correct way to conduct himself.

GERRY HARRIS: In many ways the unsung hero of the successful Cullis era, Harris was a quick, all-action full-back, massively determined and cool under pressure. Like Parkin, his consistency was remarkable and he possessed a steely desire to win. I will always remember his performance in the famous 4-3 win over West Ham, the night before the bombshell of Cullis being fired. Undeterred by conceding an own goal, Harris responded with a one-man show of frenzied defiance, scoring himself to clinch an unlikely win.

MIKE BAILEY: Talk of Bailey and you immediately consider leadership. Undeniably he was a great captain but, first and foremost, he was a fabulous player. Built like a champion middleweight, he was inspirational, the midfield director of operations, the heartbeat of the team, crisp and accurate in possession and bitingly sharp in the tackle. His 1966-67 contribution during our promotion campaign is the best by any outfield player I have ever seen at Wolves. The moment when he lifted the League Cup in 1974 remains, for me, the best Wolves memory of the last 50 years and nobody earned that privilege more than Mike Bailey.

PETER KNOWLES: His unique departure from the game might lead to accusations that we exaggerate his true abilities. I don’t think so. Knowles was a highly skilled footballer with a deft touch and a burning desire to win. He could create and finish chances with sublime authority. Good in the air and supremely self-confident, he genuinely had it all. And, sadly, the best was still to come when he quit at 23. To have been denied the chance of seeing such a superb talent dovetailing with our super teams of the early 1970s is still an epic disappointment.

ALEX RAE: There have been better midfield players than Rae at Molineux but none who displayed more application and tenacity. He was a very tidy footballer – quick, snappy and belligerent, and an excellent distributor of the ball, with an eye for goal himself. He was absolutely inspirational in our ill-fated 2003-04 Premier League season, virtually waging a one-man war against impossible odds with a colossal appetite for work and a bloody-minded refusal to give up regardless of the situation.

Dave Wagstaffe - breathtaking skills.

DAVE WAGSTAFFE: Since the glory days of the 1950s, no player has excited a Molineux audience more than Waggy in full flow. He could beat a full-back effortlessly and the precision of his sweeping crosses from the left flank created innumerable opportunities for our grateful strikers. He had brilliant touch and control and was a superb ball player, blessed with breathtaking natural skills. His artistry could unravel the tightest of defences and, very often, did just that.

JOHN RICHARDS: A supreme penalty box predator who, given just half a chance, was a match-winner. In his prime, Richards was a formidable striker, lightning fast with the intuition to find space and manoeuvre openings to his advantage. Always found the time and the inclination to tackle back and help his midfield colleagues when Wolves were under pressure. He was a real team player. His Wembley winner in 1974 epitomised the man; playing in pain with a serious injury, he delivered when it really mattered and the moment was ecstatic.

DEREK DOUGAN: Nobody, until Steve Bull arrived, has ever enjoyed such rapport and adoration with the Molineux crowd as this man. From the moment he announced himself with the famous hat-trick against Hull until his departure eight years later, he had the fans in the palm of his hand – and nobody could have relished it more. But he was a superb player too; quick, aware of channels and angles and deceptively strong and physical. He was magnificent in the air and a prolific finisher whose partnership with Richards was magnificent. He and Wolves gelled from day one. The memories will never dim.”