Mystery Solved!
More Memories Of Sammy
A further insight into the life and career of Sammy Smyth has been despatched to us in the wake of his sad recent passing – in particular relating to the pronunciation of his name. We have given more than one name-check on here to Coventry-based Wolves fan Don Noble, who has proved a valuable aid to us on historical Molineux matters.
Sammy Smyth: 1925 – 2016
Cup Hero Who Lit Up Wembley
Wolves’ history is littered with players who arrived in these parts from different corners of the UK, married local girls and stayed in the area; Liverpudlian Jimmy Dunn, for example. Sammy Smyth, who outlived his fellow inside-forward by almost two years in becoming the last survivor of the first post-war Wolves team to win the FA Cup, was one of those of whom we saw much less in his dotage.
No Easing Up For The Skipper
Bailey Back Again To Say Thank-You
Mike Bailey has put a happy-ish end to a difficult and exhausting week by making another trip to Molineux in honour of the London Wolves Supporters Club that he has such a close friendship with. The long-time skipper, along with wife Barbara, was at the stadium as recently as Wednesday following the funeral of his former team-mate Graham Hawkins.
Huge Turn-Out To Hear Of ‘A Life Well Lived’
Full House – And Then Some – At Emotional Service
More than anything else, the size of the turn-out told the story. “It’s very rare that we get what you might call a capacity crowd,” said the Reverend David Wright. “It’s a real tribute to Graham Hawkins that we have one here today.” ‘Standing room only’ barely starts to explain what a tight squeeze it was in Bushbury Crematorium’s west chapel. There were at least twice as many stood at the sides as there were seated and we learned later that around 30 others, including Mike Bailey, John Richards, John McAlle and Phil Parkes, had been shoe-horned into the foyer, following proceedings as best they could on a TV screen. Maybe this should have been one of those all-ticket funerals!
Sad Week Begins With A Warm Tribute
‘Real Gent, Great Guy’
We kick off the week of Graham Hawkins’ funeral with a personal appreciation from a fan well known to Express & Star readers. John Lalley, the paper’s chief terrace voice over the last decade, did not know the former Wolves fan, player, manager and scout well and regrets the fact that he couldn’t have become better acquainted with him.
Life With Big Sam……And Onwards Out East
Full-Back Who Wolves Didn’t See The Best Of
Ask pretty much anyone in the world to name a football club and I am pretty confident you would hear the words Manchester United before long. Their reach seems to be endless, so perhaps it should come as no surprise that they have a presence on the ground in the most outlying of places. Locations like Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan and the largest city on the Caspian Sea.
Keeping The Spirit Alive
Higher And Higher…….Fund Made Famous By Bert
Twelve prints that formed part of Bert Williams’ massive memorabilia collection have been sold off cut-price to further boost the colossal money-raising efforts he made on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Society. The framed pictures, most of them depicting his notorious agility and bravery, were frequently displayed when the keeper and his close friend Glyne Wetton used to take them round as props on their charity nights.
Busy Time For Anniversaries
Bully Milestone Just One Of Many
We are all probably getting the idea that this autumn is a time for major Molineux milestones. The Steve Bull dinner (and book) scheduled for next month is to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his arrival at Wolves, which means we will also have the dates in the next few weeks on which he made his debut for the club and scored his first goal for them.
A Night To Remember
Stylish Start To Life On The Book Shelves
There have been some excellent book launches at and around Wolves down the years, starting with the one at the Goldthorn Hotel that had Ted Farmer coming over all misty-eyed as he took the wraps off his autobiography in 1987. More than once, the Express & Star had fans queueing down the stairs to get copies signed by anything up to three dozen former players seated at tables around the perimeter of a room and, by way of novelty value, Brian Roberts hit the spot when attaching his paperback, Harry’s Game, to a rocket and sending it zooming skywards at half-time of a Bonfire Night game against Bristol Rovers in 1991.
Dear Diary Entry 60
1980s Colleagues Back In Contact
Monday, September 5: Was delighted to forward Matt Forman’s contact details so Steve Bull could invite him to the dinner next month to celebrate the 30th anniversary of him joining Wolves. The midfielder was part of the big revival in the earlier months and gave us an excellent interview earlier this year.
