Birthday Boy And His Fortunes On The Big Day

So on how many occasions did Steve Bull score for Wolves on his birthday?

The temptation, given his colossal record at Molineux, is to say he must have achieved the feat several times but the reality is somewhat different.

Only once, in fact, did many happy returns convert to any returns for him on the score-sheet – and that was in 1987 during his first spring with the club.

On that day, he dived to head home from Robbie Dennison’s cross for the only goal of a Fourth Division home game against Scunthorpe during a storming Wolves run of eight successive League victories.

He did have another chance to mark his special date of March 28 in the way he knew best. On this day in 1992, he faced Millwall at Molineux but neither he nor any team-mates could break a dull deadlock.

There was one other notable year in gold and black for Bully to have a good birthday celebration, though. Two days before his 23rd birthday, he helped demolish Darlington on their visit to the West Midlands with his fourth hat-trick of the 1987-88 season.

That being the small matter of 30 years ago, this is the day on which the record-breaking striker turns 53, which is only fractionally above the number of goals he routinely used to deliver in those lower-division days.

The decider he despatched past former Walsall keeper Ron Green against Scunthorpe was one of 19 goals he struck in his debut (part) season at Molineux and that encouraging tally was blown out of the water over the next two years as he passed the half century mark in both the Fourth Division and Third Division title triumphs.

Bully might be interested to know there is one other anniversary that is significant to him this week.

Tomorrow marks 24 years on from when Graham Taylor arrived as manager – a day Wolves heralded in 1994 with a fine 3-1 win at Bolton.

The no 9 scored two that night as well but the shirt was then being worn by the on-loan Guy Whittingham, with Bully on the long-term injured list.