One For The Anoraks

Wednesday, May 6: A brute of a question for starters…..does anyone know the line-ups from when Wolves recorded a 3-0 Central League win over Coventry on March 31, 1970? Does anyone have a Wolves programme from soon afterwards that might contain the answer, or even a scrapbook containing an Express & Star match report? Don’t worry…..lockdown isn’t sending us so ‘statto’ that we suddenly need to know such information. We were asked the question by Coventry historian Jim Brown and will endeavour to help him through a visit to the Wolverhampton Archive in a few weeks’ time if none of our readers has helped us out in the meantime. Jim tells us that John Richards netted one of the three against the Sky Blues reserves and we note that Jim McCalliog, Derek Dougan, Hugh Curran and Bertie Lutton were all on first-team duty that day in a 3-0 defeat at West Ham.

Saturday, May 9: Great to hear in a text from Dave Thomas that he and John Richards had enjoyed a long catch-up by phone. Dave signed off the chat we had with him earlier this week that he planned to ring John as well very shortly. Nice to hear that he was true to his word. We know Les Wilson will be contacting his former Vancouver Whitecaps colleague soon as well.

Thursday, May 14: Received a request to help set up a signing session with Bobby Gould the other side of lockdown – if he is willing. When so much of our normal lives is considered off limits, even an event like this sounds exciting!

Sunday, May 17: Another question out of the ordinary…..do any of our readers by any chance have footage of Wolves’ pre-season friendly away to Sporting Lisbon in 2002? We were contacted out of the blue by a Sporting fan who is hoping that some film exists. Presumably, it would have taken something more than a mobile phone to do the job in those days. Please get in touch if you may be able to help.

Sunday, May 24: Have noted with great interest that Rob Kelly’s club, Fortuna Dusseldorf, have started back in the Bundesliga with two draws – against Paderborn at home and Cologne away. Their hopes of avoiding relegation from the top division remain in the balance but it’s wonderful to have some live sport to be following, even from this considerable distance.

Thursday, May 28: Talking of which, it will soon be time to start looking in earnest again at the remaining Premier League fixtures. Although we know it will be armchair viewing only for the foreseeable future, the thought of West Ham v Wolves and what lies beyond is mouth-watering. Bring it on!

Wednesday, June 3: Norman Bell responded to a text and said, yes, he was a team-mate of Albion legend Tony Brown in American football. The pair were together in 1980 with the New England Tea Men and the former Wolves striker said today: “We became quite close. My wife Susan and Tony’s Irene got on really well. We have descended to Christmas cards only in recent years but I have their number and intend ringing.”