Final Turns On A Long Road

Friday, May 9: Had some fun texting Rob Kelly as our paths crossed on the M5 this afternoon. We were driving north of Exeter after a break in Devon and wished him all the best for Barrow’s final game of the season tomorrow at the ‘other’ St James’s Park. Among his messages was a remark about how long the journey to the south-west was feeling.

Saturday, May 15: Thank goodness there were at least some spectators at Wembley today for the Leicester-Chelsea FA Cup final. After the recent super league threat, Leicester’s win was a great result for the many neutrals but it’s still difficult to accept that the 20,000 attendance was comfortably below the figure the Foxes’ keeper coach Mike Stowell played in front of in no fewer than 14 games for Wolves in the competition.

Sunday, May 16: It has been said a thousand times over but the absence of fans has really hurt again today. The absence of away supporters, anyway. Wolves would have had a major following at Tottenham today, given that they were making a visit to the Premier League’s newest venue. And maybe some vocal backing would have encouraged a better performance out of the side.

Wednesday, May 19: Enjoyed a quick coffee with Richard Skirrow and loved a story he told me about the tragic Lee Collins. The former Wolves secretary was a firm admirer of the Molineux-developed Yeovil captain, whose death at the appallingly young age of 32 was announced a couple of months ago. When Lee came back to Molineux with Northampton for a 3-2 League Cup win in 2014, Richard waited outside the visitors’ dressing room at the end to say hello and went on to reminisce with the Telford lad over how he had been drafted into Wolves’ FA Youth Cup final side against Southampton a decade and a half ago and done a fine job on Theo Walcott – a reminder that pleased Lee no end when it was overheard by his team-mates!

Friday, May 21: Had an email from journalist-broadcaster Steve Tongue, who we spotlighted in our Media Watch feature last summer, asking how we think Kenny Jackett will perform in charge of his beloved Orient. The appointment on Friday of the former Wolves boss has apparently split opinion in East London but, as ever, we wish this decent man all the very best.

Sunday, May 23: His team may have been a tough watch for much of the season but what a class act Nuno Espirito Santo was to the very end. Some of his post-match reactions have been spectacular and many have lifted the heart….today, after the farewell home defeat against Manchester United, he hit just the right note again with his actions and words. We will miss him loads!

Wednesday, May 26: Still waiting for a follow-up message after replying to an emailed Wolves book enquiry from someone in Cape Town bearing the surname Cullis. There’s only one question to ask about that….hope we receive an answer.

Tuesday, June 1: Turned the clock back today to where it all began for the Wolves Fans Parliament. Have been asked to write a website article celebrating the work of the group over the last decade and a half as they prepare this summer to become a trust, running independently of the club. To help me with my words, a Zoom meeting was called with former Wolves commercial director Stuart Cain and the trust’s Football Supporters Association liaison officer Neil Dady. The same three of us had met towards the end of Sir Jack Hayward’s time as owner to sift through more than 100 applications from supporters wishing to be founder members.