Golfers Have A Real Ball

Yesterday’s second staging of the Ex Wolves Players Golf Day is being hailed as an even bigger success than last year – with bookings already pouring in for 2014 as well.

The event was graced by the appearance of a full 11-strong line-up of former Molineux men – Phil Parkes, Geoff Palmer, Steve Daley, Steve Kindon, John Richards, Terry Wharton, Kenny Hibbitt, Mel Eves, Barry Powell, Robbie Dennison and Dale Rudge.

One-time Albion defender Paul Raven, now employed by the PFA, was also in attendance, as was snooker star Willie Thorne and a cluster of players from the non-League circuit.

The proceedings are set to bring a bumper pay day for the two chosen charities – Compton Hospice and the breast cancer appeal fund set up in memory of Parkes’ late wife Maureen.

Thorne conducted the first part of the auction, with main organiser Daley then putting a number of impressive Wolves memorabilia items under the hammer – and finding two familiar buyers. Richards paid £360 for a montage of the 1974 League Cup final on behalf of Powell, who had to depart before dinner, and Palmer splashed out £200 on a similar collection from the 1980 Wembley win over Nottingham Forest.

From elsewhere in the room, £150 was committed by a supporter for a combined montage of Richards and the man who succeeded him as Wolves’ all-time record goalscorer, Steve Bull.

“It was a brilliant day in all ways,” Daley said. “We sold out of teams in no time and everyone said how much they enjoyed the golf.

“With a top-quality comedian and a lovely meal, we couldn’t have asked for any more and it’s so rewarding to do this for such special causes. And to have people already promising to put teams in next year.”

We will be writing much more from the day over the next week or so but will sign off for now for now with some interesting thoughts from players in the after-dinner question and answer session.

Namely that Daley, according to Hibbitt, would have become a Wolves legend had he not been sold to Manchester City for a club record fee; that Dave Wagstaffe, in the opinion of Richards, was the most skilful member of the early 1970s side and that Peter Knowles, in the words of Parkes, would have become the best Wanderers player of all time had he not answered an alternative calling.

Interesting thoughts indeed – and we promise there is much more where that came from.