Wolves Heroes Lead, The FA Follow!

How flattered we have been these last few days to learn that the FA have adopted a ‘magic numbers’ system similar to the one we at Wolves Heroes introduced several years ago.

Every man ever to have played League football for Wolves has a number in our Afobe to Zyro section, based on chronological entrances to the side.

Now, we note that England have done the same in the countdown to the home game against Montenegro on November 14 that is our 1,000th full international.

From the country’s first goalkeeper, Robert Baker, to the recently-capped Villa defender Tyrone Mings, every one of the 1,244 players to have represented England has been allocated a legacy number.

Those on view against Montenegro will have their numbers displayed just below the crest on their shirts, with the personal identification being retained in future underneath the collar.

Looking down the list, our eye was naturally drawn to the Wolves men who appear, with Matt Jarvis (at 1,173) the most recent addition.

Immediately before him came Jay Bothroyd (by then a Cardiff player) while Steve Bull, as the only other man to have played for England as a member of the Molineux staff in the last 30 years, is number 1,015.

None of the Wolves representatives has a landmark number, with Neil Webb (1,000) occupying the most treasured of those.

Here are the numbers that will most interest Wolves supporters:

109 Billy Rose; 125 Dickie Baugh; 135 Charlie Mason; 141 Harry Allen; 152 Albert Fletcher; 163 Jack Brodie; 169 Harry Wood; 189 George Kinsey; 215 Arthur Topham; 266 Billy Beats; 278 Tom Badderley.

356 Kenneth Hunt; 627 Tom Smalley; 634 Tom Galley; 640 Stan Cullis; 658 Billy Wright; 665 Jimmy Mullen; 680 Johnny Hancocks; 686 Bert Williams; 689 Jesse Pye.

722 Dennis Wilshaw; 741 Bill Slater; 747 Ron Flowers; 770 Eddie Clamp; 772 Peter Broadbent; 779 Norman Deeley; 808 Chris Crowe; 810 Alan Hinton; 824 Bobby Thomson; 889 John Richards; 1,015 Steve Bull; 1,173 Matt Jarvis.

Selected others who won their England caps while elsewhere other than Molineux: Ronnie Allen (717), Bill McGarry (733), Mike Bailey (828), Emlyn Hughes (861), Alan Sunderland (946), Geoff Thomas (1,025), Andy Sinton (1,036), Keith Curle (1,042), Paul Ince (1,044), Tim Flowers (1,049).

Please see http://www.thefa.com/news/2019/10/31/08/34/england-players-legacy-numbers for further information.