Death Of Double Title Winner

Wolves have lost another precious link with their 1950s glory years with the death of Colin Booth.

The inside-forward made the first of his 82 League and cup appearances for the club just before their 1954-55 title defence ended in an agonising near-miss but totalled 26 games across their successive championship triumphs towards the end of the decade.

He was generally seen as back-up in the club’s all-star attack, though, with Peter Broadbent, Bobby Mason and Dennis Wilshaw around to provide the stiffest of competition and Jimmy Murray able to play in the no 8 or no 10 roles as well as mainly at centre-forward.

Greater Manchester-born Booth signed professional at Molineux in 1952 and after his debut three years later, enjoyed his busiest Wanderers season when contributing 27 competitive games and seven goals in 1955-56.

His marksmanship rate increased from there and he netted nine times in the 1956-57 First Division, the season in which he also won a solitary England under-23 cap.

Colin played as well for Nottingham Forest, Doncaster, Oxford, Cambridge United and Cheltenham, and had been resident in a care home near Oxford for a considerable while. 

Aged 90, he became the club’s oldest surviving former player when Peter McParland passed away nine days ago.

The Wolves family have also been mourning the loss of 1960s stalwart Dave Woodfield, whose son, brother and grandson were shown pitch-side with John Richards on Match of the Day’s coverage of the game against Brighton on Saturday.

As we said about ‘Duggie’ recently, we will be publishing a fuller Colin Booth obituary soon.

*Wolves fans wishing to support Phil Parkes in his time of need can do so by logging on to (or copying and pasting) https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/phil-lofty-parkes?utm_medium=CR&utm_source=CL

The hugely popular keeper underwent back surgery after suffering what have been described as life-changing injuries in a fall and remains in New Cross Hospital prior to going for more specialist treatment at Oswestry.

Medical assessments are continuing but the appeal was launched by entrepreneur and champion fund-raiser Jason Guy, in conjunction with Wolves Former Players Association, in anticipation that home adjustments are likely to be necessary, plus care visits. Any surplus amount raised would be distributed around local charities.