Bumper Turn-Out At Wergs

Wolves favourites, primarily from the 1970s, showed up in sizeable numbers to make their latest annual charity golf day a resounding success.

We looked down the field at The Wergs in Tettenhall and came up with this highly useful line-up from those competing – in the 3-4-3 formation favoured by the present-day Wolves: Phil Parkes, Geoff Palmer, John McAlle, Phil Nicholls; Terry Wharton, Kenny Hibbitt, Willie Carr, Steve Daley; Steve Kindon, John Richards, Mel Eves.

We even had a manager among us in Dave Jones, the son of another well-known boss in Paul McGarry, whose dad Bill passed away in 2005, and present-day director John Gough.

In welcoming all players and guests in his unique way, chief organiser Steve Daley savoured the fact that the total of 27 teams was a record for the event, either at this venue or the one used up to three years ago, Oxley Park.

That was good news for the three chosen charities – Birmingham Children’s Hospital, the Maureen Parkes Breast Cancer Appeal and Smile For Joel.

Parkes and Carr each failed ‘fitness tests’ before the early-June They Wore The Shirt tournament at Enville but were happily back in action, as was Palmer, who has promised to use his retirement to be present at more of these gatherings.

Hibbitt and Kindon are by no means ever-presents either, largely because they live in Gloucestershire and Blackpool respectively. The latter was on duty at the microphone at the dinner, though, and is due back on the patch later in the year.

Along with Wolves fanatic Jeremy Nicholls, who is the professional at the Ledene club near Codsall, McGarry Jnr produced some of the best golf of the afternoon, although Hibbitt’s ball-striking is always something to savour.

McGarry also used to be in golf’s paid ranks and is living proof of how the sporting gene was shared out among the family, his father having filled many of his non-football hours on the squash court but also taken to the fairways when possible.

Many of the same Wolves favourites are likely to be back together for the annual visit to the Wrottesley Park par-three course five weeks today, September 17.

Joining in with the post-round entertainment on Friday night was former England off-spinner and long-time national selector Geoff Miller.

Smile For Joel is a fund-raising charity set up in the aftermath of the Tunisia beach atrocities two summers ago to support and help families shattered by bereavement through homicide.