1 2 9 0 6 0 6 6 Wolverhampton Wanderers London Supporters Club 40th Anniversary Dinner Saturday 22nd July At ‘The Valley’, Home of Charlton Athletic Football Club WOLVERHAMPTON tonight. WANDERERS LONDON Thanks to Bob Goddard, Mick SUPPORTERS CLUB Flello and Alan Taylor for their contributions and to the various Honorary Life President authors of books published Derek Dougan about Wolves that I have scoured through looking for Honorary President articles and photographs to John Richards reproduce here. It has not been an easy task. Chairman Stuart Earl I’m a Wolves fan because my family were Wolves fans and Honorary Member Editorial my dad took me to games - Philip O’Connor Sir Jack Haywood OBE whenever he could - its in my When I volunteered to pull blood. I joined London Wolves Secretary together this brochure to in January 1988 when I found Dave Slape celebrate the 40th Anniversary myself sitting opposite Dave of London Wolves I thought it Slape on the train following a 4- Treasurer would be an easy task despite 0 home win against Brentford in Tim Richards the fact that I hadn’t even born the Sherpa Van trophy (Bully when the club was founded! (3), Dennison). I’d always made Travel Secretary How wrong I was. Despite all my own way to games before Peter Woodifield the memories that must be but welcomed the chance to Newsletter Editor stored in members heads of join up with a group of fellow Philip O’Connor trips and matches it has proved fans. Shift and Saturday work almost impossible to dislodge prevented me attending many Entertainment Officer them. I’m enormously grateful matches but the Club were John Engleman to those members who have always welcoming on the few taken the time and effort to occasions that allowed me to Minutes Secretary contribute. Those members use their services. Even Leo Masters who are reading this and attending one trip a season thinking they have better stories using the subsidised train fare Committee Members than the ones published can jot makes the membership fee a Stefan Leonard them down now in preparation bargain and being kept in touch Stan Armett for the 50th Anniversary where with news and events at Dave Hodges I’m sure a similar project will be Molineux makes it all Matthew Hawthorn attempted. worthwhile. Hence I got more Peter Bartlett involved once work conditions My thanks go to Committee Guy Thomas allowed and I volunteered to members Stuart Earl, Dave produce the club newsletter Slape, Peter Woodifield, Peter Club Contacts and this commemorative Bartlett, John Engleman and Stuart Earl brochure. I see it as a small Dave Hodges for their 01760 756278 way to give something back to assistance in pulling this the team I love. Dave Slape together. Particular thanks go to 0208 764 8023 Peter Bartlett who provided My favourite match ever was a loads of London Wolves and 1-0 win over Arsenal at Peter Woodifield team memorabilia for me to Highbury the day before my 01634 363704 plough through. With Special birthday in 1979 when John thanks also to ‘60s member Richards, returning from a 5 e-Mail Terry Lynch and Mark Fidler at month injury lay-off, netted the [email protected] Tower Press whose excellent winner in front of the North printing services have enabled Bank. The bragging rights at website this brochure to be with you school that week were brilliant. www.londonwolves.com meeting, made up of anyone Plymouth Argyle FC. who could be bothered really, held in sitting room of the Forty years on, we have a lot children’s home that my of people to thank for our parents were running at the present position as a time. I can remember some financially stable and well-run of the names, Bill Curtis (The organisation, recognised by World Champion Train Spotter The Club, players, former [verified in The Guinness players and various Book Of Records]), who was organisations all over the elected Chairman but I think country. only because he was the oldest and most sensible, well It would not be fair not to certainly in everything apart bore you with the names of from trains as Bill had a habit these past club servants, to of disappearing at stations whom both WWLSC and I owe such as Crewe to enlarge his so much gratitude in helping collection of engine numbers, to put this Club where it is Terry O’Connor, Dave Grafton, today. Tony Roche, our first myself and Dave Slape. newsletter editor, now rugby correspondent for The Sun, From the Chair – Stuart Earl. These meetings were Bob Green, Chris Stonnell, scheduled for after Top Of The Terry Peachey, Morris Jacobs, You probably saw the same Pops on a Thursday, as we Martin Rutherford, Adrian faces commuting on the 09.15 sixteen/seventeen year olds Lewis, Peter Abbott, Tony out of Paddington, but on a would not budge before the Stewart (who ran the London Saturday these faces changed no 1 record had been played. Wolves football team), Ray a little, and were replaced by Stock, Colin Whiting, Steve younger noisier people I was chosen to arrange the Roe, Sid Green, Brian Restall wearing the colours of coach and this proved more and Rob Broadley, plus any I Wolverhampton Wanderers difficult than I expected, have omitted to mention due and after several weeks the because these companies to the advanced years. theme of the conversation actually wanted full payment turned to getting to the match before they supplied the With no disrespect to the more cheaply and therefore transport and I certainly could previous incumbents, the more often. not afford that sort of cash. present bunch that we have is The prices quoted were the finest I have had the Some of the names are still between £20 and £30 and pleasure of working with and on the train, but gone are the after many phone calls I to them goes my heartfelt noisy steam engine, the dirty finally found a company, thanks, especially to Dave, carriages and the four hour Cresta Coaches, prepared to John, Stefan and Phil, who journey (sometimes), the take us on the understanding have worked so hard to make return fare of £1 8s 0d, to be that the full amount was paid, tonight a success. replaced with the London in cash, to the driver before Supporters Club as we know it departure from Elizabeth May we all have the good today. Bridge, Victoria. A quick divi fortune to be here for the up between the 31 travelling fiftieth anniversary. There was a hurriedly fans gave us a fare of 13 arranged first Committee shillings (65p) for our I do hope that you all inaugural trip against enjoy your evening. 1 - Fred Davies (1961-1968) League Appearances - 156 F.A.Cup Appearances - 15 League Cup Appearances - 2 Total Appearances - 173 Rotherham Home Leeds Utd Away, Sept ‘73 - Pete Woodifield After a few hair-raising moments with - Dave Slape the driver pulling out in front of Steve Roe the Travel Secretary juggernauts and shouting out “I can In 1967, the club coach departed organised a minibus to the match as it see them”, we somehow to arrive at from Fulham Broadway and on Leeds at about 7.15pm. The driver th was a midweek match. The company Saturday 8 April Wolves were to supplied their own driver. When on parked in a side street near the play Rotherham United at the M1 we noticed that the vehicle ground but when asked by the police Molineux with a 7:30pm kick-off. wasn’t travelling at great speed and to reverse back a few yards he when we questioned the driver he remarked “I haven’t got a reverse gear”. Also the tax disc was out of While we waited outside the remarked that the vehicle didn’t have a top gear. date, but fortunately the police didn’t Underground station hundreds of notice. Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday fans passed en route to Stamford We continued travelling until we reached next service station at Anyway, we got to the ground when Bridge for a F.A.Cup tie. We left at Toddington where he said he would the teams were warming up, but 2pm and as we travelled through get the problem fixed. After waiting probably wished we hadn’t made it to Birmingham we passed the City’s what felt like an age, it seemed as if the game as Wolves lost 4-1 and ground. At the final whistle of the garage couldn’t fix the problem so Derek Parkin was sent-off. Blue’s game their fans looked we managed to contact a car hire firm mystified at the sight of our lone to hire 2 cars. While waiting for the Of course, the inevitable happened on the return journey as the minibus coach journeying through their cars to arrive the minibus driver broke down at Harrow and we had to midst. turned up and much to our surprise said the garage had fixed the wait on the hard shoulder for the company to send out another minibus. It was unusual to play on Saturday problem. We therefore carried on with the journey but did not expect to make I think it was around 4 o’clock the night in those days. Anyway, the kick-off. I’m not sure if the hire following morning before we got back Wolves won 2-0 with goals from cars were delivered as we didn’t wait to London. Steve also had to loan the Ernie Hunt and Derek Dougan.