After getting lost for months in the back and beyond of Chile, the Wolves Blog Postcard has traveled across the South Pacific to Melbourne, where our very own Ash K (Ashley Kausman) was waiting with open arms.
How does an 8 year old boy in Melbourne, Australia become a Wolves fan when the year is 1970 and there are no live games shown, no internet, no Wolves Blog?
We used to get Match of the Day on a Saturday morning – a week after the match was played. The telecast was in black and white, so even if the commentators mentioned “old gold”, I probably did not have an accurate idea of team colours.
The local Australian Rules Football teams had nick-names like Lions, Hawks, Bombers, and it just didn’t make sense to me to cheer for a team called “City” or “Town” or “United”. So the “Wolves” became my team. Apart from the occasional game on Match of the Day, the only information that I really had was to check the scores and tables in Monday morning’s papers.
My relationship was further cemented when I went to high school and a number of the kids followed English Football more closely. Whilst most were Man U, Derby, Arsenal and Liverpool supporters, I discovered a friend (Darren) who not only followed Wolves, but regularly received match day programs – My year 8 school folders were covered with pictures from the programs – I recall one reviewing the away match at Burnley headlined “Turf Moore, More, MORE!” (I think we scored 5 or 6 there).
The descent through the divisions was not covered in much detail in Australia, although I still checked the scores every Monday!
My first visit to Molineux came in the 1989-90 season. I was working in Liverpool for 6 months, and despite them having a more than useful local team, I managed to get myself down to Wolverhampton and stand on the terraces with a dilapidated empty stand on the left side of the ground.
Memorable results included a 2-1 win over the Baggies and 1-0 over Leeds. (My wife and kids are all familiar with the “Leeds” song).
Premier League status (first time) and the advent of live games on pay TV enhanced my connection with Wolves, where I could finally see a handful of games live. I also travel quite a bit for work and had a bizarre experience at a trade show in Singapore, where a gathering of a few hundred people at a Tax Free exhibition found a core group of Wolves fans from UK (Andrew), Abu Dhabi (Dan), Singapore (Alex) and Sweden (Janne Eric).
Premier League second time, saw Australian TV broadcast just about every game live, although it meant start times of anything from midnight to 5 am. Although my wife thinks that I am completely mad, I watched most matches and have managed to welcome my middle child to the fold and he is now a committed Wolves fan .
I have to credit Wolves Blog as being a major factor in my connection with everything Wolves – I find myself checking in pretty much every day (even in the off season awaiting trades that never seem to occur). It is great to hear the differing views of the good, bad and ugly and without having met any of the contributors, I somehow still feel like I “know” many of you.
Lastly, I want to let you know of my 2 sporting highlights of 2012…
At number 2 – being a part of the Gambian team at the London Olympics, including marching at the opening ceremony. (But why an Australian who has never been to the Gambia is a member of their team is a whole other story for another time!)
And my number 1 sporting highlight of 2012 was winning the Wolves Blog prediction league! Being 10,555 miles from Molineux, and therefore unable to attend any home or away matches, I can’t explain my predictive prowess other than to say that with Wolves, being a pessimist pays off – though hopefully that is now starting to change.
Go Wolves!
Ashley
I love this segment, well done Ash.
I only wish I could contribute but WS15 isn’t particularly exotic!
Great to meet the face behind the name and hear the story of how it all came about. I have been a devotee of the blog for about 4 years and aswell as reading the views enjoy getting to know the characters behind them.UTW.
Great story. Well done for making the biggest and best decision all those years ago.
Great read Ash, and an amazing story.
My brother lives a little North of Sydney and is a lifelong Wolves fan.
Unlike you however, he emigrated there from England so had followed the club before he upped his roots some eight or so years ago.
I, like he, as an ex-pat rely quite heavily on forums such as this to keep up with supporters views on the games and what is going on at the club, as it is so often more heartfelt and reliable than other available media sources.
I am enjoying the postcard series, and hope myself to receive it one day. It is great reading about other fans of the Old Gold persuasion scattered around the globe. It is sometimes quite remarkable how many of us there are.
I wear a Wolves shirt to many soccer events, be it my local Richmond Kickers games or tournaments and league my son plays in for the youth team of the same club, and often get comments from others.
Keep up the good work. As they say, once a Wolves fan, you can’t, and don’t want to get it out of your blood despite the many ups and downs.
Great story Ash! Nice to hear from an Aussie bloke who likes ‘proper’ sport!
Nice one Ash
I have the pleasure of having a similar tale. I’m from Newcastle (Just north of Sydney as well US Wolf) and can remember Star Soccer being broadcast on a Sunday afternoon. Matches were usually weeks old but that didn’t matter Doogan played that was enough for me.
My interest came from a book my father had “Wolves the Golden Years” which I read back to front.
I got my first strip (the 3 leaping wolves) in 1974 and at training for years I was Kenny Hibbert.
Thru good and bad checking the papers on Monday morning to get the scores, euphoria when we win , losses usually put a dark shadow over the whole week.
Out of the Darkness Cometh the Light
Fantastic read Ash and for me, the best (in a very good bunch) of the Wolves Blog Postcard series to date. It’s a very hard act to follow for the next bloke. Which is, er me.
The postcard arrived safely in South Wales but i’m in Cyprus so it’s had to be forwarded on.Should receive it sometime in the next 12 months!
I find it very interesting how someone thousands of miles away with no connection to the club can become as addicted as any of us. Your love and passion for the club is obvious. And you’ve ensured another generation of support from your son. Good on you! You heartless individual.
I’m sure i’m not the only one who is keen to know the story of the Gambian Olympics appearance.
Well done for a fascinating read.
My company is a supporter of the Australian Commonwealth & Olympic Teams, and prior to Melb Comm Games in 2006, I volunteered to help the Organising Committee. I was assigned the task of “attaché” to The Gambian team, which is basically the local liaison. It effectively becomes the number 2 person in the team and comes with accreditation that gets you into every event. I really enjoyed assisting them and went “the extra yard” to make sure that they were well looked after.
It was a once off event and after the Gambian team left Melbourne, I thought that my very enjoyable job was complete. I was very pleasantly surprised/shocked when they later invited me to reprise that role as their attaché at the Beijing Olympics.
I have since continued and had an amazing time in Beijing, Delhi (Comm Games) and London.
It is ridiculous to have what is effectively a Willy Wonka Golden ticket to the Olympics – access all areas, all events.
But as I tell my very jealous kids…
Put your hand up, volunteer, do the best job you can without expecting anything in return, and you never know what may happen…
Ash, You Beaut!
A brilliant message from the Back of Bourke.
It never fails to amaze me how people come to support a football team. There’s no rhyme or reason, you just get grabbed by the gonads and you’re hooked.
Long may you remain a supporter of the men in old gold – and a contributor to the blog that truly spans the globe.
By the way, I remember you from the Olympic opening ceremony.
The Gambia team came into the stadium and the present Mrs DOOGooder looked at me and said:
“That’s Ash K from Oz isn’t it?”
I replied:
“Of course. Who else would it be?”
G’day mate!
A great postcard Ash. Encapsulates the feelings of all ex pat Wolves. Having left W’ ton in 1969 to travel and work around the world , after witnessing the
“Glory Days ‘” of the fifties, I can emphasise with all of your comments. Reminds me of listening to BBC World Service late on Saturday nights in the Middle East in 1980’s, twisting the old transistor radio this way and that to retain reception just to hear the scores. Imagine the consternation of the locals when I celebrated us winning Divison 4 in 1988! Happy, happy days and long may the fortunes of the Wolves be followed so avidly all over the World.
Great postcard Ash, and great to hear of your link with the Gambia too – good for you! Let me know if you’re ever over in WA – we have a terrific specialist beer shop here in Perth that sells Banks’s… UTW
Me and she who shall be obeyed are looking for a place to go to celebrate our 10th year of bliss together.
She suggested Hawaii, I thought about NZ or Oz, and now you tell us that Banks’s is on offer…..what is your address??
Ten years of bliss isn’t bad.
But how long have you actually been married?
30 plus years in total……………………..but in there somewhere are three divorces!!!!!!
great postcard !
Wolves fans travel near and far, good luck to you Ash, it’s in the blood. Just been looking at the xmas video from the wolves, nice to somee happy faces. Loved the pie and pint.