Walter Zenga often talked about his desire to see a full house at Molineux.
Ironic then that his successor will (almost) achieve that aspiration in his first home game in charge.
OK, it’s more to do with half price tickets and tremendous visiting support than an insatiable appetite cultivated by last weekend’s pulsating draw with Preston, but all the same it’ll be nice to see a big crowd.
27,000 plus are expected and after a solid if unspectacular start at Deepdale, we’re all hoping Paul Lambert can extract more from the group.
He himself said we need to take more risks as a team, so it will be interesting to see if that’s reflected in the starting lineup.
Sheffield Wednesday
Two defeats and a draw at Fulham last time out have seen the Owls slip from their par position in the play-offs down to ninth.
There have been murmurs of discontent amongst the Hillsborough faithful as a consequence, which I suppose is understandable.
They couldn’t have come much closer to promotion last time out, losing the play-off final to Hull and further investment in the team over the summer meant expectations of a top two push didn’t feel unrealistic.
Carlos Carvalhal said this week he expected more from the new signings, as it hasn’t real clicked for the likes of Almen Abdi, Adam Reach or ex-Wolves pair David Jones and Steven Fletcher.
But that’s the risk you take when you add lots of new players to an already well-established team. PerhapsĀ there’s been too much change too soon?
Already 10 points off second placed Brighton and with Newcastle rapidly disappearing over the horizon, the play-offs look like a best case scenario.
Wolves
With Danny Batth suspended and Dave Edwards returning from his ban, Paul Lambert has some decisions to make.
I think on recent form Edwards has to play, not least because he frequently seems to be the only one capable of getting on the end of crosses.
Price’s steady presence is always welcome and I think the combative Coady give us the necessary running to allow the likes of Costa and Cavaleiro to thrive.
Cav should start and do exactly what he’s done in his last two appearances, which is to say, make half a yard and deliver. If both he and Costa could do that consistently, they’d take some stopping.
Bodvarsson is labouring, but again a chronic lack of service has been an issue. You could start Dicko, but he himself isn’t up to speed.
A straight Stearman for Batth swap seems the smartest and easiest choice, but moving Iorfa central and playing Silvio or Borthwick-Jackson down the left is another avenue.
Paul Lambert
Predictions
I’ll be brave a go all out for the win. I’m expecting Sheffield Wednesday to be the better team for periods, but hopefully the lads can tough it out and do more in the final third.
The Owls have only scored 18 goals, which is the lowest of any of the teams in the top 11 of the table and one less than Wolves.
And given that they’ve only conceded one fewer than us, there’s no reason to feel we should get swept aside.
2-1.
Up The Wolves!
I still think there is plenty of work to do to make us into promotion contenders, so will go for another draw.
On another note, what is going on with that Sheffield Wednesday top? I wouldn’t be happy with that. Surely blue and white stripes is their identity, not a blue top with barely-there pin stripes? I don’t understand how clubs allow kit manufactuers to get it so wrong when it must be in their interests to have a good looking shirt that fans will want to buy.
2-1 looks a good call Thomas. Earlier in the season you had high praise for Bodvarsson. He had a bit of a purple patch then but now looks a ghost of the player he was. A goal for him would work wonders for his confidence, rather like it’s done for Wayne Rooney.
Paul Lambert wants us to take more risks as a team? Bit early for that after one game, and didn’t Walter come unstuck that way?
I’ll go for a one-goal win as you did but I think we’ll still keep a clean sheet. I’m going to stick a few quid on the win with BetVictor at 17/10. BetVictor has been good for me since June. I had a big wager on Brexit at 6-1 and Trump at 4-1. I wasn’t being political, I was just predicting outcomes.
Got to go for the win with this one – and hopefully another clean sheet.
Hope for a win.
Not sure where the goals will come from – off a defenders backside will do.
would like to play 2 up front with cavalero and costa putting the crosses in so for me coady or Edwards may miss out would expect that defense though.
Sheffield wont come to defend so it should be quite an open game with Wolves also looking to be positive. Roared on by a near capacity crowd if Wolves take their chances they just nick it in what should be an entertaining encounter.
Score draw for me.
Same for me too Honey Badger
Well Wolves have been copying Hull City according to Hull.
Also EBay promotes duel Hull City and Wolves scarves.
Wolves colours are Old Gold not a mixture of Hull City amber,orange mustard and custard.
And you talk about Sheff Wed when Wolves merchandisers never get it right.
Probably Wolverhampton Wanderers colours,amongst the oldest and unique in the world yet are not Old Gold.
The Wolves merchandisers order the cheapest possible made material kits, for selling to supporters at the maximum possible price.
Fans simply can,t wait to wear it.
and get so excited being sold Hull Cityesque kit..
Obviously the clash in colours with Huddersfield at the start of the season, was the reason Wolves played in the new alien glow green away kit, I suppose.
Finally for a team that is supposedly Old Gold and Black what of our definitely there pin stripes ?
Wednesday jinxed at Molineux so a reverse of their thrashing of us at Hillsboro 4-1
Has to be a win to get us going. I can see the BULL/THOMPSON/LAMBERT/ factor giving us a different edge.
I had a dream last night, and this is true, that the PMDG’er and I were watching Wolves on the telly and we played absolutely brilliantly.
It’s a bit hazy and I can’t remember the exact score, it was either 3 or 4 nil to us and there was an absolute cracker of a goal from thirty yards out into the South Bank onion bag in the second half. Scored by a man with dark hair.
An omen or just wishful thinking?
Both hopefully.
But I might have a little flutter on a 3-0 scoreline. Wonder what the odds are?
Unfortunately we won’t be there to see if I was right because we’re going to see The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band in Bristol on Saturday night. It’s their 50th Anniversary tour so it’s the least we could do really.
Those of a certain age might remember the late great Vivean Stanshall. A true genius and a complete madman.
“My pink half of the drainpipe
Separates me from the incredibly fascinating story of your life and every day to day event in all it’s minute and tedious attention to detail… And was it a Thursday or a Wednesday? Or, oh, no, it wasn’t though. Oh, who cares anyway because I do not
So Norman, if you’re normal, I intend to
be a freak for the rest of my life, and I shall baffle you with cabbages and rhinoceroses in the kitchen, incessant quotations from “Now We Are
Six” through the mouthpiece of Lord Snooty’s giant, poisoned, electric head.
SO THEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE! ”
They don’t write them like that anymore!
To prove that I have the courage of my (unconscious) convictions…
Enjoy the gig Doogooder – Big Shot is my fave BDDDB track – ‘what can I tell my wife? – Darling, I’ve been beaten up again” followed by The Intro and the Outro – priceless!
COMBs!
Cheers WWW.
Have you got a light Mac?
No, but I’ve got a dark brown overcoat.
Here comes the equestrian statue
Marching up and down the square
Little old ladies stop and say
Well, I declare!
And looking very relaxed on vibes, Adolph Hitler,
Nice.
Brilliant.
When I was young and foolish, rather than old and foolish as now, some schoolfriends and I formed a B.D.D.D.B tribute band to perform Urban Spaceman at the school christmas extravaganza. I played descant recorder for the twiddly bit in the middle.
We were rubbish.
Did you play Viv’s bizarre plastic pipe and funnel instrument that he swung round his head at the end of the song?
I don’t actually think we’ll win and will be travelling up in hope more than expectation. I’ll be genuinely disappointed if Stearman plays, he is garbage and Fulham friends don’t want him back as he’s viewed as a liability.
Would have gone for 1-0 but Fletcher will score and probably quite early.
Wonder if we’ll see the North Bank celebrating their 2nd Wolves goal scored at their end this season?
South bank are gonna collectively suck the ball in.
Lambert sorted the defence out last week, maybe he’s sorted the attack out this time.
Travelling 800 plus miles today, so no time for frivolousness
Five one to mebabbeez
FOwb
And I would walk 800 miles
And I would walk 800 more
Off to Walmart then buddy?
Gonna go for the win, especially with the big crowd to roar us on.
No DB so there’s a chance to see if PL can improve the back 4 without him.
I think we should attack them right from the kickoff and just go for it.
He’s gotta play Cav and Dicko and perhaps Bright up front also., and give Bod a seat on the bench, he looks knackered..A wins a must.UTW.
Just goes to show, reduce the prices and the fans will be there. Hope for a win, expect a draw
Wolverhampton Wanderers 5
Sheffield Wednesday 1
Going tomorrow Brompton?
Not so much a dream from me but 4-1 to Wolves popped into my head this morning totally out of the blue. I have nothing to justify this but I can’t shake it off. Hopefully the big crowd tomorrow will fire up Wolves.
Enjoy the match those who are going. I’m looking forward to being there in 2 weeks’ time.
In the summer I thought Wednesday were nailed on for the top six and a good shout to challenge for automatic promotion so I’m a bit surprised they aren’t doing better than they are. I thought getting Fletcher on a free transfer was brilliant business and was quite disappointed we didn’t make a cheeky bid for him (heads gone!)
It seems this season the fixture list has always put us against teams in a good run of form (typical Wolves luck!) so hopefully we can take advantage of playing a team who are a little bit out of sorts and get a positive result to build on last weeks hard fought draw.
We have to win one sooner or later so a narrow win for me.
More than overdue a win
I hope fosum.do more of the reduced prices for,a few more games this season
When molineux is packed it is a great ground for,atmosphere
Going to sound boring here but I just want another clean sheet, our defenders will get so much confidence in themselves and hopefully nick a goal down the other end.
Cmon my boys.
The best thing Paul Lambert did last week was change from Zenga’s often exciting but ultimately reckless 433 formation into a far more solid 4231. I sincerely hope therefore that Thomas’s team above isn’t right as 433 simply will not work, unless very rarely, in this league. The wide men get drawn out even wider and are left too exposed leaving huge great holes and gaps down the middle for the opposition to run at our defence at will. It also leaves the central striker very isolated and consequently ineffectual. That is why in so many games this season, especially at home, we were allowing the opposition not only the lion’s share of the possession but also allowing teams to come to Molineux and have 15, 20, 25 efforts on goal. Kamikaze! I think last week Preston managed something like 6 efforts on our goal and that is because the 4231 system is much more solid and compact and doesn’t leave great expanses of turf for the opposition to capitalise upon.
So please please PLEASE Mr Lambert play 4231. If he does then the central one of the 3 needs to be a creative, skilful, attack-minded player like Enobakhare or Teixeira and it is no good doing what Jackett used to do and put Edwards in that position as he isn’t that type of player. Round peg, square hole.
So far haven’t seen much to inspire me to predict a win. In any case, every time I predict a win we get hammered – so I will predict another draw, and as both teams are finding it hard to score it has to be a 0-0
Still hoping for a win but I suspect that Lambert will have us in a ‘difficult to beat’ mode so I predict a dull draw.
I’m really looking forward to coming up for this one, only my second game of the season. My first was the superb trouncing of Reading and hopefully I’ll see a repeat performance tomorrow.
Agree with Stears in for Batth. He wasn’t player of the season two years ago for nothing, whatever some might say.
I too would like to see Costa and Cavaleiro on from the start. The big crowd need to be entertained and they are entertainers for sure. Dangerous Dave also has to start as he’s the only player in the team who has proved himself a regular goalscorer and he can cover the ground for 90mins.
High pressing and taking care of possession seem to be the watchwords, so if we can do those successfully, our flair on the wings will do the rest.
You and me
We agree
And not for the first time. š
Bodvarsson scores inside the opening 10 minutes in front of a packed North Bank.
A few minutes later Enobakhare slaloms past numerous Wednesday defenders before stroking the ball home for 2-0.
Wednesday are stunned and try to fight back, winning a number of corners but from one of them we break swiftly and Cavaleiro (playing instead of Saville please!!!!) bursts down the left before cutting inside and drilling the ball home. 3-0 and barely a half an hour played.
Wolves’s confidence is now evident as another sweeping move sees the ball teed up for Coady 20 yards out and he crashes a shot in off the underside of the bar for 4-0.
The nasty, cheating, sulking, cheating, little diving cheat Forestieri can’t abide the humiliation and in a typically sneaky act he is red carded for an off the ball elbow in the face. He troops off down the tunnel with the Molineux crowd’s jeers and derision ringing in his ears.
Wednesday are now praying for half time but before that arrives to offer them temporary respite Costa fires in number 5.
In the second half on the hour mark Bodvarsson makes it 6-0 before Wednesday score with an unstoppable 35 yard strike to make it 6-1.
Lambert then introduces Dicko and Teixeira with 20 minutes to go and the two combine soon after as Dicko gets his first goal for over a year.
In the final few minutes Teixeira dances through an overworked and tiring Wednesday defence to score a beauty for 8-1 and then in stoppage time Dicko is released and he runs from the half way line before rounding the keeper and literally walking the ball into the net for goal number 9.
Full-time is 9-1. Our biggest score since the 1950’s.
Damn!
Drat!
Bugger!
Then I woke up.
But true to my convictions I am going with my dream prediction. Or not as the case may be!
p.s. I hope Lambert plays the same team – and system – as last week apart from Stearman in for Batth and Cavaleiro in for Saville.
p.s. should be in the Park View from about 1pm if anyone is going (I might even wear the ‘lovely’ lime green away shirt duly embroidered on the back that BOG got me so be warned).
Some of that was obviously born of a dream.
But the bit about Forestieri being a nasty, cheating, sulking, cheating (repetition of cheating) little diving cheat is certainly absolutely spot on.
Some repetition is deliberate as a literary ploy in order to maximise comic effect. But then again as I always say, indeed sometimes twice, some repetition is deliberate as a literary ploy in order to maximise comic effect.
Wolfstroker – are you going to APV before the match tomorrow?
That’s the plan Bedders. Hopefully see you there.
Wouldn’t mind a selfie with you in that hi-viz tat ……
If you ask me nicely I might even let you touch it!
I think he will opt for Silvio in defence and hope that Edwards gets the armband, as at the moment he does deserve it. Hope Siass gets a run and Dicko plays from the off, apart from that it’s a lottery on who plays. A good opportunity to show how we can play without the liability that is Batth, we shall be proved right or will leave ourselves wide open if the other lads cock it up.
Can’t see where we are going to get goals from, but being the eternal optomist I’m going fpr a 1-0 win for Wolves.
I would not be surprised to see a 4-4-2 with Borthwick-J at left back, Doc at right back and Iorfa with Hause. Midfield of Coady & Dave, Costa & Cav and then Bright or Nouha & Bod. Or he could put Stearman in and have Doc at left back which I would prefer as I don’t think BJ is up to it yet.
A 1-1 draw for me then as Wednesday have some very good players.
I will be at the game tomorrow with my daughter. It’s been ages since I last visited. It costs me too much to visit very often but the half price tickets help a lot. Should be a full house and a great atmosphere. I am really looking forward to it. š
I also received my Limited Edition Bully book yesterday – brilliant !
A 3 pointer for me – about time too. Good crowd should bring out a fantastic amosphere.
Going for a win, and why not? we need the points, and I hate driving back to Nottingham when we don`t get the right result. Playing at home we will be more open, and I`m sure there will be lots of brown underpants moments before the final whistle.
However the weather forecast is set fair, and if we need to take more risks then let our flair players with pace have a field day. Should be a very entertaining game and I hope the following score, dare we consider a second clean sheet perhaps. Ever the optimists us Wolves fans.
We have to win sooner or later!
Hi
Leaving behind the pastoral joys of the Cotswolds for the urban delights of Wolverhampton tomorrow encouraged by Wolves version of Black Friday. Hoping for a steady performance and a good win. Dangerous Dave for me to take the armband based on his loyalty and unstinting efforts.
Join up with some of the other bloggers Cotswold at the Park view hotel….
Ok Twixfix but how late do you stay? I am restricted by rain times
That should read train times
Cotswold – there’s no rain forecast for tomorrow as far as I know. lol
Hiya Cotswold…
We usually park there…have a coffee or beer and then off to the Mol.
I think Bedford, BOG, Wolfstroker, and The Newark wolves will be there about 1pm….don’t worry if the rain times don’t allow a visit but I think the Newarks are stopping over..so they will be there after we’ve battered the Wednesday.
Either way they’re all a great bunch ..so well worth a drop in ….utw
Thanks Twixfix weather permitting see you about 1.30. Look out for little old bloke dressed for the country
Look forward to that mate….non of the above are city slickers anyway…
How do you know I’m not a tity licker? Ooops, damn predictive text……
Stayed there last week for bully’s do .. you should see the size of the car park now , they’ve just bought the adjoining land ( not sure why ) they should rename it car park view !
Nice stay though !
They are extending the hotel and placing another building at the end of the car park I believe. How did the Bully do go mate.
The do was good brommo . Usual football dinner / fundraiser affair but it was a bloggers table all but two and I met a couple of the other Bedford wolves ( Reece and b o g .. and his nephew from oxford who is wolves .. and Tom and old man , Martin ( who was very funny ) me and mrs l w l so we had a good table . The food was surprisingly good and that comedian Doreen was outstanding .
The darts were on in wolves the same night so the town was rocking .
Me and the mrs ended up dancing in some gay bar till about 3 ..brilliant night , woke up up still slaughtered , nice suit ruined with some stupid plastic peperami hat on …. you know the drill mate , I’m sure
Only disappointment About the evening was that Bedford couldn’t make it due to the shit stuff that poor mrs bedders is having to go thro,??, and he’d done all the organizing , but yeh mate , except for that , all good
Silk purse from a sow’s ear can’t be done and Lambert will struggle to find a winning formula until the January window. However, with a tightened up defence and a hopefully lucky break we might just nick it. So I’m going against the usual ex players are bound to score rule.
Could be a calamitous afternoon with our defencsive line up tomorrow but you know what…
TODAY might be Black Friday …BUT tomorrow it’s going to be GOLD and BLACK Saturday…
Old Fletch will wish he’d never left and Forestieri can go and Pirouette and Swallow dive somewhere else ….little git
Wait for it……
A Saiss brace?
Hope the defence holds up.
With thoughts of previous encounters against Sheffield Wednesday, its David Kelly’s 51st birthday today. Happy birthday Ned.
Big Jon Dadi at the double.
I’m another who favours 4-2-3-1 and I’d like to see Cav and Costa start, but only if PL has convinced them of the need to track back. PL having had a week to look at Saiss and Prince it’ll be interesting to see if they make the squad. Close fought win.
On my Christmas wish list,
Robbie Keane remains as āhungry as everā and eager to keep playing.
He has left LA Galaxy following the expiration of his contract, and is looking for a final challenge.
āI still feel sharp ā I look after myself very well ā and Iāve certainly got a lot of goals left in me,ā he told PA Sport. āI still feel as hungry as ever.
āIām very open to what comes my way. I look forward to another challenge because I definitely see me having a couple of good years left.
āI wouldnāt rule out anything. There would definitely be an interest in the UK. Iād never say never but it has to be the right club and the right people involved ā an ambitious club who want to get in the Premier League or stay in the Premier League.ā
Well that dialogue doesn’t rule us out does it ..
Written for us methinks. A come and get me.
I will leave team selection to PL, heard this before “In Paul Lambert we trust” Hope fully a two nil win and a couple of pints in the North Bank bar. Happy days. COYW.
I wonder if Joleon Lescott could be that central defender we’re looking for, now he’s left Greece.
I must go for 3-0, but how to reconcile that with the certainty that Fletcher will score.
Big rumour that Nigerian centre back Efetobore Ambrose of Celtic being lined up for January, fee Ā£2m. Lambert’s Scottish connections?
Wolves denied it earlier on tonight, so it’s bound to happen.
Why not it’s about time C’mon me Babbies!!
I fancy us today, I have no idea why but I’m going with my gut.
These are a big strong side that ideal to do well in this league …. but somewhere amongst our vast selection of players we have a team capable of walloping this lot
Just hope we can find them .
UTW
Droughts always end with a deluge.
Thought I’d added a score
Last Saturday in November and I still don’t know what to expect. I’ll sit on the fence and predict a draw.
I saw a picture of Joleon Lescott on the paper. I want to have his hair cut even if i ay got no fuckin hair. But that aside it will be BLACK Wednesday as they flounder about like hapless salmon in the wolves lair. Fuck knows who gets the goals. Probly Derek Dougan.Well. his ghost. Or summat.
Well sneak this one!!
First game with my 9 year old since the rubbish he witnessed last season home to Brentford. Hope he doesn’t ask to go home at half time again. It’s a long drive home.
I’ll go for an optimistic 3-1 home win with Bully bagging a hat trick.
Borthwick-Jackson on his way back to Manchester Wolves fans ?
Was expected I guess but not for this reason.
Manchester United add three players to Europa League squad
United are still in the Europa League and Jose Mourinho has added three academy players to their squad list.
Manchester United have added Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Dean Henderson and Kieran O’Hara to their Europa League squad list.
Borthwick-Jackson, 19, is on a season-long loan at Wolves, Henderson, also 19, is at League Two Grimsby on loan until January and 20-year-old Reserves goalkeeper O’Hara trained with United’s senior goalkeepers on Wednesday ahead of the Feyenoord tie.
United were able to include the trio since they are registered as ‘B list’ players, which means they were born after January 1 1995 and were eligible to play for United ‘for any uninterrupted period of two years’ after they turned 15.
Borthwick-Jackson was not included in the initial 27-man list United submitted to Uefa in September but United have an option to recall him from Molineux, where he has made seven appearances, in the January transfer window. Wolves recently replaced the sacked Walter Zenga with former Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert.
Borthwick-Jackson made his United debut just over a year ago and made 14 appearances under Louis van Gaal. His development was recognised with the Young Player of the Year award last season, as well as a new four-year contract.
Henderson is yet to feature for Grimsby and, in his absence, O’Hara has become United’s fourth-choice stopper. Portugal youth international Joel Pereira is on loan at Belenenses.
Pereira was named on the bench for the home game against Midtjylland last season while Henderson was listed among the substitutes three days earlier against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup.
O’Hara and Borthwick-Jackson were included this week
Borthwick-Jackson has retained his No.43 squad number while O’Hara is No.45. Henderson received the No.34 under Louis van Gaal.
Greetings Bloggersā¦..
First of all, grateful thanks to Bedford Wolf for organising the table last Friday evening at Bullyās 30th celebration dinner It was such a pity he had to miss the event after dropping out at the last minute for matters far, far more important. All the very best to Mrs BW..
We arrived back at the Park View Hotel around 2.30 on Saturday morningā¦.highlight for me was the 30 minutes chat to Graham Turner, apart from the Grand Master surely our best post war manager considering the God awful mess he inherited in the Autumn of 1986. No money (literally), cockroaches in the dressing room, leaky roofs, crumbling terraces, just two stands open, issues with the electricity bill, one match ball, unable to pay the milk bill, training on the North Bank car park, Graham standing alone in the old wooden Waterloo Road stand condemned following the Bradford fire disaster, crowds of 3 or 4 thousand although 95,000 will claim to have attended the Chorley fixture, sinking towards total oblivion in the fourth division with the Conference beckoning, travelling to clubs we had only really noticed on Littlewoods Pools coupon, we did not have manager of the month, instead it was a manager every month, owner brothers who had no interest in football whatsoever. Yet we moan today!!
Anyway – without getting too paranoid about our precarious league position, a win on Saturday would be nice and somewhat of a relief.
Wolves (founded 1877) v Sheffield Wednesday (founded 1867) brings together two of the oldest clubs in world football. The Wednesday ā as they were known until 1929 ā beat Wolves 2-1 in the 1896 FA cup final at Crystal Palace in front of 48,000.
For some reason their initial applications to join the fledgling football league were rejected although they were eventually elected in 1892 when the league was increased from 14 to 16 clubs.
In a chequered history somewhat akin to Wolves, Wednesday has been up and down the various divisions with the frequency of a barmaidās knickers. Indeed Hillsborough holds the record attendance for a third division fixture when over 49,000 turned up for a 1979 Boxing Day punch up and crunch fixture v Sheffield United.
When the club moved to the Owlerton district of Sheffield in 1899, the club adopted the nickname of āThe Owlsā and eventually Owlerton Stadium became Hillsborough. The ground was developed into an arena that once held over 72,000. In 1962 the stadium was nominated a world cup venue for 1966 and the re-development included a huge cantilever stand which was a remarkable construction at the time and only the second to be built in English football after Scunthorpeās previous venue The Old Show Ground. (I well remember travelling with the Wolves to Sheffield Wednesday for the first time in 1968 when Evans and Knowles scored in a 2-2 draw. The cantilever stand seemed to dwarf the whole stadium).
Hillsborough has hosted 27 FA cup semi-finals and was given some much needed TLC for Euro 96.
Although (like Wolves) Wednesday has won the FA cup 4 times and the top flight championship (also like Wolves) 3 times, honours have been pretty scarce in recent years as the last of these trophies was in 1935. The club did win the League cup in 1991 when a goal from Sheridan surprisingly sank Manchester United.
Unfortunately for Wednesday the club has become embroiled in some unsavoury incidents over the years. The Hillsborough disaster has been well documented and was a shameful and extremely tragic event that cost 96 lives (although those of us at the 1981 FA Cup semi-final Wolves v Tottenham, which was also held at the stadium, witnessed similar scenes in the Leppings Lane end involving Spurs supporters which proved to be a portent of what was to come).
However in 1963 a totally different occurrence rocked the very foundation of English football. We have all read about bungs and bribes ever since that Leeds wanker Revie in 1977. Some have been caught in stings ā Revie, Eriksson and Allardyce being some of the most āmemorableā ā and some have got away with it. (Nobody will convince me that wide boys such as Redknapp and Venables have been squeaky clean for Godās sake). And we all remember Bruce Grobbelaar donāt weā¦..and Revie in May 1972 with the bribe to certain Wolves players before the crunch Molineux game.
Yet to me 1963 was a different era altogether. The Ā£20.00 per week maximum wage had only recently been abolished after PFA Chairman Jimmy Hill threatened to bring the players out on strike and the Football League caved in. Intelligent, fast talking and charismatic Jimmy Hill was the very antithesis of the grey haired suited and booted old duffers running the game and it was a no contest. This in turn elevated Johnny Haynes of Fulham ā the master of the reverse pass as lethal as steel shears ā to Ā£100 per week and he was the first footballer to attain the salary. Despite this the new deal took time to filter downwards and many footballers were not yet earning the wage of Haynes and the top echelons of the game and dreamed of a new TV or a refrigerator the size of Notre Dame and other āperksā now available to others. Yet nobody ever foresaw what occurred 53 years ago. Whilst American sport had been stunned by the Chicago White Sox baseball match fixing outrage surely this could never happen to association footballā¦ā¦ could it?
Yet to some extent it already had, even before the ānew moneyā that was now sluicing into our national sport in the early 1960ās.
For example take Arsenal, whose supporters proudly boast they have never been relegated since attaining the top flight in 1919, have never actually been promoted either! Prior to the outbreak of the Great War the club finished sixth in division two behind Wolves and others. Yet when league football resumed after the ceasing of hostilities Arsenal were in the first division. The first division was extended from 20 to 22 teams so one might expect Chelsea and Tottenham (who finished bottom but one and bottom respectively) to keep their status and the top two in division two (Derby County and Preston) to be promoted. However Arsenal had a very influential and wealthy owner Henry Norris and he managed to secure enough votes to promote sixth place Arsenal and relegate Tottenham! It was a disgraceful and shameful piece of manoeuvring and whilst never proved or admitted, bribery allegations were rife at the time, and rightly so. You can imagine those who finished above Arsenal ā including Wolverhampton Wanderers ā were not exactly jumping for joyā¦
Back to Wednesdayā¦ā¦Bronco Layne, Peter Swan and Tony Kaye all played for Sheffield Wednesday then in the old first division. Swan and Kaye were England internationals whilst Layne was transferred to Everton for a then record fee of Ā£60,000 before the scandal was exposed and then exploited by The Sunday People among others. Everton manager Harry Catterick had apoplexy having shelled out what was then a kingās ransom only for Layne to be locked up and subsequently banned!
All three were found guilty of agreeing to lose a match v Ipswich Town and were imprisoned for 4 months and banned from playing for life. (Swan actually turned out in a Sunday league game which reached the ears of the Football League and the Sunday club was banned from playing as well. The banning order for Swan was eventually lifted. He trained like a demon to get fit and he became player- manager of Matlock Town in the Northern Premier League and won the FA vase in 1975).
Jimmy Gauld who played for Plymouth, Swindon and Mansfield, was the ābrainsā behind the scam and Gauld approached David āBroncoā Layne to identify a game where Wednesday would be likely to lose. Layne proposed Ipswich Town away on December first 1962 (Ipswich under Ramsey were league champions). Layne solicited the support of Swan and Kaye all of whom bet against Wednesday winning which of course happened. In effect they threw the game.
Gauld was exposed after another con involving a Hartlepool player became public when the player confessed to the Sunday People and Gauld was put in the frame. Before his trial Gauld then sold his story to the People for Ā£7,000 in old money (about Ā£150,000 today) incriminating the three Wednesday players. What an absolute wanker eh! Gauld was jailed for 4 years.
Now here is a rub, other players were also implicated in other match fixing rip-offs instigated by Gauld and then found guilty as charged, including Sammy Chapman who managed Wolves in 1985.
Anyway enough of the latest episode of completely useless information and onto Saturday, Wolves have played Sheffield Wednesday on 114 occasions in all competitions ā winning 47, drawing 30 and losing 37.
We really could do with making it 48 on Saturday for our first win in 9 games and to stave off the imminent threat of the bottom three. However Wednesday will be a tough nut to crack and as they are on the fringes of the play offs will surely be going all out for another three points. They most probably see Wolves as āeasy meatā considering our dreadful run of form and why wouldnāt they because, to be honest, we have been absolute crap.
So get into āem lads and bring home the bacon. 1-0 to Wolvesā¦.
Have a great weekend Bloggers
BOG
You need to find a hobby, mate!
Good piece though, very informative and backing up my puzzlingly uncertain dislike of Arsenal…
As I sit here cold..in my newly purchased wreck of a pub in Norwich about to be developed…thinking …I could even take a few quid off Mr Moxey locally,no less…
-How things change..
and how Things have changed with PL at the helm who ironically also had a connection with Norwich..
There are local rumblings here about not being able to win and in our case tomorrow is a fairly predictable win for even the pessimists ….but it’s PLs first home game…
It’s a must must win again but heart attacks at the back still with Steers doing a few sideways body blocks and several swings at the ball ..I’m hoping we will attack like crazy and get 2 goals ahead in the first half..
We need January next week like there is no 2017…No5 no5..
Can we scrape a run of wins like PL has done several times before?
27000 fans is just a taster PL just think what Sako could do to that lot if he plays for us again….?
(Relentless with this lol)
3-1 COYW
No 9, No 9, No 9. No goals no win.
We are shit.
I’m a realist, Wednesday to win but it’ll be close.
Most likely to be Fletcher or Forestieri, you know, the way it always seems to go.
But I’ll still be shouting and hoping.
I’m rather afraid that SF will do the usual ex-player trick, but in the hope that he doesn’t am going for another clean sheet. Surely JDB is due some goals, so will be positive and go for a win.
Thanks BOG for another amazing history lesson
Nice to have reminiscences that don’t involve the evil
at man city and crewe and lord knows where else..
Hard to get a sense of local atmosphere from up here on the wild coast of Oregon but my gut tells me that lambert will have done whatever was necessary to fix the leaky bucket defence so the question is can we score?
Prediction model which gave me 0-0 last week and which I overrode is spitting out a 2 goal offense so let’s see
Big crowd will hopefully help and resist the temptation to jeer at crab wise passing .. Dicko spanks both
Interested to see how we go without Batth and who plays in his place.
Encouraged by last week’s performance. Keep Price, two up front and again if we don’t concede early I predict another cleansheet.
I think the balance between English and the new overseas players was right last week.
Oh great…..everybody (the majority) seems to have had a good night last night and are going for a rip-roaring, 27000-crowd-induced slaughter of the owls (a protected species dontcha kno!)
Well I could ask for everybody to step back, get a grip, take a breath and ponder our lustreless, goal-shy and pretty bloody grim performance of only last week, but what the hell do I know….just don’t say you ain’t been warned about such foolish and frivolous predictions. We’re Wolves for God’s sake….grow up!
3-0 then….oh 1 to Fletch of course.
Too early for PL to get to grips with the inadequacies within the squad. After last weekās shut out against Preston we were hailing the improvement in the defensive performance. One game is inconclusive.
There remains a lack of creativity from midfield leading to few chances to score.
What few opportunities are being made are not being converted by an impotent strike force. We need to be more deadly in front of goal.
There is no evidence yet to convince me that we can score, never mind score more goals than our opponents.
The Owls have ex Wolves players in their squad which is always a scary prospect.
I hope these comments come back to bite me in the bum as we are in desperate need of a win.
Sorry to sound so negative but i’ve had a bad week.
Can old gold men play the stripes? Expecting a lot of Doo Dah on the pitch. We will need to do the trouser press very well to keep a clean sheet.
Both sides are going through a bad patch.
Both sides can’t consistently find the net.
Has a scoreless draw written all over it except for ex-wolves players who always score.
Still with a shored up defence we should hold them out.
Somehow we have to find a win , a clean sheet last week was a good start but draws at home are not enough now. Losing Batth is a problem despite what the boo boys think we really lack experience at the back. Whatever team he puts out let’s give it all our support , please on more booing.
Hopefully the team will respond to Lambert’s fresh approach. Max effort, max organisation, max teamwork, max concentration, max crowd, lets start our march up the table.
I for one will gladly welcome back Steven Fletcher. He was a great goalscorer in a struggling team. A lot of fans seem to have short memories. That’s as long as he doesn’t score today of course!
Don’t expect us to win but hope the Lambert factor will inspire us.
It’s got to be a win for me. Agree 2-1. Come on me babbies!
Calling any long distance Wolves fans and also the one’s living close by that can’t bolster this predicted 27,000+ crowd for genuine reasons, my son in Inverness informs me that the game is on:-
http://www.cricfree.tv
Good luck with that….
If that fails try http://neolive.net/
Clean sheet & 3 points will do me thanks!
COYW
With all the optimism about, full ish house, PL ‘s first home game, its bound to end in heart break. We all know S F will score, and 27000 unhappy fans will unsettle the team. We are after all, Wolves.
I think it’s gonna come together today
Just arrived and can smell a win in the air, well it’s a strange smell anyway.
Half hour gone, and the game is over. We are in deep do do.
Just seen the half time score. I need more beer.
Following game at work…..Why no Dicko from start surley 4 4 2 is our best attacking option with 2 up front and Saville again big mistake…….how much more chances is he going to get to prove he is shite….GUTTED
RELEGATION BATTLE
I would like to apogise to all bloggers that may have taken my advice and watched the game on the link I provided. I am truly sorry, to have subjected some really nice folk to that abysmal excuse for football.
This has got to go down as our worst performance this season so far, the fantastic crowd of 27,254, well, we won’t see the likes of that again this season if this is PL’s idea of going for it. We were the home side for Dog’s sake, every single player on the bench was a better player than most of the team we were presented with. PL, that was disgraceful, 4th from bottom the last game of November is dire and worrying to say the least. Most of the players on the pitch today are just not up to the task, work shy, devoid of skill and disinterested in the ball.
Inwish I’d had tickets for Bonzo Dog Doo Da Band, instead Inwas watching Jeff Si’s, Dozy, Mickey (takers) and Tits.
I had a good afternoon walking down Northallerton High St with the missus. It was made even better when I bumped into your nephew in the pub. Two Wolves fans who had better things to do than watch Wolves lose!
I went to Worcester Xmas shopping.
I was in in Bangor Wales helping a friend.
Thank God I didn’t spend my afternoon on Stu’s link!
Oh dear!
Is Mr Lambert a potential disaster?
Why no Saiss and Cav?
Maybe we will be relegated before we learn how to win again?
Am not optimistic anymore…
Nine games since a win.
Four successive home defeats.
What, Ā£2 1/2 million in wages?
Leaky defence and SWed are a goal shy team!
Good result for Blackburn. Worrying.
Mr Lambert you’re making Walter look like a good manager. Can you get a Newcastle, Birmingham effort out of this lot?
Positives: yes, we ran around a lot, huffed and puffed and actually had some shots on target.
Keeping one eye on recent departures:
That boy McDonald got a goal today, he’s going places. But Fulham lost anyway.
Hennesey let in five,
Sako came on after 82 mins and gave away the foul that lead to Swansea’s fifth.
Pretty bad day all round.
I wonder if Afobe wil get a game tomorrow.
Had a great lunch time in the North Bank Bar, but spoilt the day by entering the Mol.
14 players used today. 12 Thellwell & 2 zenga/Mendez.
PL typical British manager, can’t put all blame on him but you can’t say he is inspirational. It is his tactics surely.
27k how many will come back for more.
The players will all go eventually and maybe in their hearts they know it.
Fosun need to get a main man to replace Thellwell. Long term that’s the way big clubs seem to work.
There are teams doing worse, you know.
Spare a thought for Gornal Athletic
P17 L17 GF 7 GA 68 GD -61 Pts 0
That’s conceding four goals a game on average and taking ten games to score four themselves!
See it could be worse!
BTW wage bill Ā£0
Get rid of Shi. His bosses should be as ruthless with him as he was with Zenga.
We’re in trouble, no two ways about it.
Saiss at cb for me
Piss poor. Is Lambert more to blame than Jacket Morgan and Moxey ? Well
he has been here for 2 matches you decide. Players look a shambolic shambles. Got to kind of agree that the re-emergence of Thelwell and his ones for the future has a moxey whiff we probably need to put behind us.
Hold on you forgetful people who are blaming the players, the same lads who destroyed Reading, Newcastle, Blues and Villa, when the then manager did get it right.
Look back at your comments as it was only 8 weeks ago that you were orgasming over the same players and falling in love with their manager.
Many of your comments for grown men where sycophantic and so embarrassing.
It,s all down to selecting a good manager, that are extremely rare and every club wants.
You nearly destroyed Wolves because M and M could,nt find one so you abused them mercilessly,protested openly and made Wolves a laughing stock..
Now it is only a matter of time, that this blog forum leads the way and protests against the new board, as you cluelessly do.
Birmingham have a good manager,who has not had the money that Wolves fans insist, is the solution to success,yet again we trail way behind Blues in the league.Villa have a good manager who we also trail and as for Albion they have a good manager so are light years ahead of us.
So it,s evidently not the players that you choose to blame from your forum armchairs but the manager,the most important man at the club.
So may I suggest that you self acclaimed expert forum men, start to abuse the new owners, who have got us yet another donkey.
Get out your petitions as you embarrassingly supported against Money Shop, which was the stuff of hypocrites as you wear the shirt.
Also get the board to build a statue of Bully the same as you demanded for Sir Jack as you do,being statue lovers.
Finally the initiative that Moxey put into practice and was copied at other clubs, the Fans Parliament.
Will it still be available, to allow you a platform to moan and demand from or will it be ended, as China does not operate in such a democratic way ?
In other words it is not your business, you do not own Wolves and you never will, so simply support the board and manager or take your support elsewhere.
Remember the future is bright the future is orange like the home kit you wear.
Why don’t you just stick to your beloved Sandwell Shadow Dwellers? And while you are at it go forth and multiply. Sad pathetic little individual.
I seem to remember discussing who the above “really is” at the bar yesterday at the PV. So we just sit in our “forum armchairs” do we ? That is funny as I was in Wolverhampton yesterday and so was you as we had a pint together – as was Wolfstroker, Cotswold, Mr & Mrs Twixfix etc. At least we do go to the games.
Amanda nee Cape you move the goal posts with every sentence so you can attack everyone without defending anyone. Strange last sentence ‘the future is orange like the home kit you wear’.
Yeah …….like the home kit YOU Wear …. She/He/It never said WE which makes me think even more about who this Amanda Cape person really supports.
No matter what anyone’s point of view is the league don’t lie ! An old cliche but fact , we are in trouble and for me I can’t see an immediate answer., what I will say is that those who thought Dicko would be the answer when fit must be disappointed after that kind of injury I don’t think he will be as potent as before .
Possibly but getting half a game here and there won’t help his fitness, form or the team..!
I have to say that after a 400mile round trip, it was a tad disappointing. To add insult to injury, the fish part of my fish and chip post-match supper was only half cooked.
Never easy being a Wolves fan is it. š
Hi mate, it was good to see you again at The Park View. Have to agree and our round trip was only 166 miles. On the plus side though, my post match steak in Hamiltons restaurant was excellent.
Likewise Newark. Pleasure to see you both again. Be a while before I make the trip again though unless things drastically improve.
Hi again mate,I have just had a rant on the blog but been told I am out of order.Would you read what I said please and give me an honest oppinion from one Wolves fan to another ?
Couldn’t see too much criticism of your ‘release of emotion’ Newark. I think most of us would agree with the sentiments expressed anyway.
I was surprised at your choice of invective at times though. It must be ‘Clive of Houston’ syndrome. Pulls no punches on the blog but a proper gent in the flesh. That’s fine too.
I was and are behind Lambert but he needs to wise up to the dead wood the players that are not good enough the ones who are not interested and stop playing them .
He said we are going to go for it well leaving Dicko on the bench for half the game is not going for it in my option yes he’s come back from a bad injury but he needs game time to get his form and fitness back he might not be the player he was but he’s still the best striker we have.
The defence is a shambles to be fair Stearman played well but he was done for pace for the 2nd goal.
As I blogged previous finishing 4th or above from bottom is know a massive task, relegation I don’t think the fans of this club could stomach another disaster the scale of which would dwarf anything that’s gone before, there’s no Graham Turner or Kenny Jackett we’ve used up all our cards in that respect.
In the words of Jonny Logan ” what’s another year ” something I’ve been saying as a Wolves fan longer than I can remember………too long but here we are again November and all chance of promotion wiped out.
I only hope Fosun finish what they started and don’t do a Morgan after all it is there inexperience and putting there trust in the wrong people that we have ended up in this mess.
There is absolutely no defending this sort of play.
We will not go down of that I’m sure, but here we are with a manager making the strangest selections I have ever seen. A team thrown together with the aim of losing was my first thought and I like people on this blog too much to share my second thoughts.
We brought in sick, ill, injured and some downright useless players in the Summer, now we are reaping the rewards, because what we had left from last year was no better.
“It’s a long and winding road.”
http://www.swfc.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/watch-owls-goals-with-playerhd-commentary-3440214.aspx