Like many i have a somewhat eclectic taste in music so will attempt to get my favourite 20
on here from different genre's
These however have a habit of changing week by week.Also there's a proviso that picks are on You Tube!
In no particular order of preference...
1) Sam Cooke--Tennessee Waltz.
Always loved Sam's voice.It's just so pure as you'd expect from a former Gospel singer, not bad for a hard drinking philandering smoker...
2)The The---Uncertain Smile
To be honest i could have picked any The The track.There's not one of theirs i think is even approaching duffness.This is off their first LP Soul Mining and features a storming piano solo by an uncredited Jools Holland which apparently took just the one take.The video also features one of my favourite films...
3)Donna Summer---I feel Love
At the height of Disco i was'nt a great fan but have grown to love it over the years and Donna Summer was somewhat of a queen of the genre,a very sexy queen it has to be said...I also once made the mistake of having a dance to this with a woman thinking it was the normal version but it turned out to be the 16 minute one and i think i pooped off for a drink halfway through...
4)Junior Murvin--Police & Theives
Not the Clash version but the original...Produced by the legendary and mad as a box of frogs Lee Scratch Perry.
5)Steely Dan---Haitian Divorce
Not normally a fan of white boy reggae but this is delightfully subversive...And a better use of that odd guitar spittle wobbly noise thing than Peter Frampton ever managed.
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6)The Beatles---Back in the USSR
Talking of subversive...Not only was this a piss take of the Beach Boys California Girls but also bought out at the height of the cold war when all the western propaganda would have us believe that all Soviet women looked like a cross between Susan Boyle & Ann Widdicombe whereas we now know all Russian women look like a cross between Maria Sharapova & Nellie Kim(Look her up)
7)Led Zep---When The Levee Breaks
Gotta have some good old Zep.I have always been a sucker for the Harmonica especially when backed up by the kind of drumming that sounds like it's going to war...Also Robert Plant being a massive Wolves fan means they get in to any top ten...
8)Little Feat---Long Distance Love
I could'nt find a decent recording of the original but found this version by Carla Lynne Hall and i think it's as good as any version i have heard,Just a beautiful song...
9)Marvin Gaye--Inner City Blues(Make Me Wanna Hollah)
Another Philandering pill popper with a sublime voice who got a social conscious later in life.A thought provoking song with an equally thought provoking video.
10)James Brown---Night Train
You know what? It sounds a damn sight more fun than beardy Branson's 8-23 out of Euston...
11)The Clash---Spanish Bombs
Off one of my favourite albums,London Calling.Again i could probably have chosen any Clash track but hey what can you do?
12)Glenn Millar---In The Mood
Oh C'Mon you can't tell me your toes are'nt tapping a little bit to this...
13)Mountain---Nantucket Sleighride
A good old slab of rock about the joys,or not,of Whaling...I kid you not.I wonder if the Japanese play this while out doing "Scientific research"?
14)The Smiths---This Charming Man
From the opening few bars you just know this is a classic bit of Brit Pop.A lot of people think Mozza's a lanten jawed old misery guts but fail to see the tongue set firmly in his cheek on many of the tunes.
15)Frank Zappa---Dirty Love
The ultimate musical subversive.The US authorities hated Zappa as indeed did the old Stalinist regimes of Eastern Europe.A good friend of the late Vaclav Havel.Must be the Czech blood in me...
16)Sophie Ellis Bextor---Murder on the Dancefloor
I like Bextor's breathy vocal style and she also shows a keen sense of humour in the video too,which helps.Let's face it this is just a damn good pop song...
17)Dexy's Midnight Runners---There There My Dear
That Horn section! Arguably the best band to come out of the Black Country.This is off their debut album "Searching for the Young Soul Rebels" Check it out...
18)The Staple Singers---Respect Yourself
Pure unadulterated joy with a message.What more could anyone want?
19)Dean Martin---Little 'Ole Wine Drinker Me
My Karaoke number and a sing-a-long staple of the London Wolves train journey.Dino at his finest...
20)Talking Heads---Once in a Lifetime
Oh David you lovable nutter...What a tune!
There you go.20 of my favourites to wade through if you feel so inclined.
Even so this is not the definitive list as it's subject to change on whatever whim takes my fancy...
Ten days into their search for a new manager Wolves took the old fashioned route and promoted from within by handing the bosses tracksuit to coach Terry Connor.
Had this been the plan all along with Morgan & Moxey using the media in the classic smoke and mirrors ruse or did they just run out of options after seemingly being turned down by everyone from bookies favourite Alan Curbishley all the way through to Muffin The Mule?
I doubt if we'll ever know.
TC has been at the club nearly thirteen years as a coach and seen off four managers before landing the role of Top dog.Or Top Cat if you prefer.
TC and Top Cat. Separated at birth?
By all accounts he's well respected within the game as a coach.Something many fans are unaware of.It may take Wolves fans a while to come round to him as nothing more than "Clipboard" his rather unflattering nickname among us fans.But he's Wolves boss now and the team needs our support in these troubled times.
So what else do we know about TC?
Born in Leeds in 1962 he played for his hometown club,Scoring the winner on his debut V West Brom(It was fate i tells ya) before going on a journey of the south coast with Brighton & Pompey.
He then worked for both Bristol clubs & Swansea before John Ward bought him to Wolves in 1999.
Will this work out? Of course i have no idea.But he knows the players and the word is they respond to him.He may well have some new ways of doing things which he can implement as boss but was'nt allowed to as coach.Word is that the second half comeback at QPR recently was down to his suggestions on how to change things...
On radio 5 today an ex painter of Subbuteo figures at Waddingtons rang in to say TC was the model for the first black figure to be included in the England Subbuteo team...Now there's a thing.
Not TC.Possibly Billy Wright
So on the eve of TC's first game in charge it would be remiss of me not to wish him and the team all the luck for the rest of the season and finish with the only appropriate song;All together now...
Top Cat
The most effectual Top Cat
Who's close friends get to call him T.C.
Providing it's with dignity
Top Cat
The indisputable leader of the gang
He's the boss
he's the VIP
He's the champ
He's the most tip top-Top Cat
Yes he's the chief
He's the king but above everything
He's the most tip top-Top Cat!
Moscow Olympics 1980 will mostly be remembered for the USA team boycotting them owing to the Soviet Union's involvement in Afghanistan---Irony Alert---I would suggest that as a result many of the medals won are effectively devalued in the Athletics especially.Except in the middle distance events where GB ruled at the time.
The Blue Riband event at the Olympics Athletics is the 1,500 metres.GB had Seb Coe and Steve Ovett,along with Steve Cram at Moscow.Arguably the strongest middle distant trio we have ever produced and there's no doubt the competition between them spurred them all on to achieve greater things.
Ovett V Coe...The country was split between them but Coe appeared to be the more clean cut and was generally the housewives choice,especially as he'd broke three world records in a couple of months preceding the games.
Ovett was seen as a bit more of a rebel.Mainly because he did'nt court the media as Coe did---In Hindsight Coe was obviously learning about how to deal with the press for when he became a Tory MP---So there was something mysterious about him and i liked that.
Coe was clear favourite for the 800 metres with maybe Ovett slight favourite for the 1,500 metres,owing to his greater nous with tactics for the longer race...
It was to general surprise that Ovett stormed the 800 metres race,especially as Coe was the faster man.I was beside myelf with joy when he won the first round of the potential double Gold...
Nobody's perfect and it's probably a good thing if one's hero's are flawed in some way.To be fair to Coe he came back in the next race with determination to win the Gold after the let down of the 800 metres.For whatever reason Ovett was'nt at the races for the 1.500 final.
When the dust settled however to win a Gold & Bronze in possibly the two strongest fields ever for these two middle distance races was a fine return and even though Coe had the last laugh i'll always be an Ovett man...
4)Sir Viv Richards
I used to love watching Viv just walking out to bat.It was a show in itself.A slow gum chewing confident languid stroll out to the middle,always proudly wearing his Windies purple cap,never a helmet.There was only one cricketer this could be;Sir Viv.
Then there was his batting...he was'nt the best but he could be the most destructive and take a game away from any opponents in an hour.He also did it against the best going,Lillie,Imran Khan etc.He was no flat track bully
I have always adored West Indian cricket ever since i went to the Oval in London to see them Versus England in the mid to late 70's.This was in the days before cricket grounds in England became sanitised and the Windies supporters made it a home game for them.They were wildly noisy and fantastically funny.It's a great shame they're now going through a slump.Hopefully one day they will be back.
But they'll never find a new Sir Viv.He was a one off...
Even if you no nothing about Cricket i urge you to watch this wonderful documentary about Viv and also about the unique Windies Cricket.
5)Steve Bull
Bully scores for Wolves.A sight Wolves fans became accustomed to.306 times to be exact.
A true sporting hero should be locally born,bought from your fiercest rivals for virtually nothing and then save the club from years of obscurity by banging in goals galore...
This is what Stephen George Bull did.
Bully was born in Tipton,a tough post industrial Black Country town set in the hinterland between Wolverhampton & West Bromwich.It really is a one (Shire) Horse town.Hard and uncompromising.Much like the man himself.
When he signed for Wolves from West Brom in 1986 for £64,000 along with full back Andy Thompson (who also played about 450 games for Wolves) Wolves were in the bottom six of the bottom division and stoney broke.
Bully was raw,very raw.But he knew where the goal was and would often get a shot away early so not giving the keeper time to position himself.The joke was his first touch was terrible but his second usually ended up in the back of the net...
His first season saw him bag 19 goals as Wolves just missed out on promotion via the Play Offs.However more importantly for the club was the partnership he'd struck up with his fellow forward Andy Mutch---Mutch was bought the previous season for £7,000 from Southport and went on to score over 100 goals for the club---The next two seasons saw Wolves win both the 4th & 3rd division titles with Bully bagging 52 & 50 goals respectively.
This earned him a place in the England 1990 World Cup squad held in Italy and meant that many Wolves fans holiday plans were changed to follow their hero to Italy.I doubt if Tuscany has ever really recovered...
Bully was at the height of his form and fame and many Wolves fans were waiting for the day when he left the club for bigger and better things.But that day never came.He stayed with us as we attempted to reach the premiership for the first time.Sadly that day never came whilst Bully was there despite the fact that he kept banging the goals in...
Speaking with fans of many different clubs at the time and without exception--apart from West Brom fans---they all loved Bully.A rare event in the parochial world of English football.
One story sums up the man.Norwich away.Bully was at his wife's side as she gave birth at about 5am on the morning of the game.The club had no doubt given him the option to stay in Wolverhmpton.However he drove to Norwich--a 4 hour journey--and not only played in the game but cracked in two superb goals.
Bully never played in the top flight with his beloved Wolves and finally retired from the game at the end of the 1998/99 season.He still works at the club in a PR capacity and has one of Molineux's stands named in his honour.
After watching the unedifying and,frankly,shameful,post fight brawl between British boxers Haye & Chisora---More akin to the pub carpark on a saturday night,all it needed was a harpie screaming "He ain't worth it" to complete the whole sorry tale---It got me thinking about sporting heroes.(Don't worry,these two clowns don't get anywhere near the list)
I have narrowed it down to five as it probably devalues it having more...
As we're on Boxing i'll start there...
1) Joe Frazier.
Smokin Joe Frazier lands a right hook on his nemesis Ali.
Joe Frazier's boxing career will always be bound up with Mohammed Ali's.A true sporting great can only be hailed as such when judged by their opponents and there's not much doubt that Ali was the greatest boxer ever.However he was'nt my hero.It was Joe.
In the early 70's the World Heavyweight division was the healthiest it's ever been with such names as Ali,Norton,Spinks,Forman,Holmes and Frazier.I don't think i'm making any outrageous claims by saying in their prime anyone of those would be a class above today's heavyweights.
Ali was the media darling,clever,witty and available at all times.Joe was more circumspect in playing the media game.Thus he was painted as being the nasty truculent fighter compared to Ali's happy go lucky attitude.This picture was of course wrong for both of them...Both were Pro's to their very core and did whatever they felt right to win.
Joe was the reigning Champion when they first fought in 1971 at Madison Square Garden New York.The back story was that this was Ali's return after being banned for three years after refusing to be drafted for the Vietnam War.Indeed the flames were fanned when he accused Joe of being an "Uncle Tom" An insult that hurt Joe till his dying day.
This was a particular slap in the face as Joe had gone out of his way to help Ali while he was banned from boxing.Joe never forgave Ali for this lack of respect to not only a fellow boxer but an erstwhile friend.
Joe regained the title by on a unanimous decision.
They fought each other another two times.Once more in New York.It was a non title fight which Ali won and finally the third bout was the "Thrilla in Manila" Again Ali insulted Joe by calling him a "Gorilla".It was a no quarter given toe to toe battle with Ali once again won but admitted later that he had "Never felt so close to death"
Sadly Joe died late last year. RIP Joe.
2)Kenny Hibbitt
Kenny scores V Everton in the Molineux snow
Kenny made his debut for Wolves coming on as a sub in a 0-1 defeat to West Brom in April 1969.Not long after his £5,000 move from Bradford Park Avenue--Ask your dad---His last game was in 1984.Inbetween he played 574 league & cup games for the club scoring 114 goals in the process.
But bare facts alone can't describe the thrill i got in watching Kenny in his Old Gold shirt surge towards goal from midfield and cracking in a 25 yarder into the top corner.
Kenny was a rare English footballer,equally proficient with either foot and he had an unerring quality of finding the back of the net,A sort of modern day Frank Lampard but better...
He was part of the most successful Wolves team i have seen.For about five years we were a top six side,with Kenny running the show from the middle of the park.How he never won at least one England cap is beyond comprehension.
In this period we came close to winning many cups.Including getting to the UEFA cup final,FA Cup semi final and league cup semi final.However the only bit of tangible silverware was the league cup win over a star studded Manchester City at Wembley in 1974.
King Kenny---The original one---scored the opener with his brother-in-law,John Richards, grabbing the late winner in a 2-1 win.
He also helped Wolves to their 1980 triumph against the European Champions Nottingham Forest in the same competition.
Kenny once grabbed all the goals in a 4-2 win over Newcastle,a rare feat for a midfielder,made even sweeter by having his brother Terry lining up for the opponents that day...
He finally left the club in 1984 when we were seemingly in terminal decline but returned as assistant manager with Bristol Rovers in 1989 to help them inflict our only home defeat of the season.It did'nt matter though as the Wolves fans gave their returning hero a rapturous welcome.
Finally some superb old footage of Wolves in the black & White era for fans of a certain age.Watch out for a fantastic and brave diving header from yer man...I was somewhere right behind the goal in the North Bank.
The English FA Cup used to be THE one club competition that the World stopped for.The greatest club competition in the World.Not any more...
The last time my team,Wolves, were in the FA Cup final---winners too---i was two years old and obviously can't recall anything about it.However i have seen us lose in four Semi-finals and they still hurt.It still remains my one hope that i witness Wolves strolling out at Wembley on a warm Spring afternoon in the FA Cup Final.
Yes the World was still in black & white that's how long ago it was...
So why did this great old competition lose it's power over the English football fans to excite and frustrate in equal measure.
Many point to the 1999/2000 season when Manchester United dropped out of that season's cup to partake in the discredited World Team Championship in Brazil,which featured Worldwide renowned teams such as Necaxa,Raja Casablanca,Al-Nassr and South Melbourne...What has never been cleared up with this whole shambles is whether it was at Man Utd's behest or if the FA backed the club into a corner by insisting they participate...
Be that as it may i don't think the demise of the FA Cup as a relevant competition stems from that incident alone,as disgraceful as it was.
No,i think we need to go back a further eight years to the brave new world created by Sky in forming the Premiership with the English FA.Coupled with when UEFA ditched the old style knock out European Cup to the present system in 1991.
Suddenly the system was awash with more money than anyone ever envisaged possible in the game.With the money came greater opportunity but also greater pressure to remain on the gravy train...Thus for a select number of clubs the height of ambition was either getting into the revamped Champions league---Not trying to win the title you understand,just getting to the fabled 4th place--The height of ambition for the rest is just to stay in the Premiership for one more season to keep the coffers topped up.
Where does the FA Cup come into this?
Simply it's now seen as an extra game in which your best players could get injured or suspended and thus preventing a club from reaching their ambition's no matter how limited.With the consequence that many cup ties end up like glorified reserve games.The fans have not been slow to cotton on to this and have mostly decided to stay away.
Yesterday's 5th round game between a revitalised Sunderland and under pressure Arsenal was a case in point.Ironically both teams fielded fairly strong line ups but the gate was barely half of capacity even though prices were dropped.It does'nt help that we're now living in a harsh economic climate but FA Cup gates were dropping even when times were booming a few years back.
Will the FA Cup survive? I imagine so.But it's being ever more marginalised and only seen as a small consolation if won by one of the currant "Big" clubs.Much as cup competitions are seen in other countries.
So will i ever see my team in the FA Cup final? Hell i hope so. but we have other things on our mind for the foreseeable future...
After a few Twitter exchanges with a fellow Wolves fan/blogger/Tweeter about New Order it got me thinking what my favourite gigs have been over the years.
In no particular order...
1)Beach Boys---Knebworth 1980.
You know how it is,some mates have hired a van to travel down from Wolverhampton to Knebworth to see The Beach Boys and there's a drop out.Fancy it?
Well i had never really taken much notice of the band but hell they had a spare ticket and it was an excuse for a weekend on the lash with a few mates.
To get into the spirit of the day i tied The Stars & Stripes round my waist and got a woman outside the gig to scrawl "Surf's Up" on my forehead in red lipstick.
Truth be told i was more interested in support act Santana,who were as good as i'd hoped but being a little fella the not ironically nicknamed "Big Pete" hauled me up on his shoulders and cut a swathe to the front,it was like Rommel uptop on his tank in the Sahara...The Beach Boys were taking the stage.
They were magnificent! I did'nt realise that i knew all their tunes...Lawwwwd bless the sub-conscious eh?
It was also the last ever time the original line up gigged together...
2)T-Rex---Wolverhampton Civic Hall 1971(?)
I'm a bit dubious about the exact year but i think this is correct.Whatever,it was my first ever live gig.I was about 11 and went with my two elder sisters,Helen & Liz.It was just after the release of "Ride a White Swan" and Bolan was transforming the band from drippy hippie pixie & elves rubbish to Glam rock kings.
Frankly i don't recall much about the gig except that i enjoyed it,just wish i had seen them later on at the height of their fame...
3)The Clash---Victoria Park 1978
Badges of Honour.
At the time the National Front--later to become The BNP---were making headway in British politics and were close to making electorial breakthroughs in numerous areas.Coupled with this such rock luminaries as Eric Clapton & David Bowie had made disgusting racist remarks in the press.Out of this Rock Against Racism and the Anti Nazi League were born to counter this threat.
The Wolverhampton branch of The CPGB(Communist Party of Great Britain)hired a coach for the day---yes we had enough members to fill it!---for the journey down to London.We came to march from Trafalgar Sq to the then NF stronghold of Bethnal Green and to the gig in Victoria Park.Into the belly of the beast...
It seemed that the whole world and his wife had come from all over the country to fight the good fight...750,000 marched.A wonderful and life affirming turnout.
One abiding memory of the day is us getting left behind at the back of the march after stopping off in a pub on the way---well c'mon walking's thirsty work---getting lost and rather scarily stumbling into a Bethnal Green housing estate.Locals were hanging out their windows hurling abuse and some objects at us.A stirring rendition of "Martin Webster f***s Alsations" shut the buggers up.Webster was co leader of the NF.
We got to the park unscathed though and this i what greeted us...
We missed all the other acts but frankly the music did'nt matter.It was all about being there...
4)Pink Floyd---Earl's Court 1980
This was Floyd's The Wall gig's in West London.I was on holiday camping in Paignton with my then girlfriend Hellen and my brother's family.But myself and H had tickets for this gig and had to get from there to West London.Let me tell you here a week camping in the wet knocking back weapons grade farmers cider is not ideal preparation for a six hour train journey...then a gig on top.
We booked into a scummy B & B in West Kensington where the curtains did'nt close,much to the delight of the voyeur in the flat opposite,Got to Earl's Court only to find our seats were miles away from the stage.As it turned out this was ideal to see the superb set Floyd built as they played The Wall.Wonderful...
I also seem to recall next morning dancing on the bed in the scummy B&B to the Banana Splits theme tune and being told not to darken their doorway again...
5)The Jam---Wolverhampton Civic Hall 1981
This was a few weeks before i left my hometown for good for pastures new.I had packed up my job and was having a few afternoon drinks in a pub by the Civic with a couple of mates before the gig.Who should walk in but Jam bassist Bruce Foxton.Needless to say we hijacked his quiet afternoon bevvy...
He was a very decent chap and we spent a good hour in his company,as he was leaving he asked if we fancied coming to the soundcheck? Does the Pope shit in the woods?
That's about it for that gig except for standing in the bog with Paul Weller during the soundcheck and him not unreasonably asking me who the hell i was and what the hell i was doing there?
6)Two Tone Tour---Wolverhampton Civic Hall 1979
Ah the infamous two tone tour! Somewhere among the fighting a gig broke out...
It's a very odd quirk of Britain's musical history that bands like Madness and The Specials played Ska and promoted a multi cultured outlook but attracted their fare share of racist scumbags as fans.So this night in Wolves civic hall the NF boot boys tried to intimidate and hurt anyone who appeared to be a fully paid up member of the human race.
You'll be pleased to hear they took a right old beating and were run out of the place.
Oh and the music was fandabidozzie...
7)Sex Pistols---Wolverhampton Laffeyette 1979
One of the Pistols last ever UK gigs was at the Laff--a notorious hard place for bands to succeed---They had already played there twice,first as an unknown,and frankly rubbish,band in 1976.Then as SPOTS(Sex Pistols on Tour) a pseudonym that they had to adopt owing to being banned from touring under their own name.
Needless to say when they toured as SPOTS nobody was unaware as to who they really were.So much so that i could'nt get into the gig as coach parties had come from Manchester & London to see them.
But they did play the Laff again and i made sure i got a ticket--for the sum of £1---Whatever you think of Johnny Lydon(nee Rotten) he's a charismatic frontman and i was transfixed by him.It was a sweaty,beery,magnificent night...
8)Oasis---Knebworth 1996
Knebworth again.This time Oasis on top of their game.Their first two albums were modern day classics,sadly they have plummeted down the divisions since those halcyon days---in my humble opinion---However Knebworth in front of 250,000 was made for them and they nailed it.
I went with a fellow Wolves fan,Pete,and a few of his mates who're Derby fans.Getting the coach from Paddington to the gig.Not a bad journey but hellish on the way back with a belly full of very expensive beer.I seem to recall getting back to London about 4am.All good fun.
Their main support act that day were The Prodigy.Not really my taste in music but they also nailed their set.Great day all round.
9)Specials---Coventry 2011
The homecoming for The Specials last October was a gig we could'nt miss.Three of us--all Wolves fans--went up to Cov for the weekend .
For years we have been going through Coventry on our way to Wolves home games and always mentioned we should visit the pub by the station called The Rocket.This gave us the perfect opportunity.We certainly did'nt expect it to be a West African shebeen transported to the West Midlands...Life's full of little pleasant surprises...
The Specials back in their hometown was always going to be a triumph but to give them credit they were in tip top form and did'nt just phone the gig in knowing they were preaching to the choir...The locals--and not so local---lapped it up.
A superb weekend...
Finally a bad one---kind of.
10)Bob Dylan & Van Morrison---Finsbury Park 1993
Sorry Pop pickers but this was a total let down.A gig that promised so much delivered so little.I have to admit to never really being a great fan of Dylan but i recognise his stature in the music world.I'm also aware that Van the Man is hit or miss depending on what mood the grumpy old bugger's in.
To have them both on bad form on the same day however was a let down.Dylan's voice was never what can be called "Beautiful" but on this day he sounded like Lee Marvin after chain smoking 40 Woodbine.
But he tried whereas Van Morrison just could'nt be arsed.
The day was'nt a total letdown though.The Hothouse Flowers were superb,as were The Pogues...
Wolves have finally parted ways with their manager of five and a half years,Mick McCarthy, after the capitulation in the Black Country Derby.It has been on the cards for a few weeks now and yesterday the deed was done.
Whether it was the correct decision remains to be seen...
When Mick came bouncing into the club a few weeks before the beginning of the 2006/7 season we were in a terrible mess.The previous manager,ex England boss Glen Hoddle,had resigned from the job after a couple of seasons of sterile dull football that left Wolves in a state of flux.Indeed were in such a bad state that for our first game under Big Mick we only just managed to fill the starting line up and subs bench.We were favourites for relegation and apathy ruled...
But the big man breathed new life into the seemingly moribund club and with some judicious signings from the lower leagues not only managed to keep us in the division but guided us to an improbable play off spot.
The crowds began to come back to the club and we had a vigour that had been lost under Hoddle
With expectations raised the next season was always going to be harder and so it proved as we finished below the expected play off place.Wolves fans have a bit of a reputation of being notoriously hard to please and this was when i first started to hear rumblings of a small, but vocal--especially on various websites---band of Anti Mick brigade who wanted him out of the club.It seemed they would never back him no matter what good he did.
The next season we won the Championship by eight points...Still some were'nt happy with the big fella being in charge.
We had reached the promised land of the Premiership barely three years after looking like a club in terminal decline.
The Premiership is tough and unforgiving and so to finish 15th in our first season back with relative ease was a great effort.The next season was just as tough and finally went down to the final day,Indeed we only secured our top flight status with three minutes of the season left.
Which brings us to this season,our third successive term in the Premiership.The bar had been raised on the fans expectations and we started well with seven points off the first three games and even topped the table for the first time in many a year...But things started to spiral downwards alarmingly.Culminating in the humiliating 1-5 defeat to local rivals West Brom and dropping into the bottom three...The club had to be seen to act and sacking the boss is always the easy option.
God knows Mick is'nt perfect.Mistakes have been made under his reign.He bought the club some seriously bad PR when fielding a virtual reserve team at Old Trafford after a storming win at Spurs.He has played players out of their natural position either by design or because of injuries and he even had a go at the Wolves fans earlier in the season after receiving some horrendous personal abuse.
However everyone saw the measure of the man yesterday just moments after being sacked.There was'nt one ounce of bitterness.He said he loved the club,has had a fantastic time here and hoped we stayed up.A class act...
I met him once at a London Wolves dinner when he and his wife were guests of the then manager Mark McGhee,he came across as a genuine fella with time for everyone who spoke to him.The game has a lot of scumbags within it but Mick is one of the good guys...
Whenever Mick returns to Wolves with a new club--possibly Leeds--i hope he gets a rapturous welcome from the home fans who have been denied the chance to say goodbye properly.
When the history of Wolves is updated Mick McCarthy will rightly be seen as a hero who saved the club...
Thanks Big man for all you did for my club.I respect and admire you.Hope you have much success in the future...
This was supposed to be the game that saw us climb a little bit away from the relegation zone and provide a platform for the rest of the season.Instead Wolves formation of an all out attacking 4-3-3 handed the game to our biggest local rivals on a plate.I bet their boss Roy Hodgson could'nt believe his luck when he saw we only had three in midfield.
The Black Country Derby is the oldest footballing rivalry in the world and i have seen many of them but i can't recall ever seeing my team so out played by West Brom,even in their hayday of Robson,Cunningham,Regis and co we at least gave them a hard battle,but yesterday we never had a prayer...
From the very first whistle we were on the back foot and it was only the magnificent goalkeeping of Hennessey kept us at one goal down approaching half-time.
Unbelievably we managed to get an equaliser just before the break when Fletcher fashioned a fine goal out of nothing.The general feeling was that we had got away with blue murder and surely the manager would now begin the second half with another midfielder in place of the ineffective Ebanks Blake.However he did'nt and after a few minutes of pressure from us the West Brom midfield took over again and dominated the rest of the game...
Defensively we were terrible but i put the blame on that down to McCarthy's refusal to play a fourth midfielder which would've offered our defence a barrier to their attacks,they came at us at will and it was only a matter of time till the floodgates opened...However nobody can tolerate the way we capitulated to concede four goals in the second half.
Let's be honest it could have easily been double figures.That's how abject our performance was...
As i live 120 miles away from the area i at least don't have to face any gloating West Brom fans,a tiny personal crumb of comfort.I feel sorry for my fellow Wolves fans who'll have to endure weeks of micky taking from that lot...
West Midlands Police show McCarthy how to pack a midfield...
So us Wolves fans have to now lick our wounds and hope our team can bounce back from this humiliation at the hands of our nearest and (not so)dearest rivals.Can we?
As soap opera's go this one's a doozy;Sex,betrayal,double dealing,judicial trials and door slamming walkouts.The only thing missing was gangster's moll Babs Windsor screaming blue murder...
The fun began before the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa,John Terry,England's captain and for a long time seen as the talisman on which England would finally get the monkey of 1966 off it's back,decided to hijack any esprit de corps the England camp had by ,not to put too fine a point on it,humping a teammates ex wife.
The teammate at his club had moved on by then but his new club played his previous one with both cuckold and cuckolder on the pitch.Famously the cuckold refused to shake hands...Tellingly both sets of players came out in support of their particular man,many of whom were also to be named in the World Cup squad.The die was cast.
The final's duly came and went without,in cricketing parlance,England troubling the scorers.England were terrible in every sense,not least,and rather tellingly in team spirit.To say it was non-existent would be understatement.Indeed the only notable contribution was from Rooney slating the paying fans to camera after England had been rightly booed.Say what you want about our feted footballers but they're never over burdened by a sense of their own failings...
Talking of failings i'm afraid Fabio Capello has to take some of the blame by picking Terry for the squad.Frankly he'd had a dog of a season at Chelsea and purely on form alone was'nt worth his place,never mind being responsible for destroying whatever spirit there had been among the players.If he'd been on top form that probably would be a moot point,but he was'nt and it's not...
Anyhoo the fallout was'nt as great as it should have been,we still stumbled about blindly believing we have the best league in the world along with some of the best players without once copping on that even players from so called minnow footballing countries were miles ahead of us in terms of simple control,movement and tactics....Still our Premiership is watched world wide so it must be the best right?
Next up were the Euro qualifiers and England sailed through their group without too many problems--there usually is'nt---Capello seemed to have exorcised the ghosts of 2010 but there were rumblings in the FA about his tenure as boss,however if they sacked him now it would make them a)look ineffective and stupid b)cost them a shit load of money.How could they get out of this fix?
Meanwhile in a seemingly unconnected case the Spurs manager was being investigated by Her Madge's Inland Revenue for non payment of taxes...
As with all the best soaps things went quiet for a while,even boring.But then the scriptwriters really excelled themselves and guess who was at the centre of the new perfect storm on the good ship England.Yup Cap't Terry.
This time he allegedly made racist comments to the brother of his first choice centre back English partner...I have no idea if he did or not as his trial is not due till the end of the season at the behest of Chelsea.But the FA decided to go over Capello's head and take away his Captain's armband---Meanwhile Harry's trial on tax evasion had began---Now no matter what your thoughts are concerning Capello there's no argument that he's a proud man and would take umbrage at the FA going over his head in anything team related---Why it's as if the FA deliberately set out to rile the man they wanted out of the way without having to stump up millions of ££££££ in compensation.
All good soaps have a one door closes/one door opens moment and ours came yesterday.With the jury out overnight in Harry's case it gave the FA the opportunity to arrange a meeting with their Bet Noir,Capello, for the afternoon--Knowing the jury's decision was due in the late morning or early afternoon-- in the almost certain knowledge he would have no choice but to offer his resignation.Now all they needed was the 12 good men and true to do their duty for Queen & Country...
First off let me say i have no grudge against Liverpool FC,I remember them fondly from the 70's/80's as probably the best team in the world and club that went about their business in quiet dignity.Winning trophy after trophy with style but still remaining humble in victory...
However over the last few months that fondness and respect i had has disappeared in the wake of the Suarez racist incident.
In their previous meeting with their arch rivals,Manchester United---who play each other this coming weekend---Suarez finally admitted to racially abusing United full back Evra.By all accounts he did this several times during the game but defended his actions by saying he'd used the word "Negro" instead of something more inflammatory.
Firstly any derogatory mention of someone's race or colour is racist no matter what flowery language is used.Suarez claimed this was commonplace in his home of Uruguay but he's been in Northern Europe long enough to know better.He also said he did'nt talk to negro's...Well that put the tin hat on his intentions to racially abuse Evra for me.
Whilst the FA were deliberating their punishment Liverpool FC decided to produce officially sanctioned T-Shirts defending Suarez.Every player wore them and even their manager Kenny Dalglish donned one.At best this was a bad judgment call,at worst it was an open support for a players racist views.
I can understand Liverpool wanting to support arguably their best player,but do so in private...
The FA clearly agreed with Evra's position and banned Suarez for eight matches
That seemed to be the end of it and even Liverpool seemed to accept the punishment with good grace by not appealing.However they were then drawn at home to Man Utd in the FA cup and Whenever Evra got near the ball he was roundly booed by the Liverpool fans---The victim being blamed for the crime commited--Not one apology was forthcoming from the club over this disgraceful behaviour from their fans,indeed when asked to comment their manager,Dalglish, railed against the journalist for supposedly asking stupid questions.
As an aside ITV who covered the game never mentioned the booing of a victim of racial abuse,indeed each time it reached particular levels of hatred they panned to Suarez sitting in the stands for any reaction.Disgraceful attitude by ITV.
So far so bad,yet last night's game it reached another level when Liverpool sold Suarez masks to fans.Again this was a clear incitement after all that had gone before.To cap it off Dalglish then claimed that the ban should'nt have been imposed at all.Why? He did'nt say of course...
Liverpool have many fans around the world of all creed's and colours,indeed it's well known they have a large Asian fanbase in Britain.I wonder what they're feeling about how their beloved club have behaved over the last few months?
I used to admire and respect Liverpool FC...Not anymore...
With Winter finally making an appearance in the UK Wolves had an away trip to Loftus road ,home of Queens Park Rangers in West London.A game that if Wolves lost could well have seen the manager being sacked by the club's owners.So the pressure was on...
The day did'nt begin in great fashion with the pub we'd earmarked to meet in being boarded up.Proof,if proof were needed, that the Rugger Buggers of the Tory party care little for us solid and thirsty footballing working class chaps...Luckily there was a real Irish pub--as opposed to the plastic O'Neill's Oirish ones-- up the road that was happy to serve us.
I like Loftus Rd.In the argot of today it's "Old Skool" A tiny box of a stadium that holds about 18,000 who are so close to the action they can almost shake hands with the players.When they eventually move to a new purpose built stadium they will inevitably lose a big part of what makes this club almost unique in the all new germ free world of the Premiership...
After the much publicised bollocking the Wolves players got from owner Steve Morgan in the week the expectation were we'd come out of the blocks all guns blazing but it was the Hoops who started the brighter and it was no great shock when debutant Bobby Zamora cracked in the opener,unmarked from about 12 yards out.Long gone are the days when opposing fans sing "When you sit in row Z and the ball hits your head it's Zamora"He's now a fine forward.
The turning point came after half an hour when Cisse saw red.Johnson was late in his tackle and dumped Cisse on his arse.Just a normal everyday foul but Cisse took exception and grabbed Johnson by the throat,Luckily for us there was no reaction from the Wolves skipper,otherwise he may well have been off too.
The rest of the first half petered out,but a change from our beleaguered manager,taking defender Stearman off and replacing him with forward Doyle,galvanized the away team and within a minute of the restart Doyle's cross evaded everyone in the box and came to Jarvis on the left,he skipped inside and curled a lovely shot into the bottom corner.Game on...
Suddenly the shackles had been lifted and Wolves began playing with speed and confidence,bombing forward at every opportunity,but we had to wait till the 70th minute to take the lead.O'Hara--returning after a double hernia op--slid the ball into the box for Doyle who turned his man and shot instantly into the bottom corner...Cue mayhem in the Wolves fans section...
Doyle celebrates his winner with Ward,O'Hara and Ebanks Blake...You beauty.
As nearly always happens when Wolves take a lead we then stopped doing what it was that had put us in a commanding position and tried to sit back and defend the lead.Luckily this time Rangers could'nt get past our defence.Especially the commanding Bassong making his debut.
Wayne Hennessey did have to make one outstanding,world class save from Taarabt---who is either mecurially gifted or a show pony depending on your view point---Henners is fast making himself favourite as Wolves player of the season and personally i would love to see him as first choice keeper in the GB Olympic team...
So a much needed win that takes us out of the relegation zone and gives everyone a boost for our next game,the Black Country Derby versus our hated rivals WBA...Another win would be just what the doctor ordered...
I thought the travelling Wolves fans were superb yesterday,backing the players all the way even when being out played and losing.Thankfully the team eventually repaid the fantastic support.
Finally the delightful QPR midfielder Joey Barton tweeted that had Cisse stayed on the pitch it would have been a Cricket score...He's probably correct judging by the way England have been batting lately...
