God's Footballer

[Tom Hark]

I'm sure a lot of you have seen this, but I hadn't.

 

[Paul]

You hadn't ? The Saturday Boy will hunt you down

 

[Tony Towner]

Was Knowles known as knocker when he played, so it's a nickname that works on 2 levels or added post career?

 

[Keef]

His brother was the Cyril of the " nice one Cyril, nice one son, nice one Cyril, let's have another one" chant of the 70s

 

[Law's Bus]

That 1967 LA Wolves tour made us the first club to win leagues in two different countries, but cost us Peter Knowles.

But then he was always happy with his choices in life, and I guess that's all any of us can ask for.

 

[northfield wolf]

He was a massive loss to us when he gave it all up. It was his choice, but i have never forgive him.

 

[WolfmanOz]

That 1967 LA Wolves tour made us the first club to win leagues in two different countries, but cost us Peter Knowles.

But then he was always happy with his choices in life, and I guess that's all any of us can ask for.

When it’s all said and done, Knowles has always said he has had no regrets and has been perfectly happy which, in spite of his enormous football talent, one’s own happiness and the contentment he has had makes any disappointment Wolves supporters have had a moot point.

 

[WolfmanOz]

I’d also add that in over 55 years of following Wolves I’d rate Peter Knowles as the most talented player who wore the Old Gold shirt in that time.

Only Robbie Keane comes close - Knowles was that good.

Although, if he had decided to continue playing I doubt he would have made the 1970 World Cup or play for England as Ramsey simply did not play (or seem to rate) players with flair. Unfortunately this attitude seemed to afflict the other England managers in the 70s as well to the detriment of the national team.

Also, who knows if he would have continued to play for Wolves as he had made a number of transfer requests; but Wolves were about to embark on the period 1970-1974, as the best Wolves team in the last 50 years in terms of results and league standings. We can only dream as to what a difference Knowles would have made.

 

[VanWolfie]

Was Knowles known as knocker when he played, so it's a nickname that works on 2 levels or added post career?

He was always called knocker Knowles when he was playing. The nickname has stood the test of time.

 

[northfield wolf]

Peter Knowles had it all. Skill, speed cockiness and boyish good looks, im still aghast why he gave it all up. Did any of you realise Wolves kept his player registration for 10 years after he walked away. I always thought and hoped he would return, but he never did.

 

[nimrod]

in a parallel universe, ted farmer and peter knowles together in a few hundred games for us

 

[Law's Bus]

Peter Knowles had it all. Skill, speed cockiness and boyish good looks, im still aghast why he gave it all up. Did any of you realise Wolves kept his player registration for 10 years after he walked away. I always thought and hoped he would return, but he never did.

He was registered into the 1980s, IIRC, which is pretty scary.

Almost as scary as realising that George Best should have played in the World Cup when Northern Ireland finally qualified in 1982 - he'd have been 36.

 

[Tony Towner]

Yes, it was Graham Hawkins who finally let him go registration wise

 

[Loki]

My childhood hero. Any old codgers on here remember a game where he ran rings round a number of players, sat down on the ball, got up again and carried on playing ? It happened, honest.

 

[northfield wolf]

I wasnt at that game, but i remember reading about it in several papers. I was at his last game v Forest. We were 3-0 up and just about hung on for a 3-3 draw. A really sad day all round.

 

[WolfmanOz]

I wasnt at that game, but i remember reading about it in several papers. I was at his last game v Forest. We were 3-0 up and just about hung on for a 3-3 draw. A really sad day all round.

Yup I was at that game vs Notts Forest - one of the most bizarre Wolves games I ever saw. Wolves should have been 6 up stead of 3 and you’re right that at the end they were just hanging on.

i wasn’t at the game when he sat on the football but my dad was, and I will always remember him coming home after the game, when he was so baffled and amused at what Knowles had done.

 

[northfield wolf]

Gods footballer, our (HUGE) loss. I keep dreaming of what we would have achieved in the early seventies if Peter had stayed. Impossible to replace. Always had a smile on his face though.

 

[WolfmanOz]

Just looked up in Those Were The Days and it says the game when Knowles sat on the ball was against Bolton in February 1967 which Wolves won 5-2.

interestingly, it incensed Francis Lee who took a swing at Knowles and this scuppered Wolves interest in signing him before Man City did 6 months later.

imagine a Wolves team in the early 70s with both Knowles and Franny Lee !

 

[northfield wolf]

We would have been counting all the trophies WolfmanOz. I wrote an article about him in our fanzine, ALOB. I titled it "Wheres your Bible Peter Knowles ?" . I got that title from what the Forest fans were chanting throughout his last game. I had some good praise from people who read the article, it was a few years ago now though. At least i can say i saw him playing.

 

[Peter_Knowles_Ghost]

Yup I was at that game vs Notts Forest - one of the most bizarre Wolves games I ever saw. Wolves should have been 6 up stead of 3 and you’re right that at the end they were just hanging on.

i wasn’t at the game when he sat on the football but my dad was, and I will always remember him coming home after the game, when he was so baffled and amused at what Knowles had done.

I was at the (a?) game when Knocker sat on the ball, and my memory (bad as it is now) is telling me it was Nottingham Forest too. My first Wolves hero was Knocker - great player and entertainer. I couldn't believe it when he jacked it all in ...