Just how good were/was/is/are (Wolves Edition)

[Tony Towner]

Remarkable game really. Even though we lost. Firstly for the Hibbitt reception the like of which I've not seen since and the Martyn performance which I'd still say is the finest one from a keeper I've seen against us

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Man, that is one non-creative central midfield. Much appreciated info Doc. I may need you at some point in the future

As we go through all this you'll see how much we neglected it for years at a time. None of our managers seemed to care at all.

Martyn was a brilliant keeper but every time he got a chance for England he seemed to slightly (or majorly, cough Romania 2000, cough) fluff it. I don't think there was much between him and Seaman. He was defo better than Chris Woods and David James.

 

[Tony Towner]

We signed Gooding just after he'd scored something like 18 goals from midfield for Peterborough. I assume it was from more of a number 10 role that wasn't really spoken about then because he didn't really show that for us. Have to remember that pre Cook those Turner midfields were only really there to win the ball back. We hit Dennison, Bull or Mutch with a lot of route one stuff. Scrawny Vaughany was always meh

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I remember one gorgeous Vaughan chipped goal but that was about it in terms of positives. Lightweight. He also couldn't have looked more late 80s if he tried.

Gooding did ok for Reading after us but he was just workmanlike, or at least that's what my Reading mate tells me.

I quite liked Phil Robinson but I was very young then, maybe we'll do him soon.

 

[Kenny]

Vaughan was the scorer of the first goal I witnessed at Molineux.

Gooding became an Estate Agent in Reading. Remember seeing him on an episode of Homes under Hammer many years back

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Phil Chard for me. Glory days.

 

[Doctor Doog]

Ernie Hunt for me. My fun Nigel Vaughan fact is that his wife used to work with someone I knew from uni in a bank in Cardiff.

 

[nimrod]

Ernie Hunt for me. My fun Nigel Vaughan fact is that his wife used to work with someone I knew from uni in a bank in Cardiff.

willie carr for me

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

We signed Gooding just after he'd scored something like 18 goals from midfield for Peterborough. I assume it was from more of a number 10 role that wasn't really spoken about then because he didn't really show that for us. Have to remember that pre Cook those Turner midfields were only really there to win the ball back. We hit Dennison, Bull or Mutch with a lot of route one stuff. Scrawny Vaughany was always meh

There was one game (maybe Preston or Gillingham) where our midfield seemed totally overrun but we still scored six.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

21. Robbie Dennison

Robert Dennison (born 30 April 1963) is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who spent the majority of his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

West Bromwich Albion spotted Dennison at Irish club Glenavon and signed him on a two-year deal in September 1985. However, he failed to establish himself in the starting line-up and signed for rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers for £20,000 in March 1987. He made his debut for the club on 14 March 1987 in a 4–0 win over Swansea City.

Here, the winger found his feet and was a first choice player as the team won back to back promotions from the (old) Division 4. Dennison also won an Associate Members' Cup winners medal, scoring in the 2–0 final win over Burnley in 1988 and scored one of the goals.

He also appeared for the club at Wembley in the Football League Centenary Tournament just a month earlier, scoring a long range goal against Everton. In total, he made over 300 appearances in total for Wolves, scoring 49 times.

His appearances began to become more limited with the arrival of Graham Taylor at Molineux in the mid-1990s and he went on loan to Swansea City in 1995, before moving to non-league Hednesford Town in 1997 and in 1999 had a brief spell with Halesowen Town. He rejoined with one-time boss Graham Turner at Hereford United, and later became player/manager at Warley Rangers.

Dennison made 18 appearances for Northern Ireland, spread over a 10-year period. His debut came on 27 April 1988 in a goalless friendly with France.

His brother David also represented Northern Ireland, not at football but at cricket.

Since retiring, he formed a sports trophy business and currently provides co-commentary on Wolves matches live on Beacon Radio.

 

[Paul]

Did laugh at "It came from a poor clearance by Floyd Streete" I mean as if ??

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Loved Robbie, my first favourite player. Superb technique, could drift past a player without ever having much pace and scored some lovely goals (home against Stoke when the crossbar was slightly too high, the City at home curler when he was playing right wing back, and of course the one above against Everton).

Looking back at the old season reviews he was involved in so many goals.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

Loved him and to follow a theme from my previous reviews, a lovely guy.

Like Thommo and one or two others from that climb back up through the divisions, was fantastic for us over a number of years. A great fit and foil for Bull and Mutch, Robbie hit a ceiling at the second level but I'd be surprised if anyone has anything negative to say about him. Yes, admittedly he rarely tackled, didn't track back too much [effectively at least] but was a real throwback winger that could glide past people with the slightest drop of the shoulder. Didn't rely on pace [good job] but was also capped (and was incredibly proud to be) at a time we were still searching for national identity on our way back.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

We used to sit next to a guy who HATED Dennison. I mean full on stuff. He went to every game home and away, went to reserves games, so he knew his stuff. But he couldn't stand him.

I thought he was excellent for D3 but we could have done a lot better a level up. We signed Paul Simpson five years too late.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

The team that came together in the fourth division was much more like an amateur side in terms of finance, facilities, training ground etc. and as a result probably a little too much loyalty was shown to some of the players when they should probably have been replaced. Easy to say so with hindsight and I'm happy to grant them that leeway, because barring the current team/set up and Mick's first season in charge (where I believe he gave us our club back) the three or four years from Chorley onwards were my favourite time as a fan. Yes I was the right age and had no commitments, but there was really a connection with the players that wages hadn't yet destroyed.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I think Dennison was one of those players who was good enough for the 2nd tier, certainly as a squad player, many other players that we kept on weren't though.

 

[Tony Towner]

I'm another who has a strong affinity with that late 80s side, partly because of my age at the time and partly because of the success which was exaggerated by the pain of the prior few years. Famine then feast. Robbie Dennison was the best free kick taker I've seen at Wolves until recently.

 

[Newbridge Wolf]

I always loved Robbie Dennison, he was part of the first wolves team I started watching so my opinion was perhaps influenced by that.

My thoughts on him as a commentator are less complimentary though, he must have picked up a second hand copy of the book of keeganisms with half the pages missing

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

We used to sit next to a guy who HATED Dennison. I mean full on stuff. He went to every game home and away, went to reserves games, so he knew his stuff. But he couldn't stand him.

I thought he was excellent for D3 but we could have done a lot better a level up. We signed Paul Simpson five years too late.

Watched a game in the old South Bank next to a dozen or so fans who gave him stick all game. I applauded an effort from him early on and they laid into me so I kept quiet after that. I just assumed the animosity was religion-based.

On form he made it look so effortless - the way he just skipped along. My favourite goal was in the Sherpa Van Trophy final - a great time to be a Wolves fan.

 

[Papper]

Taylor seemed to like Robbie he certainly gave him a go of it. For me when SJH started splashing the cash he was realistically surplus but to be fair we didn't have an option until Mark Kennedy arrived. Think GT even played Don wide left at times. Robbie lacked a yard but had a good brain for football but for me he is part of that heavenly set including Bull and Mutchy who brought us back from the brink. Good days - enjoyed the football then. Some good games with WBA.