The Definitive TWF Wolves XI Thread (1970 - present)

[FrankMunro-371]

Don't think anyone would doubt that the 70s team (in relative terms, because the game evolves etc etc) was better than anything we've had since. Just a) you can't expect people to vote on stuff they've never seen and b) nostalgia from that period is definitely misty-eyed for some reason.

I'm always very careful not to romanticise the late 80s for instance, it was an exhilarating period and it was a rebirth of our club. Would never knock the impact that it had. But let's not pretend we had a load of great footballers or anything, we didn't.

I don't think any empirical outside analysis of our 70s team suggests we were as good as some suggest, we weren't ever that close to winning the league when it was more open than it is today, the lack of international honours for many of the lionised players (at a time when England were tits, too) can't be an accident. Maybe they just weren't quite top class, no shame in that.

Had Parkin, Hibbitt and Richards played for a London club they would have been England regulars. Wagstaffe would never have been picked because England did not play wingers very often back then. I think finishing fourth, winning the league cup, getting to a European final, and FA Cup semi final shows the quality we possessed. I am not being misty eyed, I just remember a very good team containing players as good as anywhere in the country.

 

[Quirkafleeg]

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Had Parkin, Hibbitt and Richards played for a London club they would have been England regulars. Wagstaffe would never have been picked because England did not play wingers very often back then. I think finishing fourth, winning the league cup, getting to a European final, and FA Cup semi final shows the quality we possessed. I am not being misty eyed, I just remember a very good team containing players as good as anywhere in the country.

I have watched as much footage of that era as is reasonably available on you tube. Some great games and we beat the daylights out of top sides regularly. But the pitches. My word. It seemed like playing through the Somme.

 

[lemonjelly]

venus
naylor
mcnamara

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Had Parkin, Hibbitt and Richards played for a London club they would have been England regulars.

Is that true?

Just to pick a game at random, the infamous draw vs Poland in 1973:

Shilton
Hunter
McFarland
Hughes
Madeley
Bell
Currie
Peters
Channon
Chivers
A Clarke

Sub: Hector

How many London-based players are there in that team?

 

[lemonjelly]

didn't go for golbourne, for the same reason iorfa & ricketts missed out in my rb choices - 1 good season isn't quite enough, excellent for different reasons all 3 were.

 

[Deleted Cyber]

Don't think anyone would doubt that the 70s team (in relative terms, because the game evolves etc etc) was better than anything we've had since. Just a) you can't expect people to vote on stuff they've never seen and b) nostalgia from that period is definitely misty-eyed for some reason.

I'm always very careful not to romanticise the late 80s for instance, it was an exhilarating period and it was a rebirth of our club. Would never knock the impact that it had. But let's not pretend we had a load of great footballers or anything, we didn't.

I don't think any empirical outside analysis of our 70s team suggests we were as good as some say we were, we weren't ever that close to winning the league when it was more open than it is today, the lack of international honours for many of the lionised players (at a time when England were tits, too) can't be an accident. Maybe they just weren't quite top class, no shame in that.

International wise Richards was unlucky as was Parkin. Terry Cooper did for him.Bradshaw was an u21 international or u 23 whatever. Hughes in 79 was coming here as the best centre half honours wise of the 70s. Gray was a record transfer. Berry was a wales regular at the time. hibbit and Carr were well rated but not international class. They both would be knocking on that door nowadays. As was Thomas. We had players really close to full international status for UK teams. We have not had that depth or quality since.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

I have watched as much footage of that era as is reasonably available on you tube. Some great games and we beat the daylights out of top sides regularly. But the pitches. My word. It seemed like playing through the Somme.

Derby Countys Baseball ground was the worse, barely a blade of grass on it, but my goodness could they play.

 

[Sniffer]

Im tempted to vote tactically to keep Thommo out but will try and keep to the spirit of the poll.

Parkin
Venus
Naylor

 

[Parkins left foot]

Reality is that we all have our favoured time watching Wolves (most of us can't cover the whole period,either through age or for other reasons) - to my great regret I only saw Bull in his prime a few times & I am sure that our recovery from the depths of despair was as exciting as anything I saw in the 70's - though for different reasons.

It will colour our choices on this thread

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Derby Countys Baseball ground was the worse, barely a blade of grass on it, but my goodness could they play.

I was staggered by how bad Old Trafford was. Also that they ever bothered playing some bloke called Sartori. Watched a game against us (pretty much the full 90) and he was absolute mince

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I was staggered by how bad Old Trafford was. Also that they ever bothered playing some bloke called Sartori. Watched a game against us (pretty much the full 90) and he was absolute mince

United also used to play ex-Yorkshire trundler Arnie Sidebottom! Strange days.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

Is that true?

Just to pick a game at random, the infamous draw vs Poland in 1973:

Shilton
Hunter
McFarland
Hughes
Madeley
Bell
Currie
Peters
Channon
Chivers
A Clarke

Sub: Hector

How many London-based players are there in that team?

I will give you that one Dan, but generally back then it was considered you had to play for Arsenal, Tottenham or West Ham United to be recognised by the national press. And looking at that side there were only two Leeds United players in it. The likes of Shilton, Bell and Currie were class players who deserved their places. I am not saying Wolves players were better than these, though Parkin was better than Madeley, but had they been more in the spotlight then they would have been selected.

Though Colin Bell was different class and should have got in any team, anywhere.

My apologies for totally derailing this thread.

 

[Parkins left foot]

United also used to play ex-Yorkshire trundler Arnie Sidebottom! Strange days.

From what I remember he wasn't that mobile as a cricketer - on a football pitch?????????

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

It has been a great diversion! Don't apologise.

Colin Bell I can remember tiny snippets of. Great player but my inner Bath City fan says Tony Book was Manchester City's best ever.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I will give you that one Dan, but generally back then it was considered you had to play for Arsenal, Tottenham or West Ham United to be recognised by the national press. And looking at that side there were only two Leeds United players in it. The likes of Shilton, Bell and Currie were class players who deserved their places. I am not saying Wolves players were better than these, though Parkin was better than Madeley, but had they been more in the spotlight then they would have been selected.

Though Colin Bell was different class and should have got in any team, anywhere.

My apologies for totally derailing this thread.

No apologies necessary! This is a nostalgia thread, going off on tangents is no bother at all. I'm interested to hear about it all (even from a position of scepticism).

I have the healthy advantage here of never seeing us have a good team so I can't be blinded by anything. Bar the odd speck of daylight here and there, we've always been varying degrees of rubbish.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

It has been a great diversion! Don't apologise.

Colin Bell I can remember tiny snippets of. Great player but my inner Bath City fan says Tony Book was Manchester City's best ever.

My Father was a lifelong Manchester City fan, and in my much younger days he often took me to Maine Road. And he said Book was the best full back that he had ever seen at City, so you are probably correct. Thogh Bell was a midfielder who could literally land a ball on a sixpence. A wonderful player.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

My own father saw virtually every home game Tony Book played for Bath City. Late fifties he never missed a game at Twerton Park.

 

[sycophantia]

Parkin.......by an absolute country mile
Thommo.....dont get the negativity
Froggatt......shame about the injuries

Venus a very close 4th

 

[victhegreek]

Derek Parkin
Jackie Macnamara
Lee Naylor