Mark McGhee (not dead)

[WalsallWolf]

Should have kept Taylor but then he was struggling himself. Strange few years. We were universally hated back then and looking back, you can kind of see why.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

With respect to rewriting of history and Graham Taylor just look at the injuries that season.

True, I loved that team, Steve Froggatt as a wingback is the sort of thing we could do with now. He did buy some players who were vulnerable to injury though too (Tony Daley most obviously!). Some Championship thuggery cost us though.

 

[Jamwolf]

Taylor, Mcghee and Colin Lee were karma for SJH for sacking Graeme Turner.

 

[marrs-guitar]

The worst thing about McGhee was how much negative energy he created for the club, firstly with his impression of just being careerist hopping from job to job within short spells, and secondly with his arrogant attitude which rubbed most people up the wrong way (including from all interviews 20 years on with the players, the squad themselves).

We had already had the media collectively willing Taylor to fail for the previous 18 months, then jumped into bed with McGhee at the behest of Jonathan Hayward.

 

[Wombourne Wolf]

Sanctioning the sale of Bully to Coventry (which he thankfully turned down)meant that the 95/96? season started with a huge cloud over Taylor along with the pain of that defeat to Bolton. We were awful for the start of that season, I'm sure we lost 4-1 at home to Stoke a few weeks before he went, Dean Richards ended up in goal? Unfortunately we were only heading in one direction that season.

I remember being excited about the arrival of McGhee at the time, Osborn, Corica and Vinny Samways came in and everyone was optimistic - it didn't work out that season and think we only ended up missing relegation by a few points - Corica as mentioned above was lightweight, gave away the ball alot and seemed to hide during games.

His first full season was much better, we got some great away results but were hopeless at home and couldn't break teams down. I remember him also winding Barnsley up in the press and inspiring them to go on a run near the end of the season (I think we beat them at Oakwell 3-2 or 3-1?) - Bully also got sent off at Oldham at Easter and we lost a few games on the spin following that.

 

[Jonzy54]

Taylor, Mcghee and Colin Lee were karma for SJH for sacking Graeme Turner.

Jonathan sacked Graham Turner because he was Chairman and was running the club.Pretty sure after an abysmal night performance at Portsmouth JH got on the team coach and went ape shouting at GT

 

[marrs-guitar]

His first full season was much better, we got some great away results but were hopeless at home and couldn't break teams down. I remember him also winding Barnsley up in the press and inspiring them to go on a run near the end of the season (I think we beat them at Oakwell 3-2 or 3-1?) - Bully also got sent off at Oldham at Easter and we lost a few games on the spin following that.

I think we just flopped, rather than Barnsley being inspired. Barnsley only actually won 3 of their last 7 games, so it was hardly an Albion 2002 run, but McGhee had assembled a central midfield with the strength of a paperbag and, of course, Reading were only too delighted to score two late goals against us in the match that really blew things.

I remember the home game against Grimsby right near the end, when we were still theoretically able to go up automatically. We took the lead, John Oster shanked a cross in to equalise, and then we just went through the motions for the entire second half, no urgency, no plan, just handing Barnsley a promotion. I'm sure Goodman later revealed that McGhee's idea of pre-match motivation was playing "Moving On Up" by M People album in the dressing room!

In hindsight, I think Bully having (his last) great season in 1996/97 largely papered over the cracks in a team where very few of the individual parts worked as a team unit. As you said, Bully got sent off and missed three games and the team struggled big time then to produce wins.

Unless we had invested very wisely (and McGhee was much worse in the transfer market than his predecessors), I suspect we would have gone straight back down had we actually gone up, particularly as time really started catching up with Bully from then on.

 

[marrs-guitar]

Jonathan sacked Graham Turner because he was Chairman and was running the club.Pretty sure after an abysmal night performance at Portsmouth JH got on the team coach and went ape shouting at GT

Yep, Jonathan Hayward even wanted the players and Turner to get off the bus after the Pompey loss and to make their own way home but Turner stood his ground, knowing that he was done for.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Yep, Jonathan Hayward even wanted the players and Turner to get off the bus after the Pompey loss and to make their own way home but Turner stood his ground, knowing that he was done for.

What a complete prat Jonathan Hayward was. If l'd have been a player l'd have done exactly what he asked. I'd have then litigated against the club for the cost of a taxi all the way home and gone to the FA and if necessary an Employment Tribunal for constructive dismissal. Had the whole team done that Hayward would rightly have been in the crap, having lost the complete squad for nothing, the arrogant little ****. His only qualification was being his father's child.

 

[marrs-guitar]

What a complete prat Jonathan Hayward was. If l'd have been a player l'd have done exactly what he asked. I'd have then litigated against the club for the cost of a taxi all the way home and gone to the FA and if necessary an Employment Tribunal for constructive dismissal. Had the whole team done that Hayward would rightly have been in the crap, having lost the complete squad for nothing, the arrogant little ****. His only qualification was being his father's child.

Woah, I've never seen the words "Jonathan Hayward" and "litigation" together before when it comes to Wolves.. or have I....

 

[Jonzy54]

What a complete prat Jonathan Hayward was. If l'd have been a player l'd have done exactly what he asked. I'd have then litigated against the club for the cost of a taxi all the way home and gone to the FA and if necessary an Employment Tribunal for constructive dismissal. Had the whole team done that Hayward would rightly have been in the crap, having lost the complete squad for nothing, the arrogant little ****. His only qualification was being his father's child.

I have known several Wolves players over the years and one who shall remain nameless was a youth player back then and had travelled to help with the kit and he said when Hayward got on he was puce with rage and shouted for ages at Turner before he stormed back off .The whole squad just sat in silence and the rest is history.

 

[Polish Wolf]

I feel the same with all our managers, even McCarthy and Nuno. Every manager who was sacked (or left by mutual consent) was serving up football that was clearly in decline, and it was obvious our fortunes could never change for the better while they remained in charge.

Turner, Taylor, McGhee, Lee, etc had all reached a pinnacle (as far as that respective manager could take us) in their Wolves career and we were on the downward spiral when they each left the club.

The only Wolves manager who was sacked that I genuinely felt sorry for was Brian Little.

You could also argue that for some of those guys we were the pinnacle or the last noticeable job of their careers too. Turner, MgGhee, Lee, Jones, Hoddle and to some extent even McCarthy and Taylor never performed successfully on a level higher that during their days with us.

 

[Jonzy54]

You could also argue that for some of those guys we were the pinnacle or the last noticeable job of their careers too. Turner, MgGhee, Lee, Jones, Hoddle and to some extent even McCarthy and Taylor never performed successfully on a level higher that during their days with us.

After Taylor left us he went back to Watford and got them promoted to the PL which he didn’t manage here

 

[crocos]

and of course, Reading were only too delighted to score two late goals against us in the match that really blew things.

I was at that game, and it was a lovely sunny afternoon but a horrible horrible day. We were dreadful but were just edging a scrappy ugly game 1-0 until they put two very very late goals past us, the second one to win it deep into injury time and the first to equalise was incredibly late in the game, if not in injury time too. With all the anger about McGoo and our attitudes etc, their fans went crazy and then some, with a group of them giving it large and trying to get at us behind some wire. Trouble all the way back to the car too, with a lot of their mob innocently asking folk for the time / directions or whatever, hoping to pick up a Wolvo accent and get down to business. Probably the worst game I've been at in this country for widespread outside-the-ground aggro. And a game after which you just knew the promotion dream was over.

 

[WickedWolfie]

I was at that game, and it was a lovely sunny afternoon but a horrible horrible day. We were dreadful but were just edging a scrappy ugly game 1-0 until they put two very very late goals past us, the second one to win it deep into injury time and the first to equalise was incredibly late in the game, if not in injury time too. With all the anger about McGoo and our attitudes etc, their fans went crazy and then some, with a group of them giving it large and trying to get at us behind some wire. Trouble all the way back to the car too, with a lot of their mob innocently asking folk for the time / directions or whatever, hoping to pick up a Wolvo accent and get down to business. Probably the worst game I've been at in this country for widespread outside-the-ground aggro. And a game after which you just knew the promotion dream was over.

Something which their fans tend to forget when they moan about subsequent incidents (e.g. around the playoffs). Two wrongs never make a right but past knowledge may help inform why later events occurred.

 

[marrs-guitar]

I was at that game, and it was a lovely sunny afternoon but a horrible horrible day. We were dreadful but were just edging a scrappy ugly game 1-0 until they put two very very late goals past us, the second one to win it deep into injury time and the first to equalise was incredibly late in the game, if not in injury time too. With all the anger about McGoo and our attitudes etc, their fans went crazy and then some, with a group of them giving it large and trying to get at us behind some wire. Trouble all the way back to the car too, with a lot of their mob innocently asking folk for the time / directions or whatever, hoping to pick up a Wolvo accent and get down to business. Probably the worst game I've been at in this country for widespread outside-the-ground aggro. And a game after which you just knew the promotion dream was over.

I will never forget the name Stuart Lovell....

 

[Jonzy54]

I will never forget the name Stuart Lovell....

He still pops up on our screens covering SPL games on Sky

 

[Norway Wolves]

With respect to rewriting of history and Graham Taylor just look at the injuries that season.

He signed injury prone players that got serious injuries very soon after signing for us.

 

[Burton Wolf]

I was at that game, and it was a lovely sunny afternoon but a horrible horrible day. We were dreadful but were just edging a scrappy ugly game 1-0 until they put two very very late goals past us, the second one to win it deep into injury time and the first to equalise was incredibly late in the game, if not in injury time too. With all the anger about McGoo and our attitudes etc, their fans went crazy and then some, with a group of them giving it large and trying to get at us behind some wire. Trouble all the way back to the car too, with a lot of their mob innocently asking folk for the time / directions or whatever, hoping to pick up a Wolvo accent and get down to business. Probably the worst game I've been at in this country for widespread outside-the-ground aggro. And a game after which you just knew the promotion dream was over.

A Reading mob? Don't make me laugh

 

[WickedWolfie]

He signed injury prone players that got serious injuries very soon after signing for us.

Certainly true in some cases.

 

[WolfLing]

Strange time. He was being spoken of as one of the up and coming Managers and a possible long-term successor to Ferguson at Old Trafford.

His Reading team looked great against us so when he signed Osborn and Williams from them, along with Corica who had previously been been amazing against us and Sedgley who had been a really good sweeper for Ipswich, I genuinely thought that he would put together a proper footballing team that would be far too good for The Championship.

Turned out to be one of the biggest false dawns in my Wolves-supporting lifetime. Came across as extremely arrogant too so didn’t shed any tears after he left.

I don't think there was any lack of quality at the time. Problem was there was no real structure.

Having older, experienced heads in a dressing room is great, but I can imagine the balance has to be right and too many very big personalities could lead to problems. We had Curle (captain), Atkins, Bull, Goodman, Muscat, Mixu, Sedgley, Richards all around that 30 mark, all very experienced players and there were probably too many voices.

Listening to some of the stories from players around the time, there was also no discipline!

Steve Sedgley had a particular M.O. of leaving a jobby in the bath apparently

 

[Croydon Wolf]

I was at that game, and it was a lovely sunny afternoon but a horrible horrible day. We were dreadful but were just edging a scrappy ugly game 1-0 until they put two very very late goals past us, the second one to win it deep into injury time and the first to equalise was incredibly late in the game, if not in injury time too. With all the anger about McGoo and our attitudes etc, their fans went crazy and then some, with a group of them giving it large and trying to get at us behind some wire. Trouble all the way back to the car too, with a lot of their mob innocently asking folk for the time / directions or whatever, hoping to pick up a Wolvo accent and get down to business. Probably the worst game I've been at in this country for widespread outside-the-ground aggro. And a game after which you just knew the promotion dream was over.

I was at that game too and I remember the abuse and taunting we got on leaving the ground. I personally didn't see any aggro but it has given me a life long dislike of Reading.

 

[Vietnam Wolf]

Some of my genuinely most disappointing times as a Wolves fan. Made worse because we had the normal considerable "hope" when he joined. But his tenure was just a whole ****ing hurricane of overwhelming negativity, starting exactly when he joined (Leicester legally challenged the "poaching" and ended up with a record compensation deal for a manager that went from so-called hero to zero in less than 3 years.

The opposing fans had a song especially for the miserable **** "cheer up Mark McGhee" and as many have said above picking the likes of Corica on a weekly basis and favouring his "dad's" son Darren Ferguson, who was offloaded on us to save face for both Fergie and his son.

The very worst though was standing there, hearing the teams read out, at Villa Park in the FAC SF against Arsenal and hearing Steve Claridge in the side and Bully and Keano on the bench.

After he was sacked, getting Colin Lee to replace him was almost worse ... a bad, misguided, time for the club IMO.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Some of my genuinely most disappointing times as a Wolves fan. Made worse because we had the normal considerable "hope" when he joined. But his tenure was just a whole ****ing hurricane of overwhelming negativity, starting exactly when he joined (Leicester legally challenged the "poaching" and ended up with a record compensation deal for a manager that went from so-called hero to zero in less than 3 years.

The opposing fans had a song especially for the miserable **** "cheer up Mark McGhee" and as many have said above picking the likes of Corica on a weekly basis and favouring his "dad's" son Darren Ferguson, who was offloaded on us to save face for both Fergie and his son.

The very worst though was standing there, hearing the teams read out, at Villa Park in the FAC SF against Arsenal and hearing Steve Claridge in the side and Bully and Keano on the bench.

After he was sacked, getting Colin Lee to replace him was almost worse ... a bad, misguided, time for the club IMO.

Colin Lee was the cheap replacement option....

 

[S G Wolves]

Everything we touched turned to **** in that era...

Seemed like a bad curse...

 

[LythamWolf]

I remember going to watch Reading v Wolves on 23 December 1995, just after Mister Magoo joined us, and it was a rather eventful day even though ultimately there was no football played.

I was in the doghouse as I was supposed to be heading from London back to the north west on the Friday after work with the (then) girlfriend to spend the Christmas break with our families but I had decided to go to the game on the Saturday and then travel up that evening on the train via London. One of my best mates is a West Ham fan and he was within ten grounds of joining the 92 Club at the time, with Elm Park still to tick off, and so he decided to join me which in hindsight was probably the girlfriend's problem as things always get messy when I go out with him. They still do 26 years later...

We got into Reading fairly early as we wanted to make a day of it seeing as we wouldn't be able to go out after the game and we went into a small bar near the station just as they opened, I think we may even have been the first people in. The two of us were deep into conversation and it was only after an hour or so that we noticed that the bar was still very quiet which seemed strange on a matchday and we then noticed that the bouncers weren't letting anyone else in. No-one in the pub had colours on but all looked like football fans, nearly all guys in their 30s, 40s and 50s in casualwear. We wondered to eachother if we were in a hooligan pub but we'd had a few pints by now and no-one was paying us any attention so we just carried on drinking.

We'd been so busy talking that it got to something like 2:45 before we realised we had a game to go to so we hurriedly left the pub and got a cab to the ground. On the way there we started to notice that supporters were walking away from the ground and when we asked the driver he said the game may have been called off because of the recent rain but he wasn't sure (afterwards I heard it was called off very late, I seem to recall 30 minutes before kick-off if I remember correctly). My mate decided he wanted to get some programmes as another of his mates collected programmes for postponed games so we carried onto the ground and then went looking for a programme seller which was pretty difficult as most had shut up shop and presumably gone home. After getting the programmes everything was quiet except for a lot of noise on another side of the ground and so we walked around to where a group of fans were stood outside a big gate, shouting and jeering with lots of references to "Judas" so we stopped to watch the anticipated entertainment and after a few minutes some stewards swung the gates open and attempted to hold back the crowd as McGhee drove out whereupon he was confronted by a hail of rather more than 20 pieces of silver which rained down on his car and he certainly didn't hang around. I remember at the time thinking that the Reading fans certainly bore a grudge as he'd left them for Leicester a year prior to this.

The rearranged fixture took place at the end of April the following year which we lost 3-0 and the only thing I can remember is their fans goading both us and McGhee throughout the game. There was a lot of animosity from Reading fans towards us for the next few years and I seem to remember being on (I think) the E&S Forum and they would come on to have a go at us.

 

[marrs-guitar]

When you consider that Leicester desperately wanted to keep him and did everything to stop him coming to us, then appointed Martin O'Neill, went straight up, won two cups over the next 5 years and played in Europe, while we spent a small fortune to languish in no man's land, it was really another classic sliding doors moment where Wolves got the decidedly shorter end of the straw.

 

[lobodelsur]

Everything we touched turned to **** in that era...

Seemed like a bad curse...

What astounds me is that Jack Hayward is still revered by many fans even though he was the man behind almost 2 decades of severe under-achievement. OK he wrote off 40 million quid in debt, but that was chicken-feed to him. Likewise, he wasn't around when John Bird and the Council stepped in to save the club post-Bhattis but some still credit him with being the 'saviour'.

 

[Hot Fuss]

I remember going to watch Reading v Wolves on 23 December 1995, just after Mister Magoo joined us, and it was a rather eventful day even though ultimately there was no football played.

I was in the doghouse as I was supposed to be heading from London back to the north west on the Friday after work with the (then) girlfriend to spend the Christmas break with our families but I had decided to go to the game on the Saturday and then travel up that evening on the train via London. One of my best mates is a West Ham fan and he was within ten grounds of joining the 92 Club at the time, with Elm Park still to tick off, and so he decided to join me which in hindsight was probably the girlfriend's problem as things always get messy when I go out with him. They still do 26 years later...

We got into Reading fairly early as we wanted to make a day of it seeing as we wouldn't be able to go out after the game and we went into a small bar near the station just as they opened, I think we may even have been the first people in. The two of us were deep into conversation and it was only after an hour or so that we noticed that the bar was still very quiet which seemed strange on a matchday and we then noticed that the bouncers weren't letting anyone else in. No-one in the pub had colours on but all looked like football fans, nearly all guys in their 30s, 40s and 50s in casualwear. We wondered to eachother if we were in a hooligan pub but we'd had a few pints by now and no-one was paying us any attention so we just carried on drinking.

We'd been so busy talking that it got to something like 2:45 before we realised we had a game to go to so we hurriedly left the pub and got a cab to the ground. On the way there we started to notice that supporters were walking away from the ground and when we asked the driver he said the game may have been called off because of the recent rain but he wasn't sure (afterwards I heard it was called off very late, I seem to recall 30 minutes before kick-off if I remember correctly). My mate decided he wanted to get some programmes as another of his mates collected programmes for postponed games so we carried onto the ground and then went looking for a programme seller which was pretty difficult as most had shut up shop and presumably gone home. After getting the programmes everything was quiet except for a lot of noise on another side of the ground and so we walked around to where a group of fans were stood outside a big gate, shouting and jeering with lots of references to "Judas" so we stopped to watch the anticipated entertainment and after a few minutes some stewards swung the gates open and attempted to hold back the crowd as McGhee drove out whereupon he was confronted by a hail of rather more than 20 pieces of silver which rained down on his car and he certainly didn't hang around. I remember at the time thinking that the Reading fans certainly bore a grudge as he'd left them for Leicester a year prior to this.

The rearranged fixture took place at the end of April the following year which we lost 3-0 and the only thing I can remember is their fans goading both us and McGhee throughout the game. There was a lot of animosity from Reading fans towards us for the next few years and I seem to remember being on (I think) the E&S Forum and they would come on to have a go at us.

Loads ran on the pitch after the rearranged game (I think the result guaranteed them stopping up) and gave us loads. Iv never liked Reading. All I can remember about the actual game is we were rubbish and Glen Crowe played.

 

[Hot Fuss]

What astounds me is that Jack Hayward is still revered by many fans even though he was the man behind almost 2 decades of severe under-achievement. OK he wrote off 40 million quid in debt, but that was chicken-feed to him. Likewise, he wasn't around when John Bird and the Council stepped in to save the club post-Bhattis but some still credit him with being the 'saviour'.

Employed not just one but two of his children to run the club. Unbelievable really. Neither had the first clue about football.

 

[LythamWolf]

Loads ran on the pitch after the rearranged game (I think the result guaranteed them stopping up) and gave us loads. Iv never liked Reading. All I can remember about the actual game is we were rubbish and Glen Crowe played.

Having already checked the league table for that season I think you're right about the result guaranteeing their safety from relegation.

I don't remember anyone on the pitch but the memory isn't what it was but I do have vague images in my mind of some of their fans climbing fences and/or floodlight pylons during the game and goading us each time they scored. Anyone here that can confirm or rebut that?

 

[Hot Fuss]

Having already checked the league table for that season I think you're right about the result guaranteeing their safety from relegation.

I don't remember anyone on the pitch but the memory isn't what it was but I do have vague images in my mind of some of their fans climbing fences and/or floodlight pylons during the game and goading us each time they scored. Anyone here that can confirm or rebut that?

I’m certain a fair few were on the pitch (loads was probably a bit of an exaggeration!) they came from the terracing to the left as we looked at the pitch.

 

[LythamWolf]

I’m certain a fair few were on the pitch (loads was probably a bit of an exaggeration!) they came from the terracing to the left as we looked at the pitch.

I probably missed that by leaving before the end as I'd have been keen to get out and back home after such a poor result.

 

[Hot Fuss]

I probably missed that by leaving before the end as I'd have been keen to get out and back home after such a poor result.

Wouldn’t blame you.

 

[Norman Bell]

Colin Lee was the cheap replacement option....

An early move from the " new " Chief Executive Mr Moxey if I recall correctly leading to far too many years of " Fagin- anomics ". By that I mean to quote the song Moxey / Fagin sings in Oliver " You've got to pick a pocket of two ! "

Last time I heard Mark McGhee had moved nearer to the job he thought he was destined for when his old Manager Fergie retired by getting ever closer to Old Trafford as he is / was Assistant Manager at Stockport County

 

[optimuswolf]

Like most of us i imagine, i have a smattering of moments of wolves fame. Being a mascot, meeting SGB, doing soccer school on the gap between the pitch and the closed Waterloo road stand, giving a half time view on mid 90s sky fanzone.

BUT

by far my favourite tiny anecdote is when as a teenager i shouted at mark mghee to 'sort it out' during another dire performance with his expensively assembled squad.

I sat about 10 rows back from the dugout. Mghee must have heard cos a moment later he turned round and told me to f*** **f.

He really did waste the best opportunity with the SJH money, although the Haywards were totally inept too.

 

[xbomber]

A Reading mob? Don't make me laugh

Yeah you wouldn't be saying that if you'd seen some of the things I've seen. I remember once at their old Elm Park stadium, Wolves scored and suddenly we were hit by wave upon wave of savoury vol au vents. One lady got soaked by a wine spritzer.

Another time they brought a crew to the mander centre and they roamed around, doing what they wanted, looking for an adorable frappucino.

You don't want to mess with them.

 

[Axle]

Taylor, Mcghee and Colin Lee were karma for SJH for sacking Graeme Turner.

I'm struggling to disagree with that.

Did Turner get a proper go with all of SJH's money? I can remember a few games where the crowd was really anti-Turner but I think it was before we went on that spending spree with Thomas, Kelly and one other amazing player who I have forgotten about.

Does anyone reckon Turner would have got us up given another season, or had he reached his limit?

What a dream though. Bottom of the fourth to the Prem!

 

[LythamWolf]

Yeah you wouldn't be saying that if you'd seen some of the things I've seen. I remember once at their old Elm Park stadium, Wolves scored and suddenly we were hit by wave upon wave of savoury vol au vents. One lady got soaked by a wine spritzer.

Another time they brought a crew to the mander centre and they roamed around, doing what they wanted, looking for an adorable frappucino.

You don't want to mess with them.

Animals. I bet they pronounced it the Maarnder Centre too.

 

[Norman Bell]

I'm struggling to disagree with that.

Did Turner get a proper go with all of SJH's money? I can remember a few games where the crowd was really anti-Turner but I think it was before we went on that spending spree with Thomas, Kelly and one other amazing player who I have forgotten about.

Does anyone reckon Turner would have got us up given another season, or had he reached his limit?

What a dream though. Bottom of the fourth to the Prem!

Was the other player Kevin Keen who we bought off West Ham ?