Wolves Christmas fixtures in early sixties !

[Norman Bell]

I was speaking to my Uncle on the phone today who is 83 and is a Derby fan ( he was and still is sport daft and back in the day if Derby were away he would often get on a train and come over to the Molineux ! )

Clive mentioned back to back games between Derby and Wolves sometime in the sixties. I have done a bit of research and would like to hear, as perhaps would others who read this from anyone who as at these games or remembers them.

December 24th 1966 Division 2 ( H ) 5-3 to Wolves Scorers were Hatton 2, Wharton 2 and McIlmoye

December 26th 1966 at Baseball Ground 3-0 to Wolves with a goal each from the blokes who scored in the first meeting !

I had no idea that Bob Hatton who I became aware of when he played up front for Birmingham City alongside Bob Latchford and Trevor Francis was originally at Wolves.

I see also that in 1965 Wolves played Bristol City in Division 2 on December 27 and then the following day drawing the game on the 27th at home with a goal from Buckley and then winning 1-0 at Ashton Gate on the 28th with a goal from Peter Knowles.

Also can anyone confirm that the reason Wolves played no league football in the First Division from drawing 3-3 away to Manchester City on December 15 1962 ( I would be delirious with that as a result in a few weeks time ! ) Crowe, Galley and Stobart scoring until a 0-0 on January 19th 1963 at Molineux with Sheffield United was due to the terrible winter of that time.

 

[waggys left foot]

I was speaking to my Uncle on the phone today who is 83 and is a Derby fan ( he was and still is sport daft and back in the day if Derby were away he would often get on a train and come over to the Molineux ! )

Clive mentioned back to back games between Derby and Wolves sometime in the sixties. I have done a bit of research and would like to hear, as perhaps would others who read this from anyone who as at these games or remembers them.

December 24th 1966 Division 2 ( H ) 5-3 to Wolves Scorers were Hatton 2, Wharton 2 and McIlmoye

December 26th 1966 at Baseball Ground 3-0 to Wolves with a goal each from the blokes who scored in the first meeting !

I had no idea that Bob Hatton who I became aware of when he played up front for Birmingham City alongside Bob Latchford and Trevor Francis was originally at Wolves.

I see also that in 1965 Wolves played Bristol City in Division 2 on December 27 and then the following day drawing the game on the 27th at home with a goal from Buckley and then winning 1-0 at Ashton Gate on the 28th with a goal from Peter Knowles.

Also can anyone confirm that the reason Wolves played no league football in the First Division from drawing 3-3 away to Manchester City on December 15 1962 ( I would be delirious with that as a result in a few weeks time ! ) Crowe, Galley and Stobart scoring until a 0-0 on January 19th 1963 at Molineux with Sheffield United was due to the terrible winter of that time.

It started snowing on Boxing day and the snow was piled up in great mounds by the side of the road until early March .

Winter of 1962–63 in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia

footballsite - some of the record-breaking, unusual and bizarre football stories.

 

[Floyd Man]

With regard to Bob Hatton I seem to remember him as a fringe player at Wolves. Saw him play a few times and wasn't that impressed.

 

[wolfinexile]

I remember that winter. Wolves finally played a long delayed cup game at Nottingham Forest and lost 4-2. I went by Greatorex's mini-bus from Stafford. Had to leave school early and kind of hide out until the bus left as Greatorex's garage was opposite the Grammar School. Miserable cold night and rotten result but at least it was a game.

 

[Norman Bell]

It started snowing on Boxing day and the snow was piled up in great mounds by the side of the road until early March .

Winter of 1962–63 in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia

footballsite - some of the record-breaking, unusual and bizarre football stories.

Thanks for those links waggy that is incredible that Lincoln v Coventry got called off 15 times !

 

[Jonzy54]

Digressing a bit but a few years back the weather in Scotland was horrendous.There was a Cup game (two lower sides) called off because of a frozen pitch .Day after day it was called off before going ahead just to get it out of the way .It went on for weeks .I think the draw was at least 2 rounds ahead at this stage .They ended up playing it on a midweek afternoon before the temperatures dropped again .

 

[Norman Bell]

Digressing a bit but a few years back the weather in Scotland was horrendous.There was a Cup game (two lower sides) called off because of a frozen pitch .Day after day it was called off before going ahead just to get it out of the way .It went on for weeks .I think the draw was at least 2 rounds ahead at this stage .They ended up playing it on a midweek afternoon before the temperatures dropped again .

I seem to remember that Jonzy and not 100% sure and if this was " Who wants to be Millionaire " I would be asking for a 50/50 but I have it in my mind that one of the teams may have been Peterhead.

 

[ShropshireLad]

Also can anyone confirm that the reason Wolves played no league football in the First Division from drawing 3-3 away to Manchester City on December 15th 1962 ( I would be delirious with that as a result in a few weeks time ! ) Crowe, Galley and Stobart scoring until a 0-0 on January 19th 1963 at Molineux with Sheffield United was due to the terrible winter of that time.

I remember the winter well. Those were the days.

 

[Jack Russell]

Also can anyone confirm that the reason Wolves played no league football in the First Division from drawing 3-3 away to Manchester City on December 15 1962 ( I would be delirious with that as a result in a few weeks time ! ) Crowe, Galley and Stobart scoring until a 0-0 on January 19th 1963 at Molineux with Sheffield United was due to the terrible winter of that time.

It was due to the snow. I was at the Sheffield United match and it really should not have been played as it was more like a skating rink than a football pitch. In those days, if you stood at the front of the terracing near the goal, the pitch was about at chest level. At one point in the game a Blades forward rushed through towards the Wolves goal, he got dispossessed and could not stop. He disappeared over the bank of snow at the end of the pitch and down into the bottom of the terracing. Play continued as if nobody had noticed and, what seemed like about five minutes later, he reappeared with no apparent injuries and rejoined the play, which had continued without any acknowledgement to his predicament!

For those interested, The Attendance was 10,484 our lowest of that season by a fair way.

 

[Jonzy54]

In that Winter we were 2 up against the Baggies before the game was abandoned much to the derision of our fans.When it was replayed in the Spring we beat them 7-0

 

[howlin wolf]

Bob Hatton was a long throw specialist. He could certainly hurtle the ball.

 

[Jonzy54]

Bob Hatton was a long throw specialist. He could certainly hurtle the ball.

I remember Bobby Woodruff but not Bob Hatton doing it down here

 

[old wittonian]

Bob Hatton was a long throw specialist. He could certainly hurtle the ball.

Seems between 1964 and 1967 he played 10 games and scored 7 goals.

 

[Jack Russell]

Bob Hatton 8 goals in 13 appearances. 215 goals in 617 appearances overall. His career makes a good read:

Bob Hatton - Wikipedia

7 goals in 10 games is League only. 8 goals in 13 includes League Cup and FA Cup.

 

[Dudleywolf]

On this theme, I have read that we played Villa twice over xmas and there were over 110,000 at the two games and also we played Sunderland away and travelled with them on the train to Wolvo to play them again the next day ! I will now do some research to see when these games were played.

 

[Dudleywolf]

On this theme, I have read that we played Villa twice over xmas and there were over 110,000 at the two games and also we played Sunderland away and travelled with them on the train to Wolvo to play them again the next day ! I will now do some research to see when these games were played.

Having done said research, the Villa games were 1949, 54571 saw Villa win 3-2 at the Mol, then 64937 saw Wolves win 4-1 at Villa park, so actually 119508 saw the two games !!

Sunderland was 1953. We also beat Pompey 5-3 at Fratton Park then 7-0 back at Molineux,Xmas 1958

 

[The Professional]

We also beat Pompey 5-3 at Fratton Park then 7-0 back at Molineux,Xmas 1958

Remember my Dad talking about a Pompey game around that period that was 7 goals for us. Must have been that one. Lucky old sod seeing that one.

 

[waggys left foot]

Remember my Dad talking about a Pompey game around that period that was 7 goals for us. Must have been that one. Lucky old sod seeing that one.

Beat em 8-2 as well in our first season in div 2 in the sixties

 

[Norman Bell]

Having done said research, the Villa games were 1949, 54571 saw Villa win 3-2 at the Mol, then 64937 saw Wolves win 4-1 at Villa park, so actually 119508 saw the two games !!

Sunderland was 1953. We also beat Pompey 5-3 at Fratton Park then 7-0 back at Molineux,Xmas 1958

While I can understand the Villa games being back to back it was hardly fair to play Sunderland in the same manner as let us be honest it is hardly just up the road, mind you Pompey is not the most accessible of places by train !

 

[The Professional]

While I can understand the Villa games being back to back it was hardly fair to play Sunderland in the same manner as let us be honest it is hardly just up the road, mind you Pompey is not the most accessible of places by train !

I wonder when the last years of the back to back fixtures were around Xmas? Seem to remember them still being around possibly late 70's or early 80's? If they weren't against the same team, still think there were games almost on consecutive days around Xmas.

 

[Jonzy54]

Having done said research, the Villa games were 1949, 54571 saw Villa win 3-2 at the Mol, then 64937 saw Wolves win 4-1 at Villa park, so actually 119508 saw the two games !!

Sunderland was 1953. We also beat Pompey 5-3 at Fratton Park then 7-0 back at Molineux,Xmas 1958

Our former Manager Sammy Chapman played for Portsmouth then .He said that Wolves were all over Pompey in the first game .Straight after the game both teams were on Portsmouth station to travel up to Wolverhampton and he said they were in awe of the Wolves players and they knew they were going to get tonked the next day.They weren’t far wrong when they came off 7-0 losers.

 

[The Fat Bloke]

Don’t know the year but I remember standing on the Southbank as a kid, on a stool my uncle took for me, on Boxing Day v Norwich.

If memory serves Wolves got 5 that day.

(Just looked it up like a saddo, it was 5-1 2nd jan 1971)

 

[Norman Bell]

I wonder when the last years of the back to back fixtures were around Xmas? Seem to remember them still being around possibly late 70's or early 80's? If they weren't against the same team, still think there were games almost on consecutive days around Xmas.

Just had a look and here are some back to back fixtures from the eighties.

What a miserable Christmas 1980 was. December 26th Forest ( H ) 1-4 John Richards
December 27th Manchester City ( A ) 0-4



Better times in December 1982 during the promotion season

December 27th Shrewsbury ( A ) 2- 0 Wayne Clarke 2
December 28th Burnley ( H ) 2-0 Mel Eves, Wayne Clarke

On to December in that abysmal relegation campaign of 83

December 26th Ipswich ( A ) 1-3 Wayne Clarke
December 27th Everton ( H ) 3-0 Wayne Clarke, Danny Crainie, Mel Eves

Then while it was New Year it was still back to back fixtures in that glorious promotion winning season of 1987/88. January 1st game v Hereford sticks in my mind for the former Nottingham Forest legend Ian Bowyer who was player / manager doing his finest Aussie rules impression as he literally leapt up caught the ball and booted out of the Hereford penalty area in front of the South Bank it was so blatant that everyone in the ground bar the referee thought it was a pen.

January 1st 1988 Hereford w 2-0 ( H ) Bully 2
January 2nd 1988 Crewe ( A ) Mutchy 2

 

[Norman Bell]

I seem to recall what was even more remarkable about Wolves winning those two games back to back home to Hereford then away to Crewe was that game kicked off at Gresty Road at 11.30am !

 

[Big Saft Kid]

I was speaking to my Uncle on the phone today who is 83 and is a Derby fan ( he was and still is sport daft and back in the day if Derby were away he would often get on a train and come over to the Molineux ! )

Clive mentioned back to back games between Derby and Wolves sometime in the sixties. I have done a bit of research and would like to hear, as perhaps would others who read this from anyone who as at these games or remembers them.

December 24th 1966 Division 2 ( H ) 5-3 to Wolves Scorers were Hatton 2, Wharton 2 and McIlmoye

December 26th 1966 at Baseball Ground 3-0 to Wolves with a goal each from the blokes who scored in the first meeting !

I had no idea that Bob Hatton who I became aware of when he played up front for Birmingham City alongside Bob Latchford and Trevor Francis was originally at Wolves.

I see also that in 1965 Wolves played Bristol City in Division 2 on December 27 and then the following day drawing the game on the 27th at home with a goal from Buckley and then winning 1-0 at Ashton Gate on the 28th with a goal from Peter Knowles.

Also can anyone confirm that the reason Wolves played no league football in the First Division from drawing 3-3 away to Manchester City on December 15 1962 ( I would be delirious with that as a result in a few weeks time ! ) Crowe, Galley and Stobart scoring until a 0-0 on January 19th 1963 at Molineux with Sheffield United was due to the terrible winter of that time.

I saw both those games v Derby in 1966. Main thing I remember is the absolute mud bath of a pitch at Derby, the old Baseball Ground. Bob Hatton scored a cracker in that one, a 3-0 win.

 

[Big Saft Kid]

I remember that winter. Wolves finally played a long delayed cup game at Nottingham Forest and lost 4-2. I went by Greatorex's mini-bus from Stafford. Had to leave school early and kind of hide out until the bus left as Greatorex's garage was opposite the Grammar School. Miserable cold night and rotten result but at least it was a game.

It was 4-3 to Forest, not 4-2, by the way.

 

[Big Saft Kid]

It was due to the snow. I was at the Sheffield United match and it really should not have been played as it was more like a skating rink than a football pitch. In those days, if you stood at the front of the terracing near the goal, the pitch was about at chest level. At one point in the game a Blades forward rushed through towards the Wolves goal, he got dispossessed and could not stop. He disappeared over the bank of snow at the end of the pitch and down into the bottom of the terracing. Play continued as if nobody had noticed and, what seemed like about five minutes later, he reappeared with no apparent injuries and rejoined the play, which had continued without any acknowledgement to his predicament!

For those interested, The Attendance was 10,484 our lowest of that season by a fair way.

I too stood freezing on the South Bank at that game, the coldest I have ever been at a football match . Snowbound pitch, it was Bambi on ice. God alone knows why the ref let it go ahead.

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Bob Hatton was a long throw specialist. He could certainly hurtle the ball.

Nah, not Bob Hatton, it was Bobby Woodruff.

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Beat em 8-2 as well in our first season in div 2 in the sixties

Yep, 6-0 at half time!

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Remember my Dad talking about a Pompey game around that period that was 7 goals for us. Must have been that one. Lucky old sod seeing that one.

Yep, was there too and remember that one well. 1-0 at HT, then 6 more in the 2nd half. There were 2 hat tricks, Colin Booth and Norman Deeley.

 

[Big Saft Kid]

Having done said research, the Villa games were 1949, 54571 saw Villa win 3-2 at the Mol, then 64937 saw Wolves win 4-1 at Villa park, so actually 119508 saw the two games !!

Sunderland was 1953. We also beat Pompey 5-3 at Fratton Park then 7-0 back at Molineux,Xmas 1958

Something similar in the 5th round of the Cup in 1965. First game at Villa 52,000, replay at the Mol 47,000, 2nd replay at the Hawthorns 38,000.

 

[Norman Bell]

I saw both those games v Derby in 1966. Main thing I remember is the absolute mud bath of a pitch at Derby, the old Baseball Ground. Bob Hatton scored a cracker in that one, a 3-0 win.

As I mentioned when starting this thread my Uncle Clive is a Derby fan. When the Rams left the Baseball Ground for Pride Park Clive brought a framed souvenir " bit " of the pitch from the football club. It still hangs in the kitchen of his house in Leicestershire, Clive's family are forever mocking him that it is in fact of a lump of mud from a farmer's field and Arthur Daley or Del Boy would be behind such a venture !

 

[RosehillWolf]

Bob Hatton was a long throw specialist. He could certainly hurtle the ball.

I think you are thinking of Bobby Woodruff

 

[wolfinexile]

It was 4-3 to Forest, not 4-2, by the way.

You're right--just looked it up. And all those years I have been underestimating the performance. As I recall the game, we trailed throughout and kept on pulling a two goal deficit down to one but never got level.