Today I'm going back 36 years to 1985 and York City's League visit to Molineux to play Wolverhampton Wanderers. Yes kids! These days it's almost impossible to imagine City playing Wolves, divided as they are by four complete league divisions, but back in the day, Wolves had chanced upon on hard times and were falling down the leagues whereas York were having something of a golden period in the third tier. Hence they met Wolverhampton Wanderers in League action.
As a generality, when somebody tells you that their club has the most passionate loyal fans in the country, take a look at their attendances during seasons of struggle. It reveals the truth that most fans are fickle and tend to find something better to do when their side are "rubbish" and lose every week. It can be a hard watch being a loyal follower and most just aren't prepared to pay out for travel and match tickets when they're pretty sure that they will be witnessing a drubbing. As evidence I give you Wolverhampton Wanderers. In the previous season to this one Wolves had finished dead last in League Division Two (Championship) and were relegated and this time around, things didn't look promising either. Despite victory against York on the day, Wolves would go on to get relegated from League Division Three (now League 1) by six points whilst little old York finished in a comfortable seventh position. Wolverhampton was struggling with a recession which was hitting the country generally but was particularly felt in the West Midlands as local industries declined or died. And the attendance at Molineux on that bright Saturday afternoon? 4,400! That's all! I'd be pretty sure that if you did a survey of Wolverhampton's 50 plus age group today they'd all tell you how they used to go and watch the Wolves in the dark old days. Just don't necessarily believe them will you?
This was the era before Steve Bull emerged. In fact in 1985 Bully was still a West Bromwich Albion player and he actually made his League debut for the Baggies that season. It wasn't until 1986/7 season that Bully was transferred to Wolverhampton Wanderers where he began to build a name for himself and eventually became a legend in old gold scoring 306 goals in 561 appearances. A phenomenal scoring record by any standard.
In this particular game, Wolves went in at the break with a 2-1 lead following goals from Mick Coady and an Andy King penalty. York's goal was also a penalty scored by John MacPhail. In the second half each side scored one more, Wolves' goal coming from Neil Edwards and York's from "mean" Keith Walwyn. It finished 3-2 but was one of only eleven Wanderers league wins in what was a 46 game season and Wolves were on their way to the bottom rung of the Football League ladder and the start of the long road back.
CRB Match No. 388
These were very dark days for us Wolves fans. I was 23 and had just moved to Hemel in Jan 1985 so couldn't afford and admit didn't have a great desire to travel back and watch my team which had been turned into a political football by the council, over refused planning permission, slide into decline. I had grown up in the early 1970s watching us be competitive and finishing in the top half of the top flight. Including getting to the final of the first Texaco cup (UEFA cup) Vs Spurs and winning the league cup in 1976 and 1980. Little did we know at the time that our saviour Saint Bully was about to be let go for £65,000 by Ron Saunders who said Steve Bull wouldn't make it as a footballer as his first touch wasn't good enough! His first touch in an England shirt four years later was volleyed into the bottom right hand corner and he scored 306 goals for us. Lol
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