Today I'm going back eleven years to 2011 and the League Cup 4th Round tie at Molineux between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City.
I've visited Molineux a fair number of times over the years, mainly because the stadium was within easy walking distance of the offices where I worked for over ten years. Wolves would play the occasional Tuesday night game and I'd attend if there wasn't a more attractive match for me elsewhere. I worked for Carillion, sadly no more, at their Head Office and occasionally I even managed to wangle myself an invite into their Executive Box (free football!). As can be seen from the official attendance on the night (12,436), midweek home games at Molineux weren't always top crowd pullers and the appetite for an evening in the Box ticket wasn't that great either but it was all the better for me!
The programme cover star for this game is Jody Craddock whose rather serious Paddington bear hard stare is set against the dramatic and rather dark satanic backdrop of the Wolverhampton skyline. Craddock, who I have always tended to associate with former club Sunderland, actually made more appearances for Wolves (237 scoring 17 times from centre back) than he ever did for Sunderland in a career spanning almost 20 years with an overall record of 577 appearances scoring 24 goals. His Wikipedia entry also notes that "After his career he played in the Kidderminster leisure leagues 2021 Monday Premier division playing for Beast FC, making 1 appearance and hung up the boots for the final time after being humiliated by Jack Farrington"! I wonder who wrote that? Craddock is also noted as a talented artist, honestly, and he has exhibited some of his work since his playing career ended.
As seems to be the case these days, both managers made a number of changes for this game with one eye on the two teams meeting again on Premier League business the following Saturday. City's manager Roberto Mancini handed a first ever start to Italian striker Luca Scapuzzi (this was one of only two appearances for City) and selected a midfield that included Nigel de Jong and Abdul Razak (one of only 10 appearances for City). It was Wolves who struck first however with a goal from Milijas in the 18th minute. City stormed back with a three goal reply in a four minute spell before half time that featured two goals from Edin Dzeko and another from Samir Nasri who was excellent on the night. City were relentless and Scapuzzi thought he had scored a debut goal to make it four for City (sadly for all concerned it was credited to the Wolves goalkeeper as an own goal) before turning provider for Dzeko's hattrick goal. Wolves added a late touch of respectability to the score line thanks to a Jamie O'Hara consolation.
That season Wolves had disposed of Northampton Town 4-0 in the Second Round (Manchester City received a bye as they were involved in European competition) and then knocked out Millwall 5-0 in the Third Round to set up the tie against City who had eliminated Birmingham City 2-0 in the Third Round. Following their win against Wolves, City went on to meet and beat (yay) Arsenal in the Quarter-final before bowing out at the Semi-final stage to Liverpool who went on to beat Cardiff City in the Final at Wembley on penalties. Wolves finished bottom of the Premier League that season and were relegated having sacked manager Mick McCarthy in early 2012 with new appointment Terry Connor actually taking them down. City on the other hand finished as Premier League Champions for the first time in 44 years on goal difference ahead of cross-city rivals Manchester United and they've won four of the nine Premier League titles on offer since.
CRB Match No. 1847
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