Wolves legend Derek Dougan will make one final visit to Molineux. Fans will get the opportunity to pay their last respects when his funeral procession stops at the stadium.
The funeral of the terrace hero, who died on Sunday at the age of 69, is taking place at St Peter’s Church next Thursday at 1pm. The coffin will stop at the club on the way, where players, officials and thousands of fans will get the chance to say farewell to the man they nicknamed The Doog.
Former teammate Dave Wagstaffe will be one of the pall bearers and other members of the squad from the 60s and 70s will also be attending the service.
Mr Wagstaffe said: “The final arrangements have not been confirmed yet but I have been asked to carry the coffin and I said it would be a great honour.”
Former Wolves star Frank Munro said he received a phone call from ex-player Les Wilson in Vancouver, Canada, to say he would be flying in for the service and travelling up with another 60s teammate Dave Burnside, who lives in Bristol.
He said: “It shows the esteem that Derek was held in that people want to come and pay their respects. His death came as a great shock to all of us.”
Tributes have been pouring in from fans who remember the former Northern Ireland international as a footballer and as a father.
His partner Merlyn Humphries told how he called her moments before she discovered his body at his home in Stockwell End.
He had been drinking with pals, including ex-deputy chairman Doug Hope, at the Bentlands Pub in Codsall the night before.
Dougan played 323 times for Wolves and became a terrace hero by scoring 123 goals over eight seasons. He won 43 caps for his country, where he was a teammate of George Best.
He will be remembered as a brilliant footballer, a loving father of Alexander, aged 42, Nicholas, 40, and an outspoken champion of footballers’ rights.
By Daniel Pountney
36 Comments
I’ll be there R.I.P ‘Doog’
What a great player and such an inspiration.Doog you’ll be sadly missed, but memories of you playing for Wolves will remain forever.Great times were’nt they.
Windsor
Ontario
Canada
A fiting moment to a great player and a great man
As a baggies fan I am a bit sheepish to say that as a lad “the Doug” was one of my heroes. But putting all rivarly apart RIP DOUG
A true legend. I’ll be there to see him pass the Molinuex for the final time.
R.I.P Doog.
A fiting act fot a truly outstanding super STAR.
Are there any more details please? Like what time will the coffin stop at the club.
This pause on the Doogs final journey will undoubtedly be emotional for all those present and those watching from afar.
R.I.P. My childhood hero.
Like all true Wolves fans I was shocked and dismayed to hear of the untimely death of The Doog.
I have scoured the net reading the comments of supporters and ex players and most have bought a smile to my face and long forgotten myths, legends and stories of the great man back to my memory.
What has surprised me though is that I have not seen anything whatsoever in way of tribute or condolence from John Richards.
Have I missed something or has King John stayed silent. If he has chosen the latter why??
Surely he more than anyone else who played with the Doog owes him a debt of gratitude not least for the number of goals that the great man laid on for him.
I would be interested to know why he has stayed silent.
Doog … the lee Van Cleef of the Molineux … The Good the Bad and The Ugly but never boring and just as cool & deadly as the character Sentenza in the spaghetti western
RIP
I REMEMBER HIS FIRST WOLVES GAME WHAT A SHOWMAN WHAT A CHARACTER THE MOULD WAS BROKEN AFTER THE DOOG
ONE IN A GENERATION
Some players transend local rivalry and The Doog is right up there with the best.
When you look at players now you realise what true legends people like DD and Astle were.
RIP big fella.
God bless the Doug - “King of the Wanderers Team”
I agree with Mark.
Why has JR stayed silent?
Inquiring minds want to know.
I was brought up on the legend that was the DOOG, having worked for the son of Bert Williams and been in scouts with Willie Carr’s son I am gutted I can’t be there. Wolves legends we remember u and take everything u did for us with the reverence it so deserves. Up the Wanderers
YES RIP THE DOOG AND ITS GOOD TO SEE SOME ALBION FANS SUCH AS BAGGIE BOY MAKING COMMENTS THANKS FOR THAT, HE WAS A SPECIAL PLAYER ALL HEART, EVEN HAD THE CLUB ON HIS MIND IN THE BAD DAYS DID HIS BEST FOR US AND DID TRY TO BRING INVESTMENT WHEN NO ONE ELSE WANTED TO BE STUD UP AND COUNTED THANKS MATE.
sorry to come back to this thread but as you can see I posted earlier “rip doog” only to be slated by some muppett wolf called la de da for coming on to wolves threads I came in peace to pay tribute to a footballing legend (there aint many left) no wonder there is so much hatred between clubs once again rip doog
The Doug was sheer class One of my boyhood heroes, always larger than life, will be sadly missed by all football fans. RIP Derek.
RIP the Doog
The last time I saw him was in the Saracens Head Pub in Dudley during the SAVE THE WOLVES (Bhatti era) campaign. Stopped and chatted, glad to say I met the man.
Charlie
ATLANTA WOLVES
Yes Mark mystifying to me also,did se John on Bobby Charltons Scrapbook once on Sky T.V.he had nothing but prase for The “Doog”and there partnership.
Sadly work and too many miles will keep me away. I was there when he scored his hat-trick on his home debut and on the night we stopped Leeds winning the double.
RIP Doog.
MARK
We all have our PRIVATE MOMENTS, I’m sure this is one of JOHN’s. He will be thinking of the DOOG just the same as the rest of us. GO NOW DOOG, ON THE WINGS OF OUR MEMORIES.
the doog signed my 1st birthday card (one of my most prized possesions) and although i never saw him play live i am a lifelong wolves fan
he was a family friend as a kid and i have never heard anything but good about him.
rest in peace doog
J
p.s.
baggie boy all credit to you
you are a true football fan
thank you !!!!!!!
im no football fan but the doog was my husbands hero he was gutted when he heard the sad news just want to say from both colin and myself may you rest in peaceful sleep and god bless
Rest in peace to one of Wolves great players.Always be remembered.
Mason family
what a legend,watched him when i was a little boy with my dad.I got the nickname DOOG when i played football for my local team which is still used proudly today.god bless you doog
mark summers , newtown,powys
thank you baggie boy take no notice RIP Doog i will be at the sacred ground.
Tranmere v Wolves in FA Cup yrs ago when the Doog was Ch exec and Graham Hawkins was Mgr. we took our 5 yr old daughter.Being a small ground and a huge Wolves following it was a real crush for the fans. We stood under the directors box and amazingly the Doog cud see Laura was squashed, leaned over and lifted her into the directors box and sat her on his knee up to half time. What a man thanks DOOG.. never forget you!
Farewell Doug..
God Bless and rest your weary head,
Have a feeling the silence by John Richards may be because they fell out when The Doog allowed John to be transfered when the Bhattis took over .RIP my hero.
Another character gone,never will there be one like the doog. I saw the doog on many occasions and he will always be in my thoughts as will his familly and friends.Rest in peace.
Fairwell Derek, pleased to hear you are getting the kind of tribute you deserve as a True Wolves supporter you became, I am only sorry I was not with you last saturday night to say goodbye.
I will never forget you and look forward to meeting again.
RIP
I became a lifelong Wolves fan after I first saw “The Doog” play against Wellington when on tour in New Zealand in the 70’s and he was so imposing in the penalty area and if my memory serves me correctly he scored a hat-trick two with his head which was no surprise.
I to am saddened to her of his untimely death he was a marvellous player and will long live in the memory of not only Wolves fans but football fans in general.
Thanks for the memories “RIP Doog”
thanks doog will remember you always, thanks for signing my plaster when i was 10 years old will aalwys remember that, cheeers mate rip
The Doog was the first footballer I ever saw in real-life - he came to plant a tree at our school. Wish I’d seen him play in real-life, have to be content with the tv archives of matches.
Never get bored of watching his tv interviews either - some strong opinions, but always genuine, intelligent comments.
What an amazing footballer, a real character, his own man and a gentleman.
A True Legend.
“R.I.P. Doog, you’ll be remembered - always.”
what a loss rip
A name in Soccer never to be forgotten.