Classic Match: Wolves win Sherpa Van Trophy
Twenty seven years ago was a day that any Wolves fan at Wembley will never forget.
Around 48,000 gold and black clad supporters took over a corner of London as Wolves enjoyed one of the most memorable days in their history.
The competition may not have been the most prestigious, or the game itself the most exciting. But a triumphant day at Wembley is never to be sniffed at and Wolves' 2-0 win over Burnley was a key part of the club's rejuvenation as it dragged itself from the doldrums.
Fans still talk of the Sherpa Van Trophy win with the warmest of affection.
At the time, the club had not long stared liquidation and extinction in the face, with mounting debts leading to a last-minute rescue deal.
Molineux was falling to bits and the club was in the bottom tier of the Football League pyramid, despite only having won the League Cup in 1980 and been one of the finest teams on the planet two decades earlier.
But, fuelled by the astonishing goalscoring talents of hero Steve Bull and the astute management of Graham Turner, things were looking up and Wolves had just become champions of the old Fourth Division.
And the Sherpa Van Trophy, a small cup competition featuring teams in the bottom two divisions of English professional football, represented a chance for Wolves to show the country that they were on the way back.
Anticipation was huge in the build-up to the game with fans queueing around Molineux for tickets.
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Up to 6,000 camped and queued for the last remaining 4,500 tickets days before the game took place, with the total Wembley attendance of around 80,000 eclipsing that seen for an England v Scotland game a week earlier.
The match was so important that a 163-page book has been written dedicated solely to Wolves' Sherpa Van success.
Wolves: Kendall, Bellamy, Thompson, Streete, Robertson (Gallagher 46'), Robinson, Dennison, Downing, Bull, Mutch, Holmes (Vaughan 44').
Goals: Mutch 22' Dennison 50'
Burnley: Pearce, Daniel, Deakin, Britton, Davis, Gardner, Farrell, Oghani, Taylor, Comstive, McGrory, (James 61').
Referee: R.Milford (Bristol)
Attendance: 80,841 [/breakout]
Wembley Wolves – the story behind the Sherpa Van Trophy success of 1988 has been penned by author Tim Gibbons, who said he was inspired to write it as the game played such an important part in Wolves' recent history.
It includes details of how the club reached the final, supporters' stories and photographs and player profiles and interviews.
The 40-year-old, from Kidderminster, interviewed a host of players and fans to get the full story of the game and said it was dear to many people's hearts.
"The players hold the day in great affection," he said.
"For a Fourth Division club to take so many fans to Wembley was unheard of.
"It was a big part of the regeneration of the club at the time and supporters remembers days like those for a lifetime."
Many have shared their cherished memories with the Express & Star, with today marking 27 years to the day of the game when Andy Mutch and Robbie Dennison secured a famous victory.
Among the supporters – but not counted in the 80,000 crowd – was serving police officer Dominic Maguire
Now aged 47 and still with the Metropolitan Police, the Wolves fanatic was distraught to find that he was down to work that day.
He said: "As a lifelong Wolves fan and a then new probationer in the Met Police I was not so chuffed to find out that I was working that day, but was able to beg a posting on to a patrol van covering Wembley. I thought I had a result but I then found out that out of the 10 officers on our 'serial' I was the only one interested in football and we were assigned to patrol outside the stadium and just in the general Wembley area.
"Fortunately I had a very understanding sergeant who realised that seeing my team play at Wembley meant something special and he allowed me to go inside the stadium shortly after kick off – on the strict instruction that I had to be back outside on the van well before the final whistle.
"When I got into Wembley I headed for the nearest set of stairs to find myself amongst a sea of claret and blue in the Burnley end.
"I decided to look officious and watch the match from the top of the stairway – a uniform officer in the crowd at that point didn't look too much out of place.
"I got to see both the goals; when Andy Mutch scored I muted my celebrations as I was mindful that I was in uniform and the wrong part of the ground. However, when Robbie Dennison put in that free kick that had me jumping up and down and waving around my Met helmet.
"I then remembered who and where I was – the Burnley fans were not looking too pleased and probably thought I was just being an obnoxious copper taking the Mickey…..so not long after that I decided to make a tactical withdrawal.
"Back outside the ground and in the van the crowd noise told me the final result."
Mr Maguire, a former member of the London Wolves Supporters Club, praised the behaviour of fans, at a time when hooliganism was rife.
He added: "It was a really enjoyable occasion, policing the crowds that day was great – I have been involved in policing many big matches at Wembley and the behaviour of both sets of fans on that day stands out as being amongst the very best. My colleagues couldn't believe that 80,000 were down to see a match between two clubs so far down the Football League – I had to explain a bit of history about how 'big' both these clubs had actually been and that they were both really slumbering giants.
"Great to see that both teams have made it to the very top since then as both sets of supporters have deserved it for their years of suffering during the hard times."
Another with an interesting tale from the day is Karl Conlon, another Wolves diehard from down south.
Karl, aged 54, of Eastfields, Wolverhampton said: "London Wolves were having their annual 'meet the players' do in London a few weeks before the final.
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"I can't remember why but somehow I spent most of the evening talking to (Wolves midfielder) Nigel Vaughan, shortly before the team were due to depart.
"Nigel asked me if I was going to the final? 'Of course' I replied expecting him to make some kind of ticket offer! He said 'if I am selected in the starting line up or one of the subs, after the game you can have my shirt'.
"This was music to my ears, the next challenge was to actually get the shirt after the final whistle.
"Well after excess drinking at Swiss Cottage with two non-Wolves mates we arrived at Wembley to find the Wolves end was full to capacity and we had to go into an overspill section in the Burnley end.
"This was a disaster in my plan to get my treasured prize. As luck would have it Andy Mutch scored the first goal in our end, at half time I instructed my two mates that we would have to try and get in the Wolves end.
"In 1988 you could walk/run all the way around the ground in the bar refreshment area, something you cant do today.
"Well despite my mates' reluctance, this is what we did and squeezed into the Wolves end.
"To cap a perfect day, Robbie Dennison scored the other goal in our end and despite the threat of being arrested for climbing on the fencing to attract Nigel's attention, I managed to get the shirt.
"That shirt, despite it already having been worn, spent the next 24 hours on my back even when I went back to work the next day."
Darren Gray isn't and never has been a Wolves fan, but as the game fell on the last weekend before he began Army training, he decided to have a day out at Wembley
The 44-year-old veteran of operational tours in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosovo, who lives in Salisbury but is moving to live in Willenhall in July, remembers the day for almost losing something important – his false teeth.
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He said: "That was my second football match, I had seen Walsall play but can't remember who against. I went with with my best friend Alan Everitt-Rudd – although I wasn't a Wolves fan it was my last weekend of freedom before starting my basic training with the Army.
"As we got our tickets on separate days we ended up in different stands.
"When Wolves scored I gave out an almighty scream and as I did my two false front teeth came flying out of my mouth. I had to push the celebrating fans forward to stop anyone standing on them.
"I am still in contact with Alan but I haven't been to a football match since."
Another to remember the Wembley day with affection is George Camilleri, from Malta.
The 63-year-old has supported Wolves since 1960 when he watched them win the FA Cup live on Italian television. He said: "I am a long-time Wolves supporter from Gozo, Malta, and at the time I was studying in London for a year. So I couldn't believe my luck when Wolves qualified for the final.
"I bought two tickets for myself and a fellow student.
"I was impressed with the good behaviour of supporters of both side."
A triumphant open-top bus tour around Wolverhampton – lined up whether Wolves won the game or not, owing to their Fourth Division title triumph – duly followed the day after, having been lined up by the Express & Star.
It began at the Three Tuns Island on Stafford Road, snaked through the city centre and ended at the Newbridge Pub on Tettenhall Road.
The good times at Wolves were well and truly back.
Wembley Wolves costs £9.99, plus £2.50 postage and packing from www.sherpawolves.wix.com/1988, or at Wolverhampton Books and Collectables on Victoria Street in the city.
