'A supporter’s take on Wolves’ woes' - Your Letters plus the last days of the horse tram in West Bromwich, in a picture from the archive
The Wolves' latest performance is discussed, and following a recent poll result - are ignorance or naivety to blame? Your letters for today...
Wife is all ready for Molineux
My wife and I witnessed the defeat of Wolves by Crystal Palace FC and it suddenly occurred to us both that the team is not performing as well as one might wish. Indeed, my wife went so far as to suggest that she could do a better job herself. Needless to say, I scoffed at the suggestion. “They probably need another central defender, my love,” I replied, playing lip service to the idea. To my surprise, she shook her head most vigorously. “No,” she answered sharply, “I’d play right wing, like I did for the school netball team.”
It is common cause that the Wolves are in desperate need of a capable striker, so you can see from my wife’s retort that she is possessed of a clear and analytical mind. Of course, we accept the fact that her being 71 and only five foot two, it could be perceived that she is unsuitable for the job; that her small stature may, in the minds of some people, imply she would lack the towering presence of players such as Jack Charlton or Franz Beckenbauer, for example, but one must remember that football is not merely a game of physical prowess.
A second negative could be the fact that she does not spit, and spitting, (which to our minds, is both perverse and unnecessary), does seems to be a fundamental requirement to play the game these days. In my wife’s defence, however, I wish to point out that there is no empirical evidence to suggest that spitting – either in private or in public - enhances or improves athletic performance.
As you can see, in the interests of openness, I have highlighted one or two negatives, but there are some positives too.
Firstly, my wife would be totally and unreservedly committed to the team. She has assured me that she is prepared to cast aside her zimmer frame and dedicate herself wholeheartedly to full-time training, should the opportunity present itself. Secondly, although she is not a professional footballer per se, she is a highly skilled businesswoman with an intimate knowledge of the cut and thrust of the boardroom. What this means is that although she may lack certain physical attributes, this deficiency would not preclude her from negotiating a win.
