Classic match report - Wolves 3 Man Utd 1, 1979

These days it wouldn't even buy you one fifth of a Benik Afobe.

But when Wolves shelled out the princely sum to prise Andy Gray from West Midlands rivals Aston Villa, the country took notice.

It was a British record transfer fee and huge things were expected of Gray at Molineux. In 1976/77 the Scot's 29 goals earned him both the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year - a double feat not repeated until Cristiano Ronaldo did it 30 years later.

Unlike Ronaldo, Gray thankfully didn't have his own range of underwear. But he did share the Portuguese winker's love of scoring goals, and this initially continued when he made the short move to Wolverhampton.

Which leads us to our classic match. Gray scored on his debut away at future club Everton in a 3-2 victory. And for his home debut on September 22, Dave Sexton's unbeaten Manchester United were in town.

What followed had Wolves fans licking their lips at the prospect of a prolific partnership between Gray and folk hero John Richards, perhaps to rival that of Richards and Derek Dougan who had retired five years earlier.

United, who in the final 1979/80 reckoning would only finish runners-up to the mighty Liverpool by two points, were the better team in the first half but torn apart in the second in front of almost 36,000 buoyant supporters.

Gray and Richards both scored, as did Kenny Hibbitt, and suddenly John Barnwell's team were fifth in the early standings, one point behind leaders Nottingham Forest and with a game in hand.

With a shiny new stand and an exciting team, the good times were seemingly on their way.

Gray would scored two more in his third game, a 3-2 win away at Arsenal, on his way to 12 for the season.

Wolves finished sixth and the Scot would of course go a big way to repaying his record transfer fee with the winner in the League Cup final against Forest at Wembley, Wolves' last major trophy success.

Sadly, it was Gray's best season by a distance - form, injury and off-the-field issues meant he never hit the heights of his Villa days, and Wolves took a huge hit when selling him to Everton for just £250,000 in 1983, desperate for cash after their gluttonous over-spending.

But hey, it wouldn't be a Wolves story if it didn't end in regret and disappointment, right?

For now let's enjoy the thoughts of the Express & Star's Eddie Griffiths and ATV's Gary Newbon, who wrote a column on the Gray/Richards strikeforce and Wolves' bright future.

Dynamic Duo message: 'Wait until we're fit...'

Wolves 3 Manchester United 1, September 22, 1979

By Eddie Griffiths

For the second week in succession, the tormenting talents of Andy Gray and John Richards have combined to send Wolves soaring to victory.

Just as the Everton rearguard panicked last week, so United crumpled on Saturday as they watched the dangerous twin strike force and forgot the rest of the snapping, snarling pack.

The equalising goal was a perfect example. As Peter Daniel made a devastating run, he forced the United defence to move across to their own right flank for the cross that Gordon McQueen and Martin Buchan thought was heading for Gray and Richards.

But instead, up popped unmarked Kenny Hibbitt to score.

The United defence also lost Gray when Hibbitt gave Mel Eves an opportunity to invite Gray to score his first goal at home.

Like Hibbitt, the £1.5m man was ignored like a man with an infectious disease, and United paid for it.

But the final nail in United's previously unbeaten coffin was a magnificently directed header by Gray that left Richards clear to complete a magnificent victory.

John Barnwell has not geared Gray and Richards into top-speed training because he feels that he needs all their strength for match day.

Gray's opinion was: "Both John and I are, to use the bosses' words, still finding our match legs.

"Yet we are scoring a goal a game. The way we are going we could hit 50 between us."

It all amounts to a great future for Wolves, but there is still some work needed in defence where there is a lot of hesitation particularly working the offside trap.

Analysis by Gary Newbon

How times change. Wolves are one point behind the leaders with a game in hand - Molineux is jumping.

The shuddering thought is that neither striker is match fit.

If they can avoid their recent injury problems then Wolves will continue to take their opponents because there is hardly a finer partnership in the league.

The 3-1 scoreline does not reflect how disappointing Wolves were in the first half, and their loose central defensive play in still a problem.

Emlyn Hughes is undoubtedly a very good influence on this improving team, but he and George Berry were both caught out. It's ironic that Wolves had problems up front and now they have work tightening up at the back.

Wolves manager John Barnwell summed up the brave and determined Gray style as an 'unsophisticated player who when he knows the ball makes one run straight towards goal at tremendous pace. Our problem is going to be to get the ball to him."

Of Richards, the manager says: "He is as quick as he has ever been and playing as well as he has for the last three or four years. But he, too, needs to get match fit.

"It will be six, seven or eight matches before the team is going perfectly."

I'm delighted for Wolves. The club have been brave in their appointments, signings and building programme.

They deserve better times and they look like being on their way.

Looking at the big ground and the new stand you realise the potential and how quickly progress can be made with a winning team, a vibrant management and signing a talent like Andy Gray.

WOLVES: Bradshaw, Palmer, Parkin, Daniel, Hughes, Berry, Hibbitt, Carr, Gray, Richards, Eves.

Goals: Hibbitt (34), Gray (76), Richards (80). Man United: Macari (8).

Attendance: 35,954