Magical Wolves memories of going up

High-profile birthdays? Cricketer Malcolm Marshall in 1958, actor David Tennant in 1971. And then goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski in 1985. Not sure if anyone was in his line of vision at the time.

But for Wolves, certainly in recent history, today’s date throws up a couple of notable anniversaries of dramatic and indeed happy days at Molineux.

On this day 15 years ago, a close-range finish from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake secured a 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers, sparking scenes of pure, unadulterated delight with a pitch invasion marking promotion to the Premier League.

And then, a decade ago, in League One, six days after securing promotion away at Crewe which sparked a similar pitch invasion and unbridled delirium, Wolves welcomed Rotherham to Molineux.

An incredible spectacle ensued, culminating in a 6-4 win – game, set and match.

April 18. Different matches. Different divisions. Same emotions. Same memories. The sort of football matches fans just don’t forget.

Wolves have only had 11 promotions throughout their history. The most recent, under Nuno Espirito Santo, is quite possibly the most spectacular given how it was achieved and what it led to with the return of European football and the sort of progress which sees Wolves welcoming Premier League-chasing Arsenal on Saturday night as a now established part of the top division.

And few can argue against the play-off final of 2003 as perhaps the most magnificent day of all, Wolves rising to the winner-takes-all challenge in such deadly and devastating fashion to reach the Premier League for the very first time. Goosebumps, even now.

But the Championship and League One titles of 15 and 10 years ago respectively? With their significant April 18 fixtures? Momentous and memorable.

They were achieved by two managers with different personalities and different approaches. Managers, however, who shared a single-minded vision and complete belief and confidence in what they needed to do to bring success.

For Mick McCarthy, checking in with barely 11 senior players, it was about quickly building a squad based around ‘young and hungry’ potential. Of recruits, mainly in their early-20s, who were good and solid characters, had already enjoyed plenty of first-team football, but were ready to be part of a new challenge to meet their burning ambition.

There were similarities with Kenny Jackett’s arrival. He, too, had to swiftly reshape a squad and was faced with overturning, outright vitriol following back-to-back relegations while McCarthy’s big challenge was ridding Wolves of a sense of apathy which had crept in during Glenn Hoddle’s final season.

While several high-profile figures were deemed surplus to requirements – the birth of the ‘bomb squad’ – Jackett was able to bring in experience such as Sam Ricketts, Kevin McDonald and Scott Golbourne, alongside offering the club’s academy graduates their opportunity. “Part of the interview process was to go through what I would do during the first 30 days if I was successful in getting the job,” Jackett recalls of his meetings with firstly Kevin Thelwell, then Jez Moxey and Steve Morgan.

“Wolves were going through some specific issues and it showed me that they were looking for some action in the first 30 days to set the tone and take things in a slightly different direction.

“That change was to include giving young lads a chance, to bring that freshness and enthusiasm, but it also needed moving a few players on because we couldn’t work with too many and I didn’t think they were going to get the fans back.

“That was my assessment of it, and that we had to draw a line on the criticism and everything that had gone before, and re-energise the crowd.”

McCarthy, coming in to operate a division higher seven years earlier, also saw the more established members of the squad move on, also for financial reasons, as the loss of the parachute money saw Wolves cut their cloth accordingly.

He had less time to work than Jackett, but, in the same way, didn’t mess about.

“I sent Taff (assistant Ian Evans) to watch a friendly at Swansea before I officially started and he came back with a fairly damning report,” says McCarthy.

“It was nothing against anything that had gone on before, but I think the club was in a bit of disarray and just needed a bit of organising and direction in terms of what was happening on the pitch.

“We’d lost a few senior players so it was about having a chat with Jez to get people in, and then getting out on the training ground and putting sessions on to interest the players and find a way of playing to suit what we had.

“We were 4-4-2 to be honest, we didn’t really venture away from that, and it suited us fine.

“Wolverhampton Is a working class city, known for its industry and for working hard, and I think the fans enjoyed watching the lads play – it was all about the team and not about the individuals.”

April 18, 2009. A milestone nearly three years into McCarthy’s reign, after an unlikely run to the play-off semi-finals in season one and just missing out in seventh in season two.

But then, 15 years ago today, the destination of the Premier League, the Holy Grail, had loomed tantalisingly into view. Welcoming QPR to Molineux, three points would secure promotion to the Premier League with two games remaining.

McCarthy, as ever, kept things on an even keel heading into the game. Ebanks-Blake, the eventual hero, had a slightly different take.

On the way back from a hamstring injury which had kept him out for a month, during the build-up, Wolves’ prolific talisman would be going into training, doing his physio, and then meeting loan goalkeeper Graham Stack in Birmingham’s Mailbox for a couple of drinks and relaxation!

The approach paid off. The second half of a tight contest was barely a minute old when Andy Keogh broke down the left and produced a pinpoint cross for Ebanks-Blake to convert from close range.

“It’s so hard to explain,” is Ebanks-Blake’s response to looking back at that moment. “At the time my pure mindset was ‘give me a chance and I will score’, I wasn’t thinking that it was going to be a massive goal in the club’s history and take us to the Premier League.

“There was a feeling and an atmosphere at Molineux in that season – we were so together, players and fans, and just felt we could blow teams away in the first 20 minutes if we were on it.”

There were one or two anxious moments in the closing stages, but as the final whistle blew, supporters swarmed the playing surface.

Wolves were back in the big time. ‘The Pack is Back’ read one of the many banners on show among jubilant fans who gathered underneath the directors’ box as an impromptu appearance from the successful staff and players – and subsequent McCarthy ‘mic drop’ – ensued.

For the boss, the overriding emotion was relief as much as delight as he savoured his second managerial promotion to the Premier League, ahead of also securing a second Championship title.

“I’ve always been an early riser but in the couple of weeks leading up to the QPR game it was particularly early – usually around 4am when I’d get up and find some tasks to keep me occupied,” he recalls. “I sanded down the French windows, then the garage doors, anything to stop me thinking about football.

“The house looked fantastic by the end of it!”

April 18. What a day. But much had transpired by the time that same date arrived five years later.

Wolves had spent three years in the Premier League, then been relegated twice in succession, and gone through three more managers after McCarthy and before Jackett. The natives had revolted, a pitch invasion after the final home game of the 2012/13 season was for very different reasons than those that had gone before.

But the reshaping for League One under Jackett, with a further tweak in the January transfer window, had brought the fans back onside and promotion had been achieved, six days earlier, accompanied by more memorable scenes away at Crewe.

For Jackett, pressed into making a quick-fire dash for the tunnel after another joyous pitch invasion, a couple of minutes alone in the Gresty Road dressing room offered time for some quiet contemplation.

“There is sometimes maybe a relief, but you have to make sure you enjoy it as well,” he explains. “After 75 minutes when you are 2-0 up, you don’t want to get too blasé but you know you have got it and that’s a lovely feeling.”

There was no let-up for Jackett, however. He wanted the title, and next up, on Good Friday, April 18, came the visit of a Rotherham side hoping to follow in Wolves’ footsteps in securing promotion.

A decade ago today, Molineux was treated to a genuine classic. After going a goal down Wolves moved into a 3-1 lead, were pegged back to 3-2, went 4-2 up with 10 minutes to go, before Rotherham struck twice to level.

Nouha Dicko and Kieran Agard, previously strike partners with the Millers, had traded hat-tricks, and then, during injury time, captain Ricketts struck a brilliant first goal in Wolves’ colours before McDonald wrapped things up.

All interspersed with no fewer than four separate pitch invasions.

From there, Wolves went on to another victory, at Leyton Orient on Easter Monday, celebrating the title en route home after Brentford failed to win at MK Dons.

If the McCarthy promotion proved a major step forward with the club enjoying their first ever consecutive seasons in the Premier League, there was also plenty of significance attached to the achievements of Jackett’s class of 2013/14.

Wolves were perched precariously on a precipice after their double relegation, but the immediate and ultimately record-breaking response helped steady the ship, ultimately paving the way for new owners Fosun and a level of investment not previously witnessed.

Successive seventh-placed finishes followed under Nuno, not to mention an FA Cup semi-final and a return to the glamour of European nights not enjoyed in decades.

Wolves were taken to another level during those halcyon few seasons, a level which now sees them preparing for another huge Molineux night against Arsenal with confidence they can tackle the very best that the Premier League has to offer.

But on this day 10 and 15 years ago respectively, came a couple of moments in Molineux time which will never be forgotten.