The story of legendary former scout Mark Crook told in new book 'Feeding the Wolves'

But incredibly, Crook was responsible for helping launch the careers of no fewer than 114 professional footballers in total, 39 of which played in the gold and black of Wolves. 

This is seen as one of football's great untold stories and writer Ashley Ball hopes that it will go some way to preserving his memory and alerting younger audiences to the significant role he played in Wolves' history. 

"Mark Crook is a name that Wolves fans of a certain age will know about. He played for Wolves a very long time ago under Major Frank Buckley," Ball explained. 

"He was briefly a teammate of Stan Cullis. So we're talking huge figures in Wolves' history and then Mark worked for Wolves, providing them with players, throughout their golden years. 

"Some of Wolves' best ever players were found by Mark Crook and he helped them throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s to establish themselves as one of the best teams in England, if not Europe. 

"We think this is one of football's great untold stories. It's been a long project but very worthwhile because Mark's story was in danger of getting forgotten and that would've been a terrible shame."

The arrangement with Crook was unique in the fact that his Wolves junior team was established in Yorkshire rather than the West Midlands. 

Aside from Flowers, Swinbourne and Daley, Crook also paved the way for the likes of Gerry Taylor, Peter Knowles and Alan Sunderland. 

For many, Crook saved them from a life spent in the pits and provided them with the golden ticket to a career in professional football.

"The interesting thing is that Wolves shouldn't have been entitled to these players. They're not from the West Midlands, they're all Yorkshire lads in the first instance," Ball continued.

"South Yorkshire lads who should've been going to Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, Rotherham, or even Sheffield United and Leeds. 

"But they all went to Wolves and that was because of Mark Crook. The only real prospect they had was going down the pits because that was the reality for pretty much every lad in Yorkshire in the 50s, 60s, and even into the 70s. 

"There was no alternative really and people like Alan Sunderland are still incredibly supportive to this day in the role that Mark played in changing the course of their lives." 

Crook's reputation was so strong that players from Yorkshire, or even in the North-East, began rejecting overtures from more local clubs to try their luck at Wolves. 

"There's not many names bigger than Ron Flowers in Wolves' history and he has still got a presence in the area with the sports shop," Ball noted. 

"There is no way that he should've gone to Wolves as a kid, but he did because Mark saw him in Doncaster Rovers' third team. 

"He changed his position and decided he should go to Wolves. The Major [Buckley] and Stan Cullis agreed, and from there, his stature just grew and grew. 

"That allowed Mark to send more players, but it also allowed players to go to Mark and try to earn that shot of getting to Wolves. 

"A goalkeeper called Jim Barron, played a few times for Wolves, but ended up having a good career for several other clubs. 

"He's from Newcastle and he turned down a contract at Newcastle and Sheffield United because he wanted to go to Wolves. 

"That was one of the biggest indicators that this was a success. Imagine a Newcastle lad turning down Newcastle to join Wolves instead. 

"He ended up having a great career and went on to play against Pele when he was in America. That's just one of the many stories that are in the book from all of the players we tracked down and managed to speak to." 

And any story on a football scout would not be complete without the classic tales of the 'one's who got away'. 

Crook did not disappoint in that respect either with names such as 1966 World Cup winner Alan Ball, Tottenham Hotspur legend Cyril Knowles and Leeds' title winner Terry Cooper all once being on Wolves' radar. 

In fact. Crook even tried to sign the Charlton brothers, but was beaten to Sir Bobby by Manchester United, and Jack by Leeds. 

"You look at the 1966 World Cup squad and Mark identified four of them before anyone else did," Ball revealed.

"He tried to sign all four for Wolves but only succeeded with Ron Flowers. Alan Ball went on trial at Wolves via Mark and they turned him down because he was too small. 

"We know that for sure because Ken Knighton was at the same trial and couldn't believe they turned down Alan Ball. 

"He was in for the Charlton brothers but they were beaten to their signatures. We know they turned down Terry Cooper, who won the title at Leeds and was a huge figure as part of Don Revie's iconic Leeds team. 

"Cyril Knowles was also turned down and became a huge legend at Spurs. George Robledo, who won the FA Cup twice with Newcastle, would've gone to Wolves had things been different as well. 

"Wolves did very well out of the Mark Crook arrangement, but it could've been even better." 

Half of the profits for the book will be going to the Wolves Foundation, while the other half will go to Brampton United, which is a team in South Yorkshire that plays on the same pitch Crook's Wolves junior team once did.

The book is available to buy from Ron Flowers' shop, or can also be  purchased online here..