A Dangerous Day, But A Huge Success
The Wolves Former Players Association kicked off Ryder Cup month with yet another successful staging of their annual golf day.
Gary Owen and Joe Mayo from Albion, Nottingham Forest and Derby star Archie Gemmill joined a dozen Molineux favourites in the warmth of Oxley Park.
Steve Daley, Kenny Hibbitt, John Richards, Colin Brazier, Phil Nicholls, Terry Wharton, Mel Eves, and Phil Parkes took to the course on another successful day for local charities.
And they were fed and watered again in the middle of the round by the northern-based trio of good friends, Norman Bell, Gerry Farrell, and Paul Walker, who set up shop in the refreshments hut at the top of the course to help participants refuel.
Farrell is currently captain of the Morecambe club in which he is a member, and he has received several suggestions that he join the playing ranks at next year’s event.
Walker, a good buddy from the Molineux youth and reserve teams more than 50 years ago, was nearly struck by an overhit shot while sitting at the back of a green.
Nicholls was even unlucky, being wounded in the shoulder by a deflected shot from his playing partner Eves. He was able to shrug it off and complete his round, however.
Willie Carr, who took to a buggy to follow around his good friend, Hibbitt, and Steve Kindon, who arrived for the dinner and other social pleasantries later, were also in attendance.
Mayo and Owen had already competed in the tournament, but Gemmill’s presence – confirmed to Richards on the day he was traveling to Durham to deliver a hall of fame presentation to the Gardiner family in July – was a genuine bonus.
For a short weeks in 1982-83, the two were teammates at Derby under Peter Taylor, with the striker on loan at the Baseball Ground.
Sky Sports reporter Johnny Phillips and Wolves general manager for marketing and commercial expansion Russell Jones were also present.
The day’s revenues of roughly £8,000 will be split among Compton Hospice, The Good Shepherd charity on Waterloo Road in Wolverhampton, The Haven refuge in the city center, and The Crafty Gardener ‘community interest company’ off Newhampton Road.
