Play/Delete/Rewind | Mel Eves

Wolves supporter Mel Eves made more than 200 appearances for his boyhood club, even scoring in Europe, but here he has the chance to go over those games and rewrite his gold and black history.

PLAY | The game you missed

I picked up a back injury away at Sunderland and had a fitness test on the morning of the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham in the 1980/81 season but didn’t quite make it. I played in the replay a few days later which was at Highbury, which was practically a home game for them. We turned up late because of traffic and the whole day just didn’t go our way. I was devastated not to play in the original semi-final because not playing in an FA Cup final was one of the biggest disappointments of my career.

DELETE | The game you would remove

Away at Watford on May 5th, 1984. At 12 minutes past three on that day, I ruptured my Achilles tendon and that was the last game I ever played for Wolves. It was in the old Division One, now the Premier League, and it was probably the worst day of my football career. At the time, I didn’t realise what I’d done and the severity of it, but because of the shambolic state of the club at the time, it turned out to be my last game, which was very heart-breaking.

REPLAY | The game with a different outcome

Every time I put the gold shirt on it was an honour, but there were a few I wish would’ve been different, including the European game against PSV Eindhoven. In the second leg, I scored the only goal and we won the game 1-0, but we had lost the first leg 3-1. Over the two legs, we felt we’d done more than enough to have got through and PSV were fortunate with the way it went. If we’d have progressed from that game, I think we had the team to have gone all the way because we were unlucky to have drawn one of the strongest teams in the competition in the first round.

REWIND | The game with the same outcome

I’ve had quite a few, but I would say the League Cup semi-final against Swindon in 1980. It was wonderful really, because we were heading out but then I scored that overhead kick and John Richards then scored the winner late on to take us to Wembley. We then went on to beat the reigning European Cup holders, Nottingham Forest, the best team in the country at the time. I also went to Old Trafford and scored the winner against Man United which was great, so I still have some great memories.

FAST-FORWARD | The game since you left the club

I was quite happy playing when I did, and obviously when I’m sat watching the team now and commentating in the press box, there are one or two games, more so in the last couple of years under Nuno and Bruno, that I’d love to be playing in and helping the lads out. But I have had my time and it’s a pleasure watching the club being back in the top division where we belong. I’m just enjoying that we now have a squad of players who, on their day, can compete with anybody.

Old Gold