1984–85 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season

English football club season March 2015 March 2015 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1984–85 Tommy Docherty Manager Derek Dougan Chairman Second Division 22nd FA Cup 3rd Round League Cup 3rd Round Ainscow, Buckland & Evans (5) Ainscow & Evans (6) 16,698 (vs Birmingham City, 22 September 1984) 4,422 (vs Huddersfield Town,6 May 1985) 8,353 (league only) 1983–84 1985–86 The 1984–85 season was the 86th season of competitive league football in the history of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. They played in the second tier of the English football system, the Football League Second Division. This season would start with the club under the ownership of the Bhatti Brothers "Allied Properties" and with 1970s club legend Derek Dougan in role of chairman. A change of manager during the off-season saw Tommy Docherty hired to lead the team, succeeding Graham Hawkins who had been dismissed at the end of the previous season following relegation the top tier.On this day: New Wolves owners axe manager https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2016/08/03/on-this-day-new-wolves-owners-axe-manager/ 2023-01-25 Express & Star en The team would suffer a further relegation after finishing the 1984–85 season in 22nd place, during a difficult period for the club which was suffering financial difficulties.2017-01-22 Decade of Decline: Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1980s https://footballwhispers.com/blog/decade-decline-wolverhampton-wanderers-in-1980s/ 2023-01-26 footballwhispers.com en-GB Background Appointment of new manager Scotsman Tommy Docherty, often affectionately referred to as "The Doc", had been appointed as Manager in June 1984 following the club's relegation from Division 1. Docherty was a well-travelled player and manager, having taken charge of six different teams during the previous seven years before his appointment at Molineux. He had already spent time in the Midlands at Wolves' local rivals Aston Villa, where he had been sacked in 1970 with the club bottom of Division Two.Cusack Richard 2020-12-31 Former Aston Villa and Wolves manager Tommy Docherty dies aged 92 https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/breaking-tommy-docherty-aston-villa-19546539 2023-01-24 BirminghamLive en During his first managerial role in 1967–68, Docherty had famously vowed to take Rotherham United up out of Division 2, but instead performed the opposite, taking them down to Division 3. His next management role was at Aston Villa before moving overseas to manage Porto. He also spent time as an international manager with his native Scotland (guiding them towards the 1974 World Cup) but he quit this role before qualification was secured to take over as manager at Manchester United.Tommy Docherty: The irrepressible Scot who always had a one-liner at the ready https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/uk-sports/2020/12/31/tommy-docherty-the-irrepressible-scot-who-always-had-a-one-liner-at-the-ready/ 2023-01-26 Express & Star en At Manchester United, Docherty experienced relegation from and promotion to Division 1, as well as defeating rivals Liverpool to win the 1977 FA Cup, only to be sacked days later due to having an affair with the club physiotherapist's wife.2020-12-31 Former Manchester United and Scotland manager Tommy Docherty dies at 92 en Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/soccer-england-docherty-idINKBN2951K0 2023-08-03 Doherty's nomadic path saw him manage several British-based clubs following this for short periods, as well as working in Australia at Sydney Olympic on two occasions. The latter would be his last role prior to his appointment at Wolves.1981 - Mike Hill Interviews Sydney Olympic Coach Tommy Docherty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWfaFveh9DE en 2023-01-26 Financial constraints Docherty's task at Wolves was not to be an easy one. Wolves had been spending heavily during the late 1970s, notably when Andy Gray was signed in 1979 from Aston Villa for just under £1.5 million, setting a new British transfer fee record.Gray reflects on the original big deal https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/2009/09/08/gray-reflects-on-the-original-big-deal/ 2023-01-24 www.expressandstar.com en Gray would later score the winning goal for Wolves in the 1980 League Cup final.Wolverhampton-Nottingham Forest 1-0 League Cup Final 1979-80 HQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekephV2RDMA en 2023-01-26 By the late 1970s, Wolves' Molineux Stadium had become dated: the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 had introduced legal requirements to ensure a safe environment for staff and spectators. The Molineux Street Stand was deemed unfit under this legislation. If Wolves intended to use the stand, it needed to be rebuilt, but the club's Chairman Harry Marshall had bigger plans than this.From 1958 to 2010 – What Molineux could have been https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2015/07/22/from-1958-to-2010-what-molineux-could-have-been/ 2023-01-26 Express and Star en Instead, Marshall began planning for a whole new stadium, at an estimated cost of £10 million. It would be the first brand new permanent football stadium in the UK to be constructed since the Second World War, and the forward thinking design was rumoured to include the possibility of installing an enclosed roof by 1984. In 1978, Marshall stated that "It is a bold move on our part and the design is revolutionary but we want to start something future generations will be proud of as we move into our second 100 years". The construction began with the demolition of 71 terraced houses the club had purchased to create space for the new "John Ireland Stand"; despite its completion, work on the other stands had not begun. The project so far cost more than £2,000,000; and by 2 July 1982, the writing was on the wall with the local newspaper leading with the front-page headline "Wolves have gone bust".Wolves' bankruptcy in 1982, 40 years on: How former players are still giving something back in old gold and black https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12643522/wolves-bankruptcy-in-1982-40-years-on-how-former-players-are-still-giving-something-back-in-old-gold-and-black 2023-01-25 Sky Sports en With the building of the new infrastructure, Wolves had accumulated debts of £2,600,000 by 1982 and new investors were needed to save the club. Three suitors put their names forward to acquire of the club. Local businessman Sir Jack Hayward was interested in putting forwards a proposal, as was Doug Ellis, chairman of local rivals Aston Villa; however, at the last minute a consortium led by Saudi Arabian brothers Mahmud and Mohammad Bhatti was selected. Fronting the bid on behalf of the Bhatti Brothers' "Allied Properties" banner was 1970s Wolves legend Derek Dougan, who had played for the club in the 1972 UEFA Cup final.1972 UEFA Cup Final - Spurs 3 Wolves 2 (on agg) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lACqF9V9czA en 2023-01-26 Dougan would be placed in charge of the football side of operations in the role of chairman with the aim of adding credibility to the brothers' proposal. The Bhatti Brothers' project had pinned its hopes on the redevelopment of the Molineux site and immediate surrounding area, but with more interest in the land than on the pitch, their tenure would show a genuine lack of interest and involvement in the football from the brothers and sentiment towards the club soured when they failed to secure a deal and planning permissions with the local council for an area immediately behind the Molineux stadium which they had planned to develop. With little funds and a lack of enthusiasm for the club's operations, the rest of the stadium fell further into disrepair and attendances dwindled.Wolves' bankruptcy in 1982, 40 years on: How former players are still giving something back in old gold and black https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12643522/wolves-bankruptcy-in-1982-40-years-on-how-former-players-are-still-giving-something-back-in-old-gold-and-black 2023-01-24 Sky Sports en Build-up to the season By the time Docherty arrived to take over for the 1984–85 season, players such as record signing Andy Gray had long left the club, and during the summer of 1984, following relegation from the top flight, more players were to also leave. This included prominent attackers Mel Eves and Wayne Clarke. 27-year-old Eves had made 214 Wolves starts and scored 53 goals for the club, but left Wolves to train with Mancherster City following a ruptured achilles tendon injury he picked up in his final Wolves match in 1984, eventually joining Sheffield United for an undisclosed fee. Clarke, who had started 148 games and scored 30 goals for Wolves, also left the club for an initial £80,000, transferring to local rivals Birmingham City.Wollaston Steve 2013-03-13 Nostalgia gallery: Wayne Clarke http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/birmingham-city-nostalgia-gallery-wayne-1742185 2023-01-25 BirminghamLive en Eves later stated that his decision to leave was based upon the treatment he received after his injury and being offered a contract with reduced salary by Docherty, while Clarke cited the nature of his monthly rolling contract and lack of investment in the squad.Former Player Remembers: Wayne Clarke https://www.lcfc.com/news/2613306 2023-02-01 www.lcfc.com enMel Eves - '21 or bust' The Wolf Whistle Podcast https://wolfwhistle.podbean.com/e/mel-eves-21-or-bust/ 2023-02-01 wolfwhistle.podbean.com en Winger Tony Towner also departed that summer having been signed from Rotherham United only 12 months earlier for £10,000 and had become a first team regular at Molineux. Towner famously had been on then-manager Graham Hawkins' pre-season shopping list that was presented to Dougan, but Hawkins was furious to find that Dougan had spent so much of the budget on him whilst he and head coach Jim Barron were out of the country. Towner would move on to Charlton Athletic for just £15,000.2017-03-05 Flying winger Tony ‘Tiger’ Towner immortalised in children's TV programme en-US In parallel lines https://inparallellines.wordpress.com/2017/03/05/to-me-to-you-rotherham-winger-tony-tiger-towner-is-chuckles-hero/ 2023-01-25Hawkins Kirstie A marriage made in football Amazon 2022 9798839490499 115–116 Perhaps most significant was the loss of Wolves legend Kenny Hibbitt. The midfielder, the club's second highest appearances holder (574) and tenth top scorer (114), opted for a move to Coventry City for an undisclosed fee. Asked for his thoughts on leaving the club, Hibbitt said "Tommy Docherty came in as manager and he knew I didn't want to be around to see the club in such dire straits". As the start of the season approached, there was yet more selection issues for Docherty. John Burridge, who been first choice goalkeeper for the last two seasons, was out of contract and making demands of the club. With the season beginning with a home game against Sheffield United, Docherty was to make a bold decision. Rather than meet Burridge's demands, the club would bring in 17-year-old academy keeper Tim Flowers for his league debut.Tim Flowers SaintsPlayers.co.uk https://www.saintsplayers.co.uk/player/tim-flowers/ 2023-01-25 en-GBWolves Heroes » Blog Archive » Doc Failed To Cure Wolves’ Ills https://www.wolvesheroes.com/2011/12/11/doc-failed-to-cure-wolves-ills/ 2023-01-25 4 October 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231004132616/https://www.wolvesheroes.com/2011/12/11/doc-failed-to-cure-wolves-ills/ dead The season Wolves' season would start at Molineux with the club hosting newly-promoted Sheffield United, who had finished 3rd in Division 3 the year before. Academy players Tim Flowers and Derek Ryan would make their league debuts for the club alongside new signings Alan Ainscow, Tony Evans and Tommy Langley. They were joined in the starting eleven by an experienced defence of John Humphrey, Geoff Palmer and John Pender alongside experienced wingers/utility players Paul Butler, Ian Cartwright and Alan Dodd. The game finished 2-2, with Langley and Dodd scoring in front of almost 15,000 fans.Sheffield United (H) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/sheffield-united-h-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US After five matches Wolves were placed 10th in the table, with home victories against Manchester City and Charlton Athletic, a further draw at Middlesbrough and a defeat at Leeds United. The players who started in opening day fixture had continued to feature across this early period of the season and would be joined by goalscorers Mark Buckland and Paul Dougherty (who had both been signed late in the previous season). Wolves also signed Jim Melrose on loan from Celtic.Leeds United (a) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/leeds-united-a-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-USManchester City (H) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/manchester-city-h-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-USCharlton Athletic (H) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/charlton-athletic-h-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-USMiddlesbrough (a) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/middlesbrough-a-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US However, after the next four games Wolves had dropped to 15th place after a series of back-to-back league defeats, including a 5-1 defeat at Barnsley broadcast live on ITV, with Palmer and Flowers both giving away penalties in the match.Barnsley (a) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/barnsley-a-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US With the early progress looking respectable, Wolves approved the sale of goalkeeper John Burridge (who had been out on loan to Derby County since the start of the season) to Sheffield United,John Burridge Article https://www.s24su.com/forum/threads/john-burridge-article.42454/ 2023-01-25 S24SU Forum Sheffield United Community en-GB but signed defender David Barnes from Ipswich Town for £44,000 and New Zealand midfielder Ricki Herbert from Docherty's old club Sydney Olympic for free.2021-01-04 Ricki Herbert: 'Inspirational' Docherty helped teach me how to coach https://www.rickiherbertfootballacademy.co.nz/ricki-herbert-inspirational-docherty-helped-teach-me-how-to-coach/ 2023-01-25 Ricki Herbert Football Academy en-NZ Melrose had impressed on his loan from Celtic and Docherty wanted to make the signing permanent, but was unable to secure the £40,000 being asked and Melrose subsequently returned to Scotland.Development PodBean Jim Melrose - 'The Loan Ranger' The Wolf Whistle Podcast https://wolfwhistle.podbean.com/e/jim-melrose-the-loan-ranger/ 2024-04-16 wolfwhistle.podbean.com en Three wins in succession would see Wolves climb to 13th in the table before Wolves travelled to Grimsby Town for their second 5-1 defeat of the season, once again broadcast live on ITV.Grimsby Town (a) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/grimsby-town-a-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US Hoping that the heavy defeats were behind them, by the end of November Wolves had picked up a further four points with a 3–3 draw at home to Wimbledon and a 2–1 victory over Fulham. As December approached, Wolves sat 14th in the table, with top scorers Tony Evans (5), Tommy Langley (4) and Mark Buckland (4) having a modest total of 13 goals between them.Wimbledon (H) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/wimbledon-h-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-USFulham (a) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/fulham-a-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US Experienced defender Geoff Palmer, who had played 394 games for the club, moved to Burnley at the end of November. Palmer left believing he had fallen out of favour with Docherty, stating that "the club just wasn't a nice place to be at the time, it wasn't being run properly, and was on its knees".From fan to a Molineux great, Geoff Palmer played in every division for Wolves https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/wolverhampton-wanderers-fc/2020/12/03/from-fan-to-a-molineux-great-geoff-palmer-played-in-every-division-for-wolves/ 2023-01-25 Express & Star en From December onwards, Wolves hit an awful period of form, failing to win any of the next 19 league games. This included a 4–1 defeat to Notts County who were relegated along with Wolves in 1983-84 and would go on to finish 21st in the league.Notts County (a) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/notts-county-a-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US During January Wolves continued to lose experienced players, with Alan Dodd (who had played 99 times for the club, including 24 under Docherty, and scoring three goals) moving on to Stoke City, and Paul Butler (who had also been a prominent feature for Docherty with 22 appearances and 2 goals) was loaned to Hereford United who later made the move permanent.Transfers https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/transfers/ 2023-01-26 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US With pressure mounting, chairman Derek Dougan resigned from his position on the board. Before the season ended, top scorers and first team wingers Tony Evans (5), Tommy Langley (4), Paul Dougherty (2) and Danny Crainie would also be sent out on temporary loan spells, to be replaced by two new signings (Ray Hankin and Andy King) and two incoming loanees (Peter Eastoe and Steve Biggins). The incoming quartet would score just one goal between them that season. More positive was the signing of defender Peter Zelem from Chester City and the promotion of young academy player Campbell Chapman, son of head coach Sammy Chapman.Transfers https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/transfers/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US On 4 May 1985, Wolves travelled to Brighton & Hove Albion and suffered their third 5-1 defeat of the season. During the game, goalkeeper Tim Flowers received a head injury whilst stopping a 27th-minute penalty at 2–0 down. Flowers was not allowed treatment for the injury and the referee had the spot kick retaken. The defeat confirmed that Wolves would be relegated to Division 3.Brighton & Hove Albion (a) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/brighton-hove-albion-a-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US The following game was the penultimate of the season and would also be Docherty's final home match at Molineux. The match was a rare success: Wolves recorded their eighth win of the season with a 2–1 victory over Huddersfield Town, with goals from Alan Ainscow and Derek Ryan. Scott Barrett played in goal, replacing the injured Flowers. The match was played in front of a diminished crowd of 4,422, less than a third of the crowd that had witnessed Docherty's first game in charge just eight months earlier, with the decline seen as a reflection of the club's poor season.Huddersfield Town (H) 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/huddersfield-town-h-1984-85/ 2023-01-25 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-USHowell Bill 2013-02-22 Wolves are haunted by the spectre of 1985 http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wolverhampton-wanderers-haunted-spectre-1985-1340090 2023-01-25 BirminghamLive en The final day of the season was 11 May 1985–the day of the Bradford City stadium fireBradford City FC stadium fire 11th May 1985 https://www.fbu.org.uk/history/bradford-city-fc-stadium-fire 2023-01-25 Fire Brigades Union–saw Wolves lose 3–0 to promotion hopefuls Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park (they would miss out on promotion by 1 point). Docherty's torrid season, which included a run of 21 games without a win, had finally come to an end. He left the club in July 1985. When asked about his time at Wolves Docherty said, "I could hardly say 'no' when a club as famous as that came in for me..... But it was a hopeless task really. There was no money. I wasn't sure I'd be able to work with Derek Dougan but I accepted the challenge anyway. As for the Bhattis, I only met them twice – once when they hired me and once when they fired me."June 2025 The season had few highlights: 17-year-old goalkeeper Tim Flowers was named player of the year.Wolves Heroes » Blog Archive » Doc Failed To Cure Wolves’ Ills https://www.wolvesheroes.com/2011/12/11/doc-failed-to-cure-wolves-ills/ 2023-01-26 4 October 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231004132616/https://www.wolvesheroes.com/2011/12/11/doc-failed-to-cure-wolves-ills/ dead Docherty's tenure as manager is also remembered for his removal of Assistant Manager Jim Barron and Coach Frank Upton to make way for his family members; this was challenged at an Employment Tribunal in favour of Barron and Upton.Wolves Heroes » Blog Archive » Doc's Orders Were A Bitter Pill https://www.wolvesheroes.com/2011/02/25/docs-orders-were-a-bitter-pill/ 2023-01-26 Results Football League Second Division 1984–85 Football League A total of 22 teams competed in the Football League Second Division in the 1984–85 season. Each team played every other team twice: once at their stadium, and once at the opposition's. Three points were awarded to teams for each win, one point for a draw, and none for a defeat. 25 August 1984 1 Wolves 2–2 Sheffield United Dodd 17Langley 18 Edwards 50Arnott 80 Molineux 14,908 D 1 September 1984 2 Leeds United 3-2 Wolves Wright 40Lorimer 63Wright 70 Ainscow 23Dougherty 52 Elland Road 17,843 L 4 September 1984 3 Wolves 2-0 Manchester City Dougherty 11McCarthy 28 og Molineux 13,255 W 8 September 1984 4 Wolves 1-0 Charlton Athletic Langley 53 Molineux 10,587 W 15 September 1984 5 Middlesbrough 1-1 Wolves Mowbray 34 Buckland 34 Ayresome Park 4677 D 19 September 1984 6 Oxford United 3-1 Wolves Aldridge 15Biggins 74Aldridge 75 Langan 55 og Manor Ground 11,930 L 22 September 1984 7 Wolves 0-2 Birmingham Kuhl 79Hopkins 84 Molineux 16,698 L 29 September 1984 8 Barnsley 5-1 Wolves Geddis 29Agnew 57Geddis 59Geddis 62 PenOwen 85 Dodd 21 Oakwell 5,566 L 6 October 1984 9 Wolves 2-3 Notts County Buckland 9Langley 21 O'Neill 25Harkouk 33Pender 58 og Molineux 7,676 L 13 October 1984 10 Oldham Athletic 3-2 Wolves Parker 10Palmer 39Henry 63 Tony Evans 27Tony Evans 90 Boundary Park 3,856 L 20 October 1984 11 Wolves 2-1 Crystal Palace Tony Evans 8Melrose 58 Cummins 78 Pen Molineux 6,665 W 27 October 1984 12 Portsmouth 0-1 Wolves Melrose 58 Fratton Park 15,291 W 3 November 1984 13 Wolves 3-0 Cardiff Pender 59Buckland 66Tony Evans 86 Molineux 7,537 W 10 November 1984 14 Grimsby Town 5-1 Wolves Wilkinson 10Barnes 42 ogBonnyman 51 PenDrinkell 75Ford 85 Langley 52 Blundell Park 7,220 L 17 November 1984 15 Wolves 3-3 Wimbledon Barnes 14Ainscow 36Butler 38 Cork 31Winterburn 74Morris 84 Molineux 7,134 D 24 November 1984 16 Fulham 1-2 Wolves Houghton 17 Buckland 56Cartwright 68 Craven Cottage 7,049 W 1 December 1984 17 Wolves 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion Young 44 Molineux 7,463 L 8 December 1984 18 Huddersfield Town 3-1 Wolves Cooper 40Cooper 41Burke 61 Buckland 31 Leeds Road 8,216 L 15 December 1984 19 Wolves 0-3 Blackburn Rovers Randall 46Quinn 80Quinn 82 Molineux 7,598 L 22 December 1984 20 Wolves 0-2 Leeds United Gray 35McCluskey 59 Molineux 9,259 L 26 December 1984 21 Shrewsbury Town 2-1 Wolves Robinson 44McNally 78 Ainscow 56 Gay Meadow 9,183 L 29 December 1984 22 Manchester City 4-0 Wolves Barker 9Phillips 42Smith 69Wilson 88 Maine Road 22,022 L 1 January 1985 23 Wolves 0-2 Carlisle United O'Riordan 22Poskett 29 Molineux 6,246 L 12 January 1985 24 Wolves 0-0 Middlesbrough Molineux 6,152 D 26 January 1985 25 Sheffield United 2-2 Wolves Cockerill46Pender 57 og Campbell Chapman 51Butler 88 Bramall Lane 9,141 D 2 February 1985 26 Wolves 0-1 Barnsley Futcher 54 Molineux 6,348 L 23 February 1985 27 Cardiff City 0-0 Wolves Ninian Park 4,694 D 2 March 1985 28 Wolves 0-0 Portsmouth Molineux 7,985 D 5 March 1985 29 Wolves 0-1 Grimsby Town Ford 55 Molineux 6,127 L 9 March 1985 30 Crystal Palace 0-0 Wolves Selhurst Park 5,413 D 12 March 1985 31 Charlton Athletic 1-0 Wolves Flannagan24 The Valley 3,905 L 16 March 1985 32 Wolves 0-3 Oldham Athletic Quinn10 PenWard62Palmer89 Molineux 5,273 L 23 March 1985 33 Notts County 4-1 Wolves Young59Harkouk66Harkouk77Fashanu 87 Hankin 85 Meadow Lane 5,561 L 30 March 1985 34 Birmingham City 1-0 Wolves Geddis80 St. Andrew's (stadium) 10,230 L 6 April 1985 35 Wolves 0-1 Shrewsbury Town Herbert 22 og Molineux 7,258 L 8 April 1985 36 Carlisle United 0-1 Wolves Evans 62 Brunton Park 4021 W 13 April 1985 37 Wolves 1-2 Oxford United Campbell Chapman 60 Briggs 58Brock 62 Molineux 7,258 L 20 April 1985 38 Wimbledon 1-1 Wolves Sayer 36 Ainscow 51 Brunton Park 3,277 D 27 April 1985 39 Wolves 0-4 Fulham Houghton 51Sealy13Sealy40Sealy54 Molineux 6,172 L 4 May 1985 40 Brighton & Hove Albion 5-1 Wolves Worthington10Penney24Worthington (Pen) 27Biley54Connor79 O'Reilly41 og Goldstone Ground 8,581 L 6 May 1985 41 Wolves 2-1 Huddersfield Ainscow 37Derek Ryan 49 Lillis55 Pen Molineux 4,422 W 11 May 1985 42 Blackburn Rovers 3-0 Wolves Fazackerley40 PenKeeley63Lowey64 Ewood Park 9,543 L 1984/85 Canon League Second Division https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/1984-85/ 2023-01-23 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US Final table Pos Position Team Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points 17 Charlton Athletic 42 11 12 19 47 63 -13 45 18 Sheffield United 42 10 14 18 54 66 -12 44 19 Middlesbrough 42 10 10 22 41 57 -16 40 20 Notts County (R) 42 10 7 25 40 73 –33 37 21 Cardiff City (R) 42 9 8 25 47 79 -32 35 22 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 8 9 25 37 79 -42 33 Source: Footballstatisticsresults.co.uk Results by round table b Round Result D/L/W/W/D/L/L/L/L/L/W/W/W/L/D/W/L/L/L/L/L/L/L/D/D/L/D/D/L/D/L/L/L/L/L/W/L/D/L/L/W/L Position 9/16/11/8/10/11/14/14/15/19/17/16/13/17/16/14/13/15/15/15/18/20/20/20/20/20/20/20/20/20/20/20/21/21/21/20/20/21/22/22/22/22 green2 Win yellow2 Draw red2 Loss green1 red1 Statto.com FA Cup 1984–85 FA Cup 5 January 1985 R3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–1 Huddersfield Town Pender 40 Tempest 32 Molineux 8,593 D 23 January 1985 R3 Replay Huddersfield Town 3–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Lillis 39 PenLillis 46Pugh87 Ainscow 56 Leeds Road 7,055 L League Cup 1984–85 Football League Cup Round 2 24 September 1984 Round 2.1 Port Vale 1–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Brown 30 Evans 49Dodd 83 Vale Park 6.949 W 9 October 1984 Round 2.2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–0 Port Vale Pender 40 Tempest 32 Molineux 5,964 D Wolves Progress on Aggregate Results Round 3 30 October 1984 Round 3.1 Southampton 2–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Wright35Wallace89 Melrose 22Melrose 47 The Dell 14,164 D 6 November 1984 Round 3.2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–2 Southampton Wallace 13Jordan89 Molineux Stadium 13,064 L Wolves Lost on Aggregate Results Players ENG yes yes end of season |- |align="left"|01 GK||align="left"|ENG Tim Flowers |38||0||2||0||4||0||0||0||44||0||0||0|| |- |align="left"|01 GK||align="left"|ENG Scott Barrett Scott Barrett (footballer) |4||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||4||0||0||0|| |- |align="left"|01 GK||align="left"|ENG John Burridge |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||4||0||0||0|| |- |align="left"|02 DF||align="left"|ENG John Humphrey John Humphrey (footballer) |42||0||2||0||4||0||0||0||48||0||2||0|| |- |align="left"|02 DF||align="left"|IRL John Pender John Pender (footballer) |36 34(2)||1||2||1||3||0||0||0||40 39(2)||2||9||0|| |- |align="left"|02 DF||align="left"|ENG David Barnes David Barnes (footballer) |23 23||1||2||0||3||0||0||0||28 28||1||1||0|| |- |align="left"|02 DF||align="left"|ENG Alan Dodd |20 20||2||0||0||4||1||0||0||24 24||3||2||0|| |- |align="left"|02 DF||align="left"|ENG Peter Zelem |16 16||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||16 16||0||1||0|| |- |align="left"|02 DF||align="left"|ENG Geoff Palmer Geoff Palmer (footballer) |8 8||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||9 9||0||1||0|| |- |align="left"|02 DF||align="left"|ENG David Heywood |7 7||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||8 8||0||0||0|| |- |align="left"|02 DF||align="left"|ENG Mick Coady |7 6(1)||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||7 6(1)||0||0||0|| |- |align="left"|02 DF||align="left"|ENG Nicky Sinclair Nick Sinclair (footballer) |1 1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1 1||0||1||0|| |- |align="left"|03 MF||align="left"|ENG Alan Ainscow |41 40(2)||5||2||1||2(1)||0||0 0||0||47 44(3)||6||5||0|| |- |align="left"|03 MF||align="left"|ENG Ian Cartwright |23 23||1||1||0||4||0||0 0||0||28 28||1||0||0|| |- |align="left"|03 MF||align="left"|NZL Ricki Herbert |25 25||0||2||0||0||0||0 0||0||27 27||0||0||0|| |- |align="left"|03 MF||align="left"|ENG Paul Dougherty footballer |21 10 (11)||2||1||0||1||0||0 0||0||23 12 (11)||2||0||0|| |- |align="left"|03 MF||align="left"|ENG Paul Butler Paul Butler (footballer, born 1964) |18 17 (1)||2||0 (1)||0||3||0||0 0||0||22 20 (2)||2||0||0|| |- |align="left"|03 MF||align="left"|SCO Danny Crainie |13 13||0||0||0||1(1)||0||0 0||0||15 14 (1)||0||2||0|| |- |align="left"|03 MF||align="left"|IRL Derek Ryan Derek Ryan (footballer) |10 6(4)||1||0||0||2||0||0 0||0||12 8 (4)||1||0||0|| |- |align="left"|03 MF||align="left"|IRL Martin Bayly |3 2(1)||0||0||0||1||0||0 0||0||4 3 (1)||0||0||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|ENG Mark Buckland |35 31(4)||5||2||0||4||0||0||0||41 37(4)||5||1||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|ENG Tommy Langley |23 22(1)||4||2||0||2(1)||0||0||0||28 26(2)||4||0||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|ENG Tony Evans Tony Evans (footballer, born 1954) |23 20(3)||5||1||0||3||1||0||0||27 24(3)||6||0||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|ENG Campbell Chapman |20 18(2)||2||2||0||1||0||0||0||27 24(3)||2||1||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|ENG Ray Hankin |10 9(1)||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||10 9(1)||1||0||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|SCO Jim Melrose |7 6(1)||2||0||0||2||2||0||0||9 8(1)||4||0||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|ENG Peter Eastoe |8 8||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||8 8||0||0||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|ENG Andy King Andy King (footballer, born 1956) |8 8||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||8 8||0||2||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|ENG Steve Biggins |4 4||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||4 4||0||0||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|ENG Cavern Chapman |1 1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1 1||0||0||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|ENG Steve Blackwell |1 1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1 1||0||0||0|| |- |align="left"|FW||align="left"|ENG Graham Rodger |1 1||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||1 1||0||0||0|| |- |} Source: Wolverhampton Wanderers: The Complete RecordMatthews, Tony Wolverhampton Wanderers: The Complete Record 2008 Breedon Books Derby 978-1-85983-632-3Appearances & Scorers 1984/85 https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/appearances-scorers-1984-85/ 2023-01-24 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US Transfers In DatePlayerFromFee26 June 1984ENG Tony EvansCrystal PalaceFree6 July 1984ENG Tommy LangleyCoventry CityFree22 August 1984ENG Alan AinscowEastern Hong KongUndisclosed25 August 1984ENG Tim FlowersWolves Under 18Free25 August 1984ENG Derek Ryan (footballer)Wolves Under 18Free27 September 1984ENG Scott BarrettIlkeston TownUndisclosed3 October 1984ENG David BarnesIpswich Town£44,00030 October 1984NZL Ricki HerbertSydney OlympicFree29 December 1984ENG Dayid HeywoodWolves Under 18Free23 February 1984ENG Campbell ChapmanWolves Under 18Free10 January 1985ENG Mick CoadySydney OlympicUndisclosed31 January 1985ENG Andy KingSC CambuurUndisclosed23 February 1985ENG Cavern ChapmanWolves Under 18Free8 March 1985ENG Peter ZelemChester City£15,0009 March 1985ENG Ryan HankinPeterborough UnitedFree20 April 1985ENG Steve BlackwellWolves Under 18Free Source: Wolves Complete History: Transfers A-ZTransfers A https://wolvescompletehistory.co.uk/transfers-a/ 2023-01-24 Wolverhampton Wanderers en-US Out DatePlayerToFee4 July 1984ENG Melvyn EvesSheffield UnitedFree13 August 1984ENG Kenny HibbittCoventry CityUndisclosed24 August 1984ENG Steve MardenboroughSwansea CityFree24 August 1984ENG Wayne ClarkeBirmingham City£80,00012 September 1984ENG Tony TownerCharlton Athletic£15,00026 October 1984ENG John BurridgeSheffield UnitedUndisclosed22 November 1984ENG Geoff PalmerBurnleyUndisclosed19 January 1985ENG Alan DoddStoke CityReleasedMay 1985ENG Cavern Chapman-ReleasedMay 1985ENG Steve Blackwell-Released Source: Wolves Complete History: Transfers A-Z Loans in Start datePlayerFromEnd date13 September 1984SCO Jim MelroseCelticUnknown22 September 1984ENG Nicky SinclairOldham AthleticUnknown18 January 1985ENG Peter ZelemChester City8 March 1985 (Made Permanent)8 February 1985ENG Peter EastoeWest Bromwich AlbionUnknown9 March 1985ENG Steve BigginsDerby CountyUnknown Source: Wolves Complete History: Transfers A-Z Loans out Start datePlayerFromEnd date21 September 1984ENG John BurridgeDerby County26 October 198421 January 1985IRL Martin BaylyCoventry CityMade Permanent7 February 1985ENG Paul DoughertyTorquay United18 January 1985ENG Paul ButlerHerefordMade Permanent27 February 1985ENG Tony EvansBolton Wanderers8 March 1985ENG Tommy LangleyAldershot13 March 1985SCO Danny CrainieBlackpool Source: Wolves Complete History: Transfers A-Z Management and coaching staff PositionNameManagerTommy DochertyAssistant managerJim BarronHead coachSammy ChapmanCoachFrank Upton References 1984-85 Wolverhampton Wanderers