The Boys from the Black Country

Wolverhampton Wanderers is one of English football’s great clubs. In the 1950s they were the Manchester United of their day, hugely successful and feared by all. They have suffered since like all clubs from smaller cities. They managed a period of renaissance in the seventies before falling into the third tier in the eighties. They are back in thePremier League now. The book tells the history of the club from its Victorian origins as a founder member of the Football League to the current day, concentrating on the quirky and combining factual passages with humour. So, for example, the club’s first FA Cup Final appearance at the Oval in 1889 is told in the style of cricket commentary by Henry Blofeld and Geoffrey Boycott. But there is also perceptive historical analysis, plus an attempt to give a wider social context to the different eras. In adding music and local flavour to the book, Mark Gold has made it more entertaining while retaining its serious purpose. Gold believes that the current vogue for adding humour to history helps to bring the subject alive for the many people who don’t have an academic interest in learning about the past. The title relates to an enduring popular chant among Wolves supporters, sung to the tune of Lord of the Dance. It will be recognised by all fans.