Fond memories for Wolves star

For former Wolves star Martin Patching every visit to Wolverhampton is special - when doctors told him he had a brain tumour he thought he'd never see Molineux again.

The Rotherham-born utility player started supporting Wolves when the first kit he was ever bought was in old gold and Derek Dougan was the terrace hero. He made 101 appearances for Wolves scoring 11 goals form every position except goalkeeper.

Martin, who was told his tumour was the size of a cricket ball, said: "I left school in 1975 with stickers of The Doog plastered all over my exercise books.

"A few weeks later I signed a professional contract at Wolves and was lining up alongside him on the training field. It was a dream come true."

He also picked up a division two championship medal in the 1976-1977 season.

This April, 27 years after Watford paid £135,000 for his services and after almost two years of undiagnosed headaches and mood swings, his brain tumour was found.

The 42-year-old was told he needed surgery or he would be dead within three months.

Some of the benign tumour remains in his nasal passage but he is over the worst and is now planning to write his book about his battles on and off the football field.

He said: "There wasn't really time to be frightened because I was out of it by the time I was diagnosed.

"Since then I've learned to cope with it. I don't talk about it unless I'm asked because I don't want it to be my life."

Media work and his 22-year-old son Tom, who lives in Newport, bring him back to Wolverhampton on a regular basis. And during his last visit he scoured the Express & Star archives in Queen Street for material for the autobiography.

He said: "It's wonderful coming back. I have nothing but happy memories of Molineux and Wolverhampton. The place is as special to me now as it was when I came to watch Wolves as a 13-year-old."

By Daniel Poutney