Wolves trio wow fans at the Cross

The generous licensee at the Cross pub in Stourbridge, Ted Etheridge, handed back the entry fee to all 220 supporters on the night due to the absence of McCarthy, who was scouting abroad.

But the gold and black devotees weren't disappointed last night as former players Don Goodman and Tony Daley - now the club's fitness coach - and goalkeeper Matt Murray gave a fascinating and funny insight into the game over the last two decades.

Not surprisingly, some of the biggest laughs were reserved for the earlier years of the retired players – and the antics of former Wolves coach Steve Harrison, described by Goodman as "definitely England's loss" for his abilities on the training field.

A renowned joker as Graham Taylor's lieutenant at Molineux, England and Villa - as well as more latterly Middlesbrough and now Coventry - Goodman recalled how Harrison would lighten the mood on away trips by tripping himself up in front of a startled couple in the hotel restaurant and falling headlong into their plates of food – 'playing dead' until they enquired to his well-being.

Daley recalled how Harrison would pull up at roadworks and lift up the bonnet of his car to investigate a mystery 'breakdown,' as motorists joined growing queues oblivious to the 'hold-up.'

Goodman revealed how David Kelly was one of the main jokers in the pack at Molineux, but would regularly fleece his team-mates through his goalkeeping.

He said: "Before training he would bet us a fiver each that we couldn't put three consecutive penalties in a row past him and he used to clean up!

"David must have taken thousands off us."

Wise-cracking pundit Goodman also revealed his talent for mimicry, taking off McCarthy, former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and Wolves record scorer Steve Bull.

The former £1.1million signing said: "The first strike partner I ever had at Bradford, Bobby Campbell, gave me the nickname 'Prince' after the pop star.

"Eleven-and-a-half years later, I signed for Wolves and the first person to introduce himself was Bully, telling everyone: 'He doh arf look loike Prince, doh 'ee?'"

Asked who their most difficult opponents were, Daley revealed he used to go to pieces when faced with Manchester United's Denis Irwin, who later played for Wolves.

The former Villa, Wolves and England winger said: "I never got a sniff and I was dragged off every single time I played him.

"Certain opponents get in your head and it gets worse the more you face them. Mark Dennis for Birmingham was an absolute loony. I faced him at 17 and he told me what he was going to do to me before the game.

"In those days, it was a 'free hit' and the first time I got the ball I knew I was going to be kicked up in the air. When I came down, he'd help me to my feet and whisper in my ear that if I tried it again, he'd break my leg! But it was all part of trying to wind you up."

Murray named Alan Shearer as his most difficult opponent, after the-then Newcastle and England legend played against Wolves in an FA Cup tie in January 2003.

The goalkeeper said: "You could see why he was such a hard opponent. I fumbled one shot and he left a little knee in the side of my head, just to let me know he was there."

Goodman added: "I played against Villa in the Coca-Cola Cup when Tony was there and I was at Sunderland. It was 1993 and they had a really good team (Villa had finished runners-up in the Premier League the previous season and won the League Cup later that season).

"We must have had 25 shots to their four – and they won 4-1. The word world class is over-used nowadays but their keeper Mark Bosnich made 10 real world class saves, 10 really good saves and 10 more decent saves.

"I came off saying 'I swear he must be on drugs."

On a serious note, Goodman revealed he was still bitter about failing to reach the Premier League with Wolves.

He said: "The biggest regret of my career was not winning one of the two play-offs, especially against Bolton in 1995 – we destroyed them.

"We had two of the best wingers in the country in Tony Daley and Steve Froggatt and I hardly spent any time with them on the pitch. Being injured is the worst thing in professional football."

Turning to Murray, the former striker said: "I hope all yours are behind you, because you can still have many more years in the game."

Daley revealed how he was indoctrinated into the history and traditions of Wolves when he joined in 1994, something which continues with new signings to this day.

He said: "When I came here, I was shown the Billy Wright statue, told about the 1950s and I felt proud to be joining the club.

"It's important that those traditions are kept and new players know about that too."

Punters also raised £95 towards new rugby posts at nearby Redhill School, through the auction on the night of two signed Wolves books.