Goals down and chairman on the pitch: Wolves' memorable Bournemouth meetings ahead of FA Cup clash

Because, up until 40 years ago, they had only ever played each other twice. And both of those, like this Saturday coming, were in the FA Cup.

Since then, they have crossed paths on no fewer than 18 occasions. In recent years, it has become a regular fixture. At times, it has turned into something a little bit tasty! Not just last weekend, when Illia Zabarnyi became the third Bournemouth player to be sent off in the last four meetings, before Matheus Cunha grabbed Wolves’ winner.

Back in January 1957, Wolves, who would win the league title in the following two seasons, were beaten 1-0 at home by Bournemouth whose goal came from Rowley Regis born Reg Cutler, whose son Gary later spent several years on the Molineux playing staff.

Not only that, but Cutler actually brought the goalposts down when colliding with the woodwork at the end of a run. Hitting the post, quite literally.

Their first league meetings, in 1985/86, came during Wolves’ spectacular fall from grace prompting Bournemouth to do the double.

And, while honours have been more even in recent times, who can forget the 2-1 defeat of December 2014 when Wolves had Rajiv van la Parra and Matt Doherty were both sent off, prompting chairman Steve Morgan to march onto the pitch to remonstrate with referee Mike Jones after the final whistle.

Anyway. Moving on swiftly. When it comes to previous clashes between Wolves and Bournemouth, another cup clash, the Freight Rover Trophy Preliminary Round meeting in December 1986 no less, may not naturally spring off the page as one to make noise about.

Not on that cold Molineux night was there the sort of packed houses and atmospheres more associated with a modern Premier League tussle or Fifth Round of the FA Cup with a place in the quarter finals up for grabs.

Far from it. And the crowd of just 1,923 was one of the lowest in Molineux history for a Wolves’ first team fixture.

Wolves, following an historic plummet from First to Fourth Divisions in successive seasons, occupied ninth place in the lowest senior league in English football.  

Bournemouth, under manager Harry Redknapp, sat pretty in fourth position in the Third Division on the hunt for a first ever promotion to the second tier, which they would duly achieve by clinching the title at the campaign’s conclusion.

For Wolves, boss Graham Turner was just two months into what would ultimately turn into a transformational tenure in masterminding the Molineux revival, and not so long after the departure of the Bhatti Brothers whose stewardship had caused such consternation, it had been something of a rocky opening.

Many fans had been unhappy that he had been brought in to replace popular caretaker boss Brian Little, whilst the manager himself was equally disgruntled at the attitude of the local media.

As was shown in part of his programme notes for the Bournemouth game.

‘I may not be the most popular man in Wolverhampton at present, I think the local paper has helped to ensure that, but the spirit I want is one created by success not failure,’ he wrote.

Turner was, however, certainly looking forward positively to the pre-Christmas cup tie, against ‘one of the most attractive teams outside the top two divisions.’

For further context, it was barely three weeks since Wolves had suffered the ignominy of FA Cup defeat at the hands of Northern Premier League Chorley, still one of the darkest nights to have blighted the club’s proud and illustrious history.

But Wolves did now have Steve Bull and Andy Thompson, Bull having opened his account in the first of the season’s Freight Rover Cup ties, notching the only goal of the game at Cardiff.

At this point however, fans were completely unaware of the impact which Bull and several other new faces would deliver in ultimately helping Wolves clamber up from the abyss.