Mike Bailey launches Steve Morgan defence

Morgan has been criticised by some fans for not investing more in the club with the team's promotion hopes hanging in the balance.

But League Cup-winning captain Bailey, the new chairman of Wolves Former Players Association, believes the club couldn't be in better hands.

The 73-year-old former tough-tackling midfielder reckons the £7m new academy training facility at Compton Park is testament to Morgan's commitment to Wolves.

Bailey, who made 436 appearances in gold and black from 1966-76, said: "The chairman has done fantastically well.

"If there's any chairman to get us back to the Premier League then it's him. He's desperate to see us back up there.

"If anyone doubts him, tell them to go to look at the new academy building at Compton.

"They should see what's been done there and the improvements that have been made.

"It must be one of the best training grounds in the world, never mind this country."

Bailey took over as Wolves FPA chairman from Malcolm Finlayson just months before the former goalkeeper died last November.

He's delighted Morgan has paid for the former players to have a dinner for the first time in several years.

The event is being held at Molineux on Thursday, April 16 and will welcome 33 new members after the FPA brought its rule of having to play 200 games for the club down to 100.

The 73-year-old, who will be travelling from his home in Surrey, said: "We haven't met up for a long time, so it's nice that we can do it.

"We've got another 33 players joining which is great - it's going to be some evening.

"These players who died were a fantastic group but even before Malcolm Finlayson passed away, we were looking to get more members because we were getting short of people.

"We want it to continue and we want it to flourish - that's why we set about recruiting more former players.

"We want people to be involved and we want them to be proud of being part of the club."

The dinner is the first that Bailey has attended as chairman and Ron Flowers will have been at since his appointment as president.

And the former Charlton wing-half and ex-England international is honoured to have been asked to perform the role.

He said: "When I asked to do it, I thought 'am I good enough to be doing this?!' Malcolm was doing it at the time and I wanted to do it and was happy to do it.

"We also have Ron Flowers now as president too and he has lots of experience."

Bailey is relishing the chance to catch up with his former team-mates and newer ones

He said: "I went to a dinner recently which was the 35-year anniversary of Charlton's promotion. I was manager at the time. The club had got relegated but we went straight back up.

"It was great to meet up with the players, I enjoyed it so much and it's nice to feel appreciated, so I'm sure the one at Wolves will be the same."

Tickets for the dinner, priced at £55 each, £500 for a table of 10 or £750 for a VIP package of 10, are available by contacting Richard Green via email, info@wolves.co.uk

There will be a three-course meal, after-dinner entertainment and a goalkeepers' union question and answer session featuring Matt Murray, Phil Parkes and Mike Stowell.