Three Wolverhampton Wanderers legends have reunited for a special Black History Month film project. George Berry, Don Gardner and Bob Hazell came together at The Junction pub in Wolverhampton to record a short film that honours the contributions of Black players across the club's 150-year history. The project arrives as the current Wolves squad, with a recent form of two wins, one draw and two losses, prepares for its next fixture at home to Cardiff City on Saturday 31 October.
The film, featured on the club's official channels, highlights the pioneering roles each man played. George Berry became the first Black player to lift a trophy for Wolves when they won the League Cup in 1980. He joined the club as an apprentice in 1973, reached an FA Youth Cup final, and was voted Players' Player of the Year in 1979.
Don Gardner holds the distinction of being Wolves' first Black senior player, making his debut in 1973. He faced severe racism from the stands, including having bananas thrown at him and enduring monkey chants. "I never looked at it through the lens of colour," Gardner said.
A difficult path
Bob Hazell made his own mark as the club's first Black goalscorer, netting against Manchester City in March 1978. Reflecting on the era, Berry spoke about the isolation and abuse. "If you're the only Black face on the pitch and thousands of people are shouting abuse, that's hard," he said.
The project arrives as the current Wolves squad prepares for a key home fixture against Cardiff City this Saturday. The team's recent fixtures have shown mixed form, with two wins, one draw and two losses in their last five Championship outings. They secured a vital 1-0 victory over Watford last Saturday, with Adam Armstrong scoring the winner in the 35th minute. That result followed a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth, where Jordan James scored Wolves' goal, and a 2-1 win at Burnley.
That result moved Wolves up the standings and provided a positive note ahead of the international break. Key to their attacking efforts this season has been Fer López, who leads the team with five goals in 11 appearances. The club will be hoping the spirit and resilience showed by its trailblazers continues to inspire the modern-day squad as they look to build momentum in the league.
Background and full detail: bbc.co.uk
