When Mel Eves scored the only goal of the game at Manchester United in February 1980, little did he think it would be another 14 meetings, and 42 years, until Wolves won again at Old Trafford.
When he had previously done the same at Molineux against Arsenal a couple of years earlier, who could have foreseen it would be another 41 years, and 11 games, until Wolves beat the Gunners on home soil.
Eves was also amongst the scorers in a 2-1 success against Chelsea at Molineux in January 1983, the precursor to six successive home defeats against the Blues before victory was finally secured in January 2011.
And of course, in finding the net, whilst the floodlights were working, against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Cup in October 1980, he remained Wolves’ most recent goalscorer in official European competition until the 2-0 win against the Crusaders in July 2019.
Eves was the man for the big occasion. Or the big goal. He also scored in a 1-1 draw against Cambridge in 1983 when I was the eight-year-old mascot. ‘Nuff said.
But the fact that so many of the 53 goals he notched for Wolves in 214 games were such important ones, and left landmarks which took decades to overturn, is undoubtedly a source of great pride.
Not least given the calibre of some of those who took the records from him. Diogo Jota, with the first goal in Europe. Joao Moutinho, for the next win at Old Trafford. Not bad. Not bad at all.
“Getting goals in those big games was just one of those things,” reflects Eves, fairly matter of fact.
“Perhaps in some of those games the bigger opposition were more concerned with John Richards and Andy Gray, and so I would pop up and score.
“When I was playing out wide, I would always try and get forward, every opportunity I could, whilst keeping the shape on the left hand side.
“Maybe I just had a natural ability to be in the right place at the right time.
“When you think about those goals, to have the likes of Joao Moutinho – who is world class – and Diogo Jota, who is also top drawer, take over those records, is great.
“Because it showed, to everyone, that Wolves are back.
“I was born in the 1950s, when Wolves were not only one of the best teams in the country but were also voted the best in Europe by the European press.
“For us to go for decades through the 90s and Noughties, and those goalscoring records stay in place, it was only when Nuno came in that we got back to compete at the sort of level that Wolves had been used to.
“So, for me to lose those records and accolades, it was great that such big names took on the mantle, but also showed that we are back.
“Which, for me, growing up as a Wolves fan, is brilliant.”
It is that ‘growing up as a Wolves fan’ element which makes the Eves story such a powerful and poignant one.
Still now, he is delivering so much important work across his local community, and has just been appointed onto the committee of Wolves’ Former Players Association, who do so much sterling work with different charities.
And it all started, 68 years ago, when he was born in Darlaston, a ‘little fishing village’ as Eves describes it, before his publican family then set up base first in Wednesbury, and then Wednesfield.
A keen footballer, he attended Wolverhampton Grammar School, and it wasn’t until after completing his studies in the Sixth Form that he pursued the interest that Wolves had shown in him and joined the club on a professional basis.
This is why the Eves story has something of the hallmarks of Roy of the Rovers. Or Mel of the Wanderers.
Because he is a lifelong fan who went to his first match in 1963, and was on the terraces at Wembley in 1974 when Wolves beat Manchester City to win the League Cup.
Some six years later, he was in the team, as a 23-year-old, when Wolves won the trophy again, defeating European Champions Nottingham Forest. It was quite the journey.
“I always feel very fortunate, first to have been a professional footballer, which so many people would have loved to have had the chance to be,” says Eves.
“But not only that, to do it for 14 years was brilliant, and so much of that for my hometown club, who I had watched from a young age.
“Obviously a lot of people will know that Lofty (Phil Parkes) had an accident a couple of weeks ago and has been in hospital, and I went to see him last week.
“I always think that is quite surreal because I used to watch the big man from the North Bank, and so I am going to see him both as a fan, but also as a former colleague and mate.
“John Richards was one of my heroes growing up, and all of a sudden, I am in the same team as him, and then we are winning the League Cup at Wembley, just a few years after I had watched the team win there a few years before.
“All of those lads – not only John and Lofty but the likes of Geoff Palmer, Derek Parkin, Willie Carr, Kenny Hibbitt – I had watched all those players from the stands and then all of a sudden I was playing alongside them.”
That 1980 League Cup triumph, which led to the opportunity for Eves to score in Europe, was clearly a major highlight, coming during a season in which Wolves’ sixth placed topflight finish is yet to be bettered in the four-and-a-half decades since.
On a personal note, Eves had also hit the heights in the semi-final second leg, scoring with a spectacular overhead kick from distance in the 3-1 victory against Swindon, sealed by Richards in extra time, which booked Wolves’ place at Wembley.
And that second leg came just three days after Eves’ match-winning strike away at Manchester United, one which has endured the passage of time in the memory bank.
It is worth noting that, going into the game, United were sitting second in the First Division, hot on the heels of leaders Liverpool, with Wolves back in 13th.
“I still remember the goal, it was one where JR (Richards) produced some great work to win the ball around the halfway line and beat a couple of players before slotting it through,” says Eves.
“I had a good first touch and it all opened up, so I decided to have a shot from the edge of the box – for once I caught it pretty well and it fizzed in.
“What I also remember is how the atmosphere in the stadium was one of complete disbelief.
“We were the only team to win at Old Trafford in the league that season, and we actually did the double over them, beating them 3-1 at Molineux earlier on.
“They only lost the title to Liverpool by two points that season, and having done the double over them, a lot of Manchester United fans weren’t very happy with us and with me in particular.
“We had some great results this season, and did well away from home, and, if we hadn’t slipped up in a few home games, might even have been challenging higher up than sixth.
“We backed ourselves to beat anyone on the day, as was shown by beating both Liverpool and United in that season, as well as winning the League Cup.”
Eves also hit the heights by landing international honours, scoring once in three appearances for England ‘B’ managed by Sir Bobby Robson, and was Wolves’ top scorer in the wildly contrasting seasons of relegation in 81/82 and promotion straight back in 82/83.
Eventually leaving Wolves in 1984, having had a loan stay at Huddersfield and then suffered a serious injury, he had further spells with Sheffield United and Gillingham before dropping down to local non-league, where he would also go on to coach and manage, including at Willenhall Town.
Players from Eves’ era would always need to embark on a second career, and, for him, that proved to be as an agent, working with the likes of Robert Earnshaw, who progressed from League Two to the top, and Enzo Maresca, whose time as a player paved the way for his later move into managing where he is now at the helm with Chelsea.
In more recent years, he has become a co-commentator on Wolves games for BBC WM, along with hosting VIP tours for Wolves Museum and being a matchday guest, as well as delivering work around the psychology of performance both via speaking and writing.
So much of Eves’ focus now is centred around the local community, and the city and region where he has spent the vast majority of his 68 years, such as continuing to run the Wolves Allstars team of former players who fulfil fixtures to support different charities.
Work-wise, Eves has, for some considerable time, been involved with supporting ex-offenders into returning to a more stable and fulfilling life, which forms the central part of his role as a Community Peer Mentor Co-ordinator with Ingeus UK.
It’s a role based around the CFO (Creating Future Opportunities) Evolution service, which carries plenty of challenges, but can also be very fulfilling, making breakthroughs with people who find themselves on the fringes of society and helping them to rediscover a sense of self-worth and confidence.
“We have just finished our first peer mentor course, working with a colleague, and the cohort of seven have come through it,” Eves explains.
“There are lots of interventions that can be delivered working with ex-offenders from the basics of housing and financial advice, to combatting drug and substance abuse, and, helping them back into work when they are able to.
“You find there is a lot of shame and guilt and questions regarding worthiness – ‘am I good enough? Or: ‘how are people judging me’?
“They may think that everything is against them, but building up confidence is the key, and reframing how they see the world, and working to help them re-integrate into society.”
There are many ways to make breakthroughs and connections with the programme’s participants, many of whom are far too young to recall Eves in his footballing prime!
But different activities, including sport, can be the catalyst to breaking down barriers and encouraging discussion, and one example in particular continues to make Eves smile.
At the end of one of the five-a-side games enjoyed as part of the programme, he was trying to help one particular individual with a few tips on how to successfully complete the ‘crossbar challenge’, hitting the ball against the bar from different distances.
In exasperation, the young gent concerned asked Eves to do it, which he did. Three hits from three. Clunk, clunk, clunk.
At the next session the participant marched straight up to Eves with a handshake and greeting of ‘respect’. He had looked him up on Google!
Another sign of just how football can be such a unifying force, and of how football continues to play a key role in Eves’ day-to-day life.
With his voluntary role in taking over this year as Chair of the Wolverhampton Young Citizen of the Year award, for which applications are now open, he utilised his contacts to launch this year’s event at the Compton Park training ground with Wolves skipper Nelson Semedo, whom he described as a ‘credit to the club’.
“Nominations are now open for the awards, which is always a great event, with so many young people from across the city,” says Eves.
“When we go through the judging process, it is very difficult to select the winners, and when we are interviewing the candidates, our jaws often hit the floor with the power of some of their stories.”
Just as collective jaws hit the floor at Old Trafford some 45 years ago.
On Saturday, Wolves’ class of 24/25 have another chance to emulate the achievements of Eves and company, by completing a first league double over United since the one clinched that February afternoon, in front of an Old Trafford audience of over 50,000.
And all this on top of having just chalked up four topflight wins in succession for the first time since 1971/72, even before Eves had come of age.
The man himself is feeling positive.
“The pressure is clearly off for Wolves now in terms of staying in the Premier League,” says Eves.
“I just hope they deal with that in the right way, and go out and keep getting results rather than taking their foot off the pedal.
“They have certainly been doing that so far!
“I have been really impressed by their team shape, the way they are going about it has been brilliant and the manager (Vitor Pereira) is endearing himself to the fans, big style.
“Everyone is buying into what he is asking them to do, and everyone is putting a shift in.
“At elite level like the Premier League, you only need one person to be out of kilter or out of the shape, even by a fraction, and there can be danger.
“To have gone on the run they did to win these four games in a row, at this stage of the season, has been perfect timing.
“It would be great to see them win at United and end another landmark of that long wait for a league double.”
- Anyone wishing to find out more about the Wolverhampton Young Citizen of the Year award, or nominate an inspirational young person, can visit wolverhamptonyoungcitizen.org.uk
