Wolves legend and President of the Wolves Former Players Association Ron Flowers has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List.
Flowers and former England team-mate Jimmy Greaves are both to receive an MBE for services to football, ensuring every surviving member of the 1966 World Cup winning squad has now been honoured with the award.
Flowers, now 86, was born in Edlington near Doncaster and arrived at Molineux via Wolves’ nursery side, Wath Wanderers.
He would go on to become the club’s fifth highest appearance maker, with 512, scoring 37 goals from his half back position.
He was an integral part of all three of Wolves’ First Division titles in the 1950’s, as well as the 1960 FA Cup, and won 49 England caps.
Although eventually not featuring in the 1966 World Cup Finals, he almost appeared in the final itself only for Jack Charlton to overcome illness, and, back in 2009, was one of the unused players who received a winners’ medal from then Prime Minister Gordon Brown before being presented to the Wembley crowd at England’s match with Andorra.
“Everyone connected with Wolves will be absolutely delighted with this news which is a richly deserved honour for one of the club’s all-time greats,” says former Wolves striker John Richards, Vice-Chairman of Wolves FPA.
“Ron was such a key part of that wonderful Wolves team which was so successful in the 1950’s, as well as playing so many games at the very top for England, and he has always remained such a humble and down-to-earth personality.
“I am sure that Ron and his family will be extremely proud of this honour from the Queen, just as we are that he continues to serve as President of the Former Players’ Association.”
After finishing his 15-year career at Molineux, Ron spent two years with Northampton Town, later becoming Player/Manager, a role he also fulfilled with Telford United.
He then retired from football and opened a sports shop in Wolverhampton – Ron Flowers Sports – which has remained in the family and continues to trade on Queen Street today.
“As a youngster, I was one of many who used to crawl under the fence at Wolves’ Castlecroft training ground to watch Ron and the rest of that great team going through their training,” says Richard Green, Administration Manager of Wolves’ FPA.
“It was a privilege to then meet Ron again in my working life, and a dream come true to work alongside him in his role of President of the FPA.
“This is such a well-deserved honour both for a fantastic player and also a wonderful person – some really good news at the end of such a difficult year – and we send every congratulations to Ron and his family on the award.”
Flowers was one of the first batch of Wolves players inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2009, and was named a club Vice-President in 2015.
At the start of this year he was also one of a number of England internationals honoured by the FA with a special recognition award as they marked their 1,000thinternational men’s fixture.
Huge congratulations to Ron and his family from everyone connected with Wolves Former Players Association.
