Separated by almost 32 years. 11,630 days to be precise. And 116 miles in distance. But the two Wolves first team debuts of Darren Simkin and Lily Simkin have etched their respective names into Molineux folklore.
The first father and daughter to represent the club at senior level.
Simkin senior’s bow arrived in a 1-1 draw at Luton back in April, 1993. While Simkin junior’s arrived courtesy of Wolves Women’s recent FA Cup tie against Manchester United at Telford’s SEAH Stadium.
For all the differences, there wasn’t actually too much between the two attendances – 7,348 at Kenilworth Road and 5,008 at Telford.
On top of an understandably close interest in the footballing fortunes of his daughter, Simkin is also a regular at the Banks’ Stadium with brother Neil, as his nephew, Tommy, is on loan to Stoke from Walsall and remains on course for a successful season and potentially promotion.
“It’s fair to say that football definitely runs in the family,” Simkin acknowledges.
“I love going to all the games but I’m probably way more chilled when I go to watch Tommy than my brother is, and he’s asking me whether he should have saved it and so on.
“And then I’m probably the same watching Lily, but that’s always the way, isn’t it? You are a bit more nervous and critical when you are watching your own!”
Handling the nerves is something which Walsall-born Simkin himself had to become accustomed to as a player when, back in the latter stages of 1992, he made the seemingly cataclysmic rise from non-league with Blakenall Town to the Championship via a move to Wolves for the princely sum of £10,000.
It was certainly a very different entry route into football than most.
By then 22, Simkin – who had a complete year away from football at 18 – was working as a carpenter, and yet hadn’t completely given up on pursuing his dream.
Spotted by legendary Wolves scout Ron Jukes, he was invited down for a trial, and promptly scored in a reserve game against Port Vale.
Both Vale and West Bromwich Albion were others to have the tough-tackling defender on their radar, but it was Wolves who pushed ahead with his signing, allowing him to make that step from the West Midlands Regional League to English football’s second tier.
“It was the time when there were still only two sides of the ground open, although the redevelopment was underway, and it was still clear just how big a club Wolves were,” Simkin recalls.
“In my first training session I came up against Bully (Steve Bull), which was quite a challenge, but he was a great bloke – just like everyone – and they all really welcomed me in.
“I know the game has changed so much now, but at the time Wolves, although a big club, was very much a family and community club, and I will always remember people like Dot (manager’s secretary Dot Wooldridge) and ‘Hughsie’ (Wolves club historian Graham Hughes).
“I know they are both no longer with us now but in the years when I came back to visit after retiring, it was people like Dot and Hughsie that I would always look out for.
“As a player, given how I had come through non-league, I was very raw, athletic and physical, and just gave my all every single game.
“It’s a working man’s game for me – fans want to see effort and determination – and that was me, a working man who just wanted to do his best.
“Of course I’d have loved to have made more appearances, both at Wolves and elsewhere in the Football League, but I think that was a lot down to how I arrived in the senior game having come through late from non- league.”
Simkin, now 54, wasn’t actually driving at the time so relied on lifts from his Dad to transport him to and from training.
He spent his first few months in the lower dressing room of the corridors at Molineux, to be expected given his status, but when returning for his first full season in 1993/94, was pleasantly surprised to find that his kit had been moved up to the first team changing room.
By this time, he had already played the final seven games of the previous campaign, starting at Luton, which also featured the emotional last stand for the South Bank, the famous Molineux terrace, which was ripped down following its final fixture against a Millwall side managed by a certain Mick McCarthy.
There were several highlights, including man of the match awards, an excellent run and long distance shot against the underside of the crossbar at Luton and victory on his Molineux debut in front of a capacity crowd against eventual champions Newcastle United.
“I felt I did well in those first seven games,” Simkin recalls.
“Although there were a few nerves when I first went to Wolves, I felt confident on the pitch and it was perfect timing for me to get the opportunity.
“It would have been nice if that shot against Luton had gone in, but a big highlight was that home debut, against a Newcastle team on their way to winning the league.
“I came off with cramp with about ten minutes to go and, walking past the Newcastle bench, both Kevin Keegan and Terry McDermott shook my hand and said, ‘great home debut’.
“As a lifelong Liverpool fan, that moment was a bit special!”
Simkin had a couple more runs in the team during his two years at Wolves, ultimately chalking up 16 appearances in total.
When initially moving to Molineux, he was still earning the same amount as a combination of his carpentry work and non-league football with Blakenall, but he did move up onto much improved terms with one new contract, and was also offered another deal by Graham Taylor.
But whilst Taylor valued Simkin’s contributions and influence around the club, he also said he was unlikely to feature regularly, which prompted his decision to move on.
He made the short move to Shropshire to spend 18 months with Shrewsbury, before returning to non-league where he amassed around 500 appearances for clubs including Telford United, Blakenall (again), Stafford Rangers and Hednesford Town.
And it was with Hednesford, at the end of the 2003/04 season, that he enjoyed a fitting finale to his footballing career, being part of the team which won the FA Trophy by defeating Canvey Island 3-2 at Villa Park.
Former Wolves League Cup winning player and Sherpa Van Trophy winning coach Barry Powell was the Hednesford manager, Phil Parkes the goalkeeping coach and ex-Molineux defender Chris Brindley struck the decisive goal.
“That was the perfect way to finish,” confirms Simkin, who, having reached the interview stage to join the Fire Service just prior to signing for Wolves, made it second time lucky in terms of becoming a Firefighter after hanging up his boots.
He did initially sign for John Allen at Rushall Olympic, but backed away fairly quickly as he felt it unfair to be picking up a fee whilst rarely being available, and so full concentration went into the day job.
A day job which he has thoroughly enjoyed, ahead of retiring this July, on what will be the 21st anniversary of the date he first started.
“It’s been a great job for me and I feel very fortunate to have had two different careers which I have really enjoyed,” says Simkin, who also played for Wolves Allstars for several years after retirement.
“There are some similarities in the banter and the team camaraderie which you need in both jobs.
“In football you have to rely on people, and in the fire service it’s just the same.
“I have always liked everything to be straight down the line, not wishy-washy, and that’s always been the case in both careers.
“I’ve had to take some stick as well, with colleagues telling me I only played 16 games for Wolves.
“It’s 16 more than you have played’ is the usual reply, and they can’t argue with that!”
Simkin laughs. His is a humble and self-effacing personality in keeping with the direct and no-nonsense style with which he played the game.
And now, of course, those 16 appearances are not the only ones in Wolves colours to be registered by the Simkin footballing dynasty.
Lily signed for the club at the start of the month having returned to full fitness after over a year on the sidelines with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
She grew up with a keen interest in football, playing for a boys team in Great Wyrley from the age of eight, later going for trials with Aston Villa and Birmingham City, and ultimately choosing the latter as, at the time, they were the higher team in the Women’s Super League.
Landing England honours at Under-15 and Under-17 levels, Lily made her WSL debut with Blues at the age of just 16, only for Covid – and then injuries – to hamper her otherwise relentless progress.
Having been released by Blues in the summer of 2023, she was grateful to Nottingham Forest for helping her with her rehabilitation but, by the time she was back to fitness, the East Midlanders were not in need of any defensive reinforcements.
That opened the door to Wolves, particularly with boss Dan McNamara a long-term admirer of Lily’s ability, and from there a deal was pretty much signed, sealed and delivered within just 24 hours.
“Lily has always been really motivated, especially when it’s been so difficult how her career has been affected first by Covid and then injury,” Simkin explains.
“Nottingham Forest were great with helping her through some challenging times, and also sent a nice message after she made her Wolves debut, but Macca (McNamara) has also known her for a long time, and was quick to make a move as soon as he knew she was available.
“I’d heard a lot of good things about Macca and since meeting him it’s clear he’s a genuine football person and Lily has been really enjoying it so far.
“It’s been very difficult with the ACL injury, but she has been so determined with her recovery and getting back.
“Obviously there have been times when she has been upset, and wondering ‘why me’, but that is understandable for any player who has a long term injury.
“She has seen players who were on a similar pathway like Laura Blindkilde Brown and Ruby Mace go on and play for the Lionesses, but they are all good mates and have helped her on the road back.
“A lot of the time she’ll talk to her Mum (Catherine) about things, it’s that mum/daughter relationship, and if I remind her that I used to play football she’ll say, ‘the game’s moved on, Dad!’
“She’ll talk about things like the ‘high press’ and I’ll tell her that we were doing that years ago – it’s only the wording that has changed!
“I love going to watch her play, me and Catherine were at the Manchester United game where we were just happy that she came through it but then watching her in the league game against Sporting Khalsa, we could see she was back looking comfortable and enjoying it all again.
“And it’s just great to go and watch women’s football in general, not just because of how the game has grown but just the whole experience.
“It is very different to going to watch a men’s game, it’s more relaxed and you can just pitch up and chat to whoever is sat next to you, and it feels like there is less of the tension and social media abuse.”
Lily has slotted seamlessly into life at Wolves, just like her Dad all those years ago, coming on as a half time substitute in that debut against Manchester United before being named Player of the Match against Sporting Khalsa, and producing another impressive 90 minutes in a well-earned point away at Forest.In the long term, returning to the WSL will no doubt come onto the agenda, but, at 21, she has time on her side and is certainly already very much enjoying and relishing her new challenge as a Wolf.
As well as following in those previous Simkin footsteps and certainly inspiring plenty of pride among the family.
“I’ve still got my shirt framed from my debut at Luton, hung up on my wall at home,” says Dad.
“I’ve now got Lily’s from the Manchester United game, all ready to go off to the framers, because that will be going on the wall right next to it.”
Like father, like daughter. And a place in Wolves’ history.
Lily Simkin pictures courtesy Jack Thomas/Wolves FC
