Leader. Legend. Captain Marvel.
One of the finest skippers Wolves ever had.
Mike Bailey sadly passed away on Monday at the age of 84 after a long illness, bringing more devastating news to the Molineux fanbase so soon after the loss of his former team-mate and close pal, Phil Parkes.
Bailey made 436 appearances for Wolves, scoring 25 goals, and lifting the League Cup trophy in 1974 after victory against Manchester City, but his influence went way behind his performances on the pitch.
As the club’s long-term captain, he was always on hand with words of advice and guidance for team-mates, whether as individuals or for the whole squad, and was described by many as one of the greatest ever to have worn the armband.
And even after he finished his playing career, and indeed his management career, his links with Wolves remained as strong as ever.
A keen advocate and friend to different supporter groups, including particularly London Wolves and Daventry Wolves, he also became Chairman of the Former Players’ Association (see picture below), only standing down in 2021 when his family bravely went public with his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
His successor in the role, another close pal and Wolves legend, John Richards, has paid tribute to the captain’s influence.
“Coming so soon after the passing of Lofty (Phil Parkes), who was one of Mike’s close pals within our team, this is another devastating loss,” he said.
“I can’t fully describe how much respect I have for Mike as a player and as a person.
“His influence on us as players, both with his leadership and his performances, is something that made him such a massive part of the dressing room.
“He was a great captain, not only in how he led the team but also the individual pieces of advice and guidance he gave to each of us as players.
“When we won the League Cup Final in 1974, with Mike as captain, we were all just as pleased for him as we were for ourselves because, up until then, he had gone through such an incredible career without lifting a trophy.
“To see him go up there at Wembley and lift the trophy is one of my greatest ever Wolves memories.
“Even after he finished his career, both in playing and management, he was a regular visitor back to Wolverhampton to attend matches and events, and had a spell as Chairman of the Former Players’ Association.”
So many of Bailey’s former Wolves team-mates echo those warm sentiments, and were full of praise and admiration for the skipper around the time of his 80th birthday four years ago.
“He was the greatest captain I ever played with,” said Kenny Hibbitt.
“When I think about Mike walking up those steps and lifting the League Cup it still gets me going to be honest.
“That was one of my highlights at Wolves, seeing Mike with the trophy, it was an absolutely wonderful moment, and he was proud as punch.”
“Mike is my idol, he was an absolute inspiration to me when I was playing,” added Steve Daley.
“All I ever did was try to be like Mike Bailey, he is my role model and inspiration, and one of the greatest captains the club has ever had.”
Geoff Palmer said: “Mick led from the front, and never asked you to do anything that he wouldn’t have done himself.
“I remember before my debut, Mike saying to me, ‘Geoff, all you can do is your best, and if you try your best, every single match, the Wolves fans will take to you’.
“He knew how to get the best out of players, whether that was maybe to give them a bit of a rocket or whether to put an arm around the shoulder.
“He was a captain on and off the field, and you always knew you could talk to him about anything.”
And, Richards also recalled at the time, how Bailey’s quick wit would sometimes manifest itself on the pitch, with a story about a brush with one of the game’s most well-known officials of the era.
“I can remember one game when the referee was a short and stocky fella called Roger Kirkpatrick,” he said.
“Mike was on at him relentlessly, with stuff like ‘Roger, keep an eye on the full back, he’s going in late on Waggy’, or ‘that’s our throw-in Rog, it came off their defender’.
“Then there was a break in play, I think due to an injury, and Mike ended up standing next to Roger and said to him, ‘come on Rog, that was a late tackle’.
“By now Roger had pretty much had enough, and suddenly turned towards Mike and asked him: ‘Do you know what Mike? I am beginning to wonder who is refereeing this game – me or you?’
“’Well Roger,’ Mike replied, quick as a flash. ‘It would be nice to know that one of us was’.
“It was just brilliant, typical Mike, and Roger just fell about laughing.”
Laughter has now turned to sadness with the loss of a true Wolves great. Which feels even more poignant given the recent death of Parkes, as the two were very close, both on and off the pitch.
Even after Bailey’s diagnosis, the former players tried to stay in touch with him and his family as best they could, and he will now be sadly missed after his passing.
“In recent years, he responded to illness with the same courage and determination as he displayed during his football career, and we send all our best wishes and condolences to Barbara, Victoria, Andy and the family,” added Richards.
“Wolves has lost one of its greatest ever captains, but his achievements and influence will never be forgotten.”
