On the 14th of November 1986, Wolves signed two of the best to ever do it at Molineux.
These days, most of the monumental transfers at Wolves are going out the door rather than coming in.
But 39 years ago, Wolves were on the buying side, plucking two of their Black Country rivals’ best players for a sum that would now be considered an average weekly wage in the English top flight.
They would be catalysts for the Wolves revival of the late 80s, where the club secured back-to-back promotions. One would go on to be widely considered as the greatest ever to don the Old Gold.
Wolves signed Steve Bull and Andy Thompson from West Brom
Andy Thompson spent 11 years at Molineux amounting to 451 appearances for Wolves.
A hard-nosed full-back who could play in multiple positions, he scored 45 times, mostly penalties. That he got the duties is a testament to his proficiency from the spot, especially considering who he was ahead of.
Wolves’ all-time goalscorer, Steve Bull, was also part of that famous package. He was the star of that Wolves side, scoring 50+ goals in each of his second and third seasons at the club. He ended his time at the club with 306.
While Graham Turner’s 1986 appointment changed the fortunes of Wolves, he needed quality to do it.
Both Bull and Thompson were key to the climb up the English pyramid, and that Wolves are even in the top flight today can be credited to the efforts of that side almost four decades ago.
£60,000 is how much Wolves had to pay for the pair. The definition of money well spent.
How Bull and Thompson feel about Wolves this season
Bull is a regular columnist writing about Wolves, so we know how he sees most things going on at the club.
When the new contract was signed, Bull backed Vitor Pereira to turn Wolves around. It didn’t work out, but he’ll be just as supportive of Rob Edwards in his new role.
His old teammate has been a bit more vocal in his criticism of Wolves this season. Thompson called out Pereira’s decisions on numerous occasions leading up to his dismissal.
Both are club legends who have been immortalised in the Hall of Fame, and to think they arrived at Molineux on the same day is remarkable. Some more business like that in January would surely please the pair of them, and us.