Looking back forty years to when Athlone Town drew with Wolves in St Mel's Park
Wolverhampton Wanderers recorded an important away win against Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, but 40 years earlier the club's first team was in the Irish Midlands for a friendly against Athlone Town in St Mel's Park.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw, and was notable for a couple of reasons, including the appearance of Wolves striker Andy Gray, who would later become a high-profile Sky Sports pundit.
Gray had signed for Wolves for the then-gigantic sum of £1.4m.
The friendly also featured a new striker for Athlone; Roddy Collins. The Dubliner "looked sharp, if a trifle lost," according to the match report on the Westmeath-Offaly Independent.
Here's a flavour of the paper's report on the game, in the edition dated August 26, 1983:
"Athlone Town were undaunted by names or history at St Mel’s Park on Friday and gave a heartwarming ninety minutes of neat fast football, skill and obvious enjoyment to snatch a well-earned draw against a disappointing Wolves side.
Larry Wyse and new signing Gavan Drummond both claimed a late, late equaliser but it was the Athlone machine which had manufactured the dramatic comeback.
It was no more than they deserved for their energetic hour and a half.
In fact this showing must have lifted the spirits and expectations of the fair sized crowd (gate £1,500 approx) who saw the League of Ireland champions start in a blaze and end on an unkindled spirit.
It also gave the spectators their chance of looking over some of the close season signings.
It must be pointed out, though, that the players involved have yet to settle in to the style of play and any judgement at this stage would be of a transient nature.
Despite the newness of the occasion centre forward Roddy Collins looked sharp if a trifle lost.
He is big, powerful and has plenty of speed. He is very similar in style to last year’s front man Noel Larkin.
Larkin's job on Friday was to mark £1,400,000 purchase Andy Gray. The blond-haired Scot rarely got a look-in from the superbly fit Athlone man.
In all the Wolves attacker only got two clean headers, one tinged with danger the other merely academic. Larkin obviously loves his central defender role and it must now be odds on that he will settle there for the year.
A feature of the game was the different approach adopted by both sides.
Wolves, highly paid, under pressure and highly strung as a result didn’t enjoy the football (with the notable exception of Palmer and Daniel).
Athlone, in contrast, while never giving anything less than one hundred per cent, could be seen to enjoy every minute."