Mine was 22nd March 2003.  Wolves 6-0 Gillingham.

Wolves have not won better since, although there was that interesting 6-0 loss to Southampton (match report).  Had the game been different, perhaps I wouldn’t be here writing this today, but I’ve a sneaking suspicion I would.

On my first visit to Molineux I was sitting in the John Ireland lower, the sun was shining, and Wolves were 5-0 up at half time.  Gillingham were good natured, as shell-shocked and heavily defeated fans tend to be when there’s not too much at stake, and followed up the home crowds chants of ‘We want seven’, with their own ‘we want one’.  I was hypnotised.

The team on the field was as follows:

Murray
Irwin   Lescott   Butler   Naylor,
Newton   Cameron (Rae 60)   Ince    Kennedy (Proudlock 90)
Blake   Miller (Sturridge 77)

Wolves came into the match on the back on one win in five, looking at risk of entering one of those ‘wobbles’ such as the infamous 10-point fiasco of only the previous season. As it was, they went on to consolidate a top six finish and break the promotion hoodoo at last, seeing off Reading (‘no children were harmed in the playing of this match’) and Sheffield United on the way.

But back in the John Ireland Lower in March, I got to watch Dave Jone’s Wolves team play at the top of their game (and I’d argue, for a few of them, not long before a gradual decline).  Paul Ince bossed the midfield, and Miller and Kennedy both got a brace.  It was all too easy, but you won’t see me complaining about that – you don’t get too many games like 22 March 2003.

Plenty more great days, and not a few disappointments, were to follow but it all started for me with that sunny day at Molineux.