Liverpool v Wolves, 31st October 1970

Brief highlights of the First Division match between Liverpool and Wolves at Anfield on 31st October 1970.
Wolves were in excellent form prior to their trip to Liverpool; a run of nine matches undefeated (stretching back to 1st September) including six consecutive victories revealed the collective quality of Bill McGarry's team. The traditional attacking strengths of Wolves was evident again throughout the 1970-71 season. Aided by the creativity of Dave Wagstaffe and Ken Hibbitt, striker Bobby Gould top-scored with 24 league and cup goals followed by Hugh Curran with 20 goals and Derek Dougan and midfielder Jim McCalliog with a total of 13 and 10 goals respectively for the season. It helped ensure a very impressive fourth placed finish at the end of the 70-71 campaign, this despite a generally porous defence.
A further measure of success for Wolves that season came in the form of a Texaco Cup victory over Hearts in a two-legged final; a 3-1 away win (with 2 goals from Hugh Curran) preceded a 1-0 defeat in front of over 28,000 spectators at Molineux.
For Liverpool, the season proved one of disappointment. A fifth placed finish in the league and defeat in the final of the FA Cup against Arsenal ensured that Bill Shankly's team would finish without a trophy for the fifth season in succession. Top scorer for Liverpool at season's end was Alun Evans with a total of 15 league and cup goals. Evans had been signed from Wolves two seasons previously for a then-record fee for a British teenager of £100,000. It's thought that Shankly signed Evans after a dominating performance at Anfield on 25th November 1967 and, perhaps, his subsequent display at Molineux later that season: • Wolves v Liverpool, 2n...
It was with a great degree of inevitability that, following his transfer to Liverpool, Evans scored against Wolves on his Molineux return; two goals, in fact, in a humiliating 6-0 defeat of Wolves on 28th September 1968. Evans would also find the target in this feisty televised 1970 encounter, originally broadcast by Granada TV with Gerald Sinstadt commentating.

[@purpleduke77]

I remember travelling up from Birmingham to watch this game, me and my mate, we were only 12 years old, can't believe our parents let us travel on our own at that age, we ended up in the Kop end and had to disguise our Brummie accents in case we got found out we were Wolves fans, a great day, happy memories.

[@JMBluecoat8289]

Your comment about travelling while still being children resonates. Although I would estimate you are about 12 years older than me as I was only just born when this match was played, I remember travelling to London and other places on my own in my early teens and even travelling to West Germany with a pal when he was 15 and I was 16… Attitudes towards child safety have changed so much. A few years ago I read about a couple convicted of child neglect by a Spanish court because they left their 19-year old son behind at their hotel when it was time to go to the airport and fly back home. WTF?

[@seltaeb3302]

Really, 12! Did they love you.. The Kop wouldn't have hurt you, I too at West Brom ended up in the away Kop, enjoyed seeing the choir master on someone's shoulder who directs the fans singing. Great fans.

[@seltaeb3302]

​@@JMBluecoat8289 in US a nineteen year old is classed as a minor & can't drink alcohol tho in war he can kill people & be shot at.

[@stephennash6153]

Love the camera angle from the kemlyn in colour. Changed the season after to the main stand and remained since

[@1061andy]

wolves finished 4th in the first div that season and won the Texaco cup - happy days.

[@davygraham]

Liverpool fan here from belfast dereck dougan lovely pleasant guy

[@myroseaccount]

referee should have been wearing red.

[@munromunro]

Never offside we should have been one up

[@user-qt3dg3qn6x]

The dodgy penalty tackle was softer than the tackle a few minutes before, never thought Highway was a diver but he was here.

[@philipraiswell3570]

How was that offside?

[@retro1937]

Alun Evans scoring against his former club Wolves, I wish Shankly also bought Peter Knowles along with Evans

[@peterreid9769]

Dodgy decision to deny Gould there.

[@seltaeb3302]

Them were the days, Wolves always attacked as Liverpool did giving great games. Poor Alun Evans never was given a chance & then Keegan came.

[@billybonds4449]

Evans was gone by '72, to Villa I think.

[@SMSJSC]

That was never a penalty either!

[@Wolvesfan-oz6yh]

Who’s the Scouser in the black?

[@billybonds4449]

I think Steve Heighway dived for that penalty.

[@jonathanwilkinson1461]

Apparently the ref for the day was from Bootle..

[@peterh1353]

Says a lot that Smith took the penalty. Hardly the obvious choice. Liverpool traveling referee was man of the match.

[@zbigniewopenchowski9555]

Poland❤❤❤❤Callaghan ❤❤Smith

[@gregod806]

Shocking decisions by the Referee. Somethings never change at Anfield though eh?

[@scherben8870]

Weird seeing the Kop on the left.

[@liverpoolpictorial]

Thinking the same.

[@desplatt842]

I’m sad enough that I can still remember the transition period. I don’t know if anyone remembers that in the early 70s, BBC2 used to send an extra camera for its news on Saturday night. It was only shown that night and never again. I recall a Liverpool V Spurs game which I think was in 1971 to 72 where BBC Two news covered the same game as ITV and the cameras were on opposite sides of the ground; can’t remember which was which. I don’t know how long the BBC2 News thing carried on but I remember in the 79 to 80 season, during a television strike, BBC Two news sent its camera to the derby match at Anfield in November and captured one of the finest ever own goals by Mick Lyons. Sadly it was never shown again. Can still see it in my mind however!

[@scherben8870]

@@desplatt842 That would've entailed the unusual sight of sponsored shirts on the the telly. I remember Jimmy Hill apologising for _Match of the Day_ not showing the Merseyside derby that day, but Granada had meant to cover it. Seven days later, ITV was back.

[@myroseaccount]

Very good Wolves side that could have finished higher than fourth. Ref was corrupt

[@Turrican60]

@@myroseaccount Nothing's changed - they still screw Wolves over to this day.

[@roystonhesketh3987]

Bring back wolves old gold kit not this yellow monstrosity

[@tmw9187]

Awful ref - another penalty at Anfield... well I never.

[@brianturner4589]

Albion supporter, but wow,that referee was puddled.

[@billybonds4449]

The Baggies supporters are the best in the West Midlands, always class.

[@dange160650]

Heighway, what a cheat

[@markloughlin2295]

Wolves ROBBED or what

[@se1366]

I love Liverpool 🤟

[@neadjram]

Bent referee gave everything in Liverpools favour

[@mikelee3067]

Bent referee