Big Interview: How John Barnwell is robbed of Wolves cup final memories
It was the last time Wolves won a major cup competition.
Wembley was the venue, Nottingham Forest the opponents, and Andy Gray the scorer in the 1-0 League Cup final victory on March 15, 1980.
Brian Clough’s Forest went into it as the favourites, having won the competition the previous year along with the European Cup, but Gray’s goal – the simplest of finishes after capitalising on a mix-up between David Needham and Peter Shilton – saw Wolves upset the odds.
And the celebrations were wild. George Berry, Emlyn Hughes and Kenny Hibbitt raced into each other’s arms when the final whistle sounded.
The cup winners were then given a hero’s welcome back in Wolverhampton as they showed off the trophy on an open-top bus. Incredible scenes that many Wolves fans will never forget.
However, the man who actually led the club to glory, John Barnwell, barely remembers any of it.
In fact, Barnwell, looking back, struggles to comprehend how he got through that period as Wolves gaffer.
The final came less than a year after he was involved in a serious car crash which left him with a fractured skull.
And although he remarkably got back to work in a matter of months – aided by his right-hand man, Richie Barker, to also guide Wolves to sixth in the top flight – it did affect his Wembley experience.
“The final against Nottingham Forest, where I had five very great years playing, unfortunately, I don’t remember much of the day,” admitted Barnwell.
“And I have only – in all these years, I’ve got the tape – watched it once.
“And I don’t know why. I think it’s because it’ll make me think ‘why didn’t I remember that?’”
Now 80, Barnwell regaled fans at the Cleveland Arms in Wolverhampton, with this and other tales from his time at Wolves at the click of a finger, in great detail.
But his life very nearly ended just a year before the cup triumph.
