The Wolves class of 2008/2009 reunite for a great night at the museum

Like they had been transported back to the time, 15 years ago, when the magic played out on the patch of grass behind the Hayward Suite in which they shared memories and experiences of such a special season for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Close your eyes and you could picture Sylvan Ebanks-Blake slotting home the promotion-clincher against QPR in front of the North Bank. And imagine again the thunderous wall of noise which accompanied such a monumental Molineux moment.

Or think back to the glorious pitch invasion which greeted the full time whistle. The hordes of joyous fans who gathered underneath the Directors Box. The Mick McCarthy mic drop. The injured Michael Kightly being mobbed in the dressing room. Mark Little ‘serving’ the champagne, all over the boss’s head.

Every promotion-winning team possess their own unique modus operandi and storyline. An excellent event put on by Wolves Museum at Molineux last week, marking the successes of 2008/09, did much to both reveal and re-iterate just what was so special about the achievements of McCarthy, his dedicated staff and fearless group of players.

The words that so regularly infiltrated the series of on-stage interviews orchestrated by former Wolves keeper Matt Murray probably came as no surprise either to guests or indeed any of the thousands among the Molineux faithful who witnessed that memorable campaign.

Young and hungry. A diet of hard work. Togetherness and camaraderie.

That season provides - even now - a consummate case study in the building of a squad focused largely on recruiting talent from lower leagues with good personalities and a determination to succeed, mixing in a sprinkling of tried and trusted experience, and all founded on an indefatigable relentless to give it absolutely everything which filtered down from the very top.

Not to mention plenty of quality, and attacking verve, which made for some exciting and free-flowing spells of football as Wolves hit top spot in October and blazed a trail – amid one difficult run – all the way to the Championship title. Two pacey and direct wingers. Perm two centre forwards from four. Those were the days, my friend.

“It was such a great time, for me the best time, and I am sure that applies to a lot of the other lads too,” said Kightly, in keeping with the mood of fond nostalgia which pervaded the event.

“We were successful - but we were also spending time with our friends - and everyone always had each other’s backs.

“It’s such a privilege to come back and see all the boys again, and have a beer and a catch up about the old times – it’s a really great occasion.”

Kightly now lives not far from Wolverhampton, and what is pertinent about so many of McCarthy’s men, in echoes of the great Wolves team of the 1970s, is that many have settled in the local area having moved from various outposts across the UK and Ireland.

Couple that with the fact that Murray, ever the consummate host, was no doubt anticipating the odd spot of ribbing from his former team-mates, and it made for an entertaining opening salvo.

“Come on then Foles, how long is it since you saw some of the lads who are here tonight,” arrived Murray’s opening gambit.

“Yesterday,” came the response from Kevin Foley. Delivered deadpan, with perfect timing.

But what did add to the context and profile of the evening was that not only were McCarthy, his trusted assistant Terry Connor and several former members of the Wolves backroom and office staff joined by the majority of players who have stayed in and around the club in different guises, there were one or two who have barely been back to Molineux in the last decade-and-a-half.

Kyel Reid only made three starts during a brief loan spell during that season. He did, however, score the crucial goal to clinch a point at Barnsley which secured Wolves the Championship title. Michael Mancienne made ten appearances on loan in the centre of defence – during which Wolves lost only once – before being recalled by Chelsea in the January and missing out on all the celebrations, although he later returned in the Premier League.

Both were in attendance, and both clearly loved it, a reminder of fleeting but fun times making their contributions to the success of the season.

And, when it comes to the Wolves class of 2008/09, some things never change.

You could hear the booming positivity of George Elokobi long before he entered the room. And Karl Henry arrived at the very last minute. Henry time.

What has also never changed are the friendships, the camaraderie, the togetherness which underpinned so much of this team’s achievements. That has never left them.

“A lot of us still live by each other and see each other now and again, but getting together as more of a group like this, it’s a little bit different,” said Carl Ikeme.

“But we just pick stuff up again so quickly, I’m sat here now and it’s just like we’re back in the changing room again.

“Ready to go out on the pitch, and pay in front of the amazing fans, it was so good to be able to share those experiences.”

Ok then, so what was the secret behind the success of the first Wolves team to secure automatic promotion to the Premier League? And stay there. And become only the third of four Wolves teams to have lifted the second division title.

The Wolves of 15 years ago was very different to the Wolves of the present day.

This was Wolves without the incredible level of investment and transfer fees and salaries shelled out in recent years. This was a far more modest budget both across playing staff and the club in general, making it far more of a battle when promotion was finally achieved than it has been more recently when the club has been more attuned to aiming for the top half of the top tier. Under McCarthy, the whole was always so much more than the sum of its parts.

“When you look at the talent we had in that squad, so many players were spotted by the gaffer and the recruitment team that cost peanuts,” Henry explained.