Following the sad passing of former Wolves midfielder Kenny Todd earlier this month, historian and author Clive Corbett has paid tribute.
***
On 10th September, the news was announced of the passing of another former Wolves player, perhaps not a great, but a man who has a notable claim to fame in the gold and black.
Kenny Todd, who played five league matches for the Wolves first-team in the 1976/77 and 1977/78 seasons, passed away at just 69 years of age.
Hailing from Butterknowle in County Durham, Todd joined the club as an apprentice on his 15th birthday after a trial in the summer of 1972. Wolves fought off interest from Middlesbrough and Birmingham City to get his signature.
He was part of the youth team under Jack Dowen that won an under-20 tournament in Switzerland in the Easter of 1976 and first came to prominence as a key member of the side that then took on West Bromwich Albion in the Youth Cup Final that April.
Todd, pictured bottom row, third from left, with fellow members of the under-20 squad who won the 1976 Easter tournament in Switzerland
Wolves’ youngsters had earned 2-1 home and away wins over Newcastle to reach the final, for what was then a record fifth time, Steve Crompton and Todd scoring in both games.
Watched by a total of over 27,000 over two legs, Wolves’ Black Country opponents put them to the sword. After a 2-0 setback at Molineux, the wolf cubs ultimately succumbed to a 5-0 aggregate thrashing, despite future first-teamers George Berry and Bob Hazell providing the central defensive pairing.
As Wolves dropped into Division Two the following month, Todd wouldn’t have to wait long to get a first-team chance under Sammy Chung. Wearing the number eight shirt, his debut arrived on 6th November in a 3-1 home win over Millwall, coming in as a replacement for sciatica victim Willie Carr.
He kept his place the following week for the 1-1 draw at Notts County’s Meadow Lane. As often happens with younger players, there was a gap of a few months before Todd would get his next chance, but he seized it with both hands.
On 12th March he wore the number 11 shirt and scored in a 2-1 win over Hereford United at Molineux. The picture below shows him turning home a Kenny Hibbitt cross at the South Bank end.
Todd’s last appearance of the campaign came on 30th April when he was able to join in the promotion celebrations at Home Park. The game with Plymouth Argyle ended goalless but Wolves had returned to the top-flight at the first attempt with Todd coming on as substitute for the injured John McAlle.
But he would have one more game that season, and what a special one. On Monday 23rd May, Wolves welcomed Manchester City to Molineux for the ‘Centenary Match’ to celebrate the club's 100th anniversary – billed as the Second Division champions against the First Division runners-up – where the Old Gold paraded the Second Division trophy.
With Gary Pierce absent, Phil Parkes made an unexpected return to first-team action, and in front of a disappointing crowd of 14,729, City won 2-1 with Todd coming on as substitute and replying to goals from Denis Tueart and Paul Power.
In August, congratulations were in order as Todd, alongside Gerry O’Hara, Colin Brazier and George Berry were put forward for Don Revie’s England under-21 squad. Sadly, for Kenny, as Wolves returned to Division One, he was to make just one further appearance, on 10th September in the number ten shirt for the 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest.
The following year he joined Port Vale for £37,000 and later moved on to Portsmouth before heading to Fareham Town and Waterlooville. His career also saw him take on a player-manager role at Havant before returning to Fratton Park as youth team coach.
Following his sad passing this month, we bid farewell to an unsung Wolves hero who gave his all to the cause whenever called upon. A man who was part of the Division Two championship winning squad and was the only Wolves player to score in the club’s centenary match.
Rest in peace, Kenny.
