Turner and Bull talk about rivalries

This morning's Guardian has an article about the rivalry between Wolves and West Bromwich who meet tomorrow in the FA Cup. Both Hereford United manager Graham Turner and Steve Bull, who Turner signed twice in his career, are quoted.

"I would put this hatred on a par with Celtic and Rangers," said Bull, who briefly played for Albion before going on to become a Wolves legend.

Graham Turner managed both Aston Villa and Wolves between 1984 and 1994 before moving to Hereford. He remember the rivalries in the Black Country.

"There are bigger local derbies when you look at the Manchester rivalry and the Liverpool one but Wolves and Albion is as intense as anything you could wish to come across," said Turner.

"It conveys itself into the dressing room amongst the players and from a manager's point of view you cannot say that it's just another game because of the pride that goes with it. I can remember losing to Albion at Molineux and the depression amongst the supporters afterwards after being let down by the team takes some getting over. I had to apologise to the fans afterwards because the result, not the performance, is the only thing that matters in games like this."

There has always been 'mutual disrespect' between Albion and Wolves, even more so after Graham Turner had brought Wolves back from the lower divisions with several promotions in the late 80's. Then in 1989 Wolves defeated Albion.

"To a lot of fans that 2-1 victory at The Hawthorns was one of the big games in Wolves' history because after the years of disaster and almost being out of business we were back," said Charles Ross, editor of the Wolves fanzine, A Load Of Bull.

"It was our first derby match in years and in the 89th minute Steve Bull swivelled and hit the ball into the top corner in front of the Wolves supporters who celebrated to the Cadbury Roses tune, 'Thank you very much for Stevie Bull'."

Bull had been rejected by Albion so when the two clubs met it wasn't easy for him.

"I had absolutely loads of stick whenever I went to Albion," said Bull.

"They would say things about my mum and my daughter, they would spit at me but the only thing I could do against them was to score and luckily for me I did that in most of the games.

"Now, I don't think the players understand the intensity between the two clubs. Unless they live locally I don't think they know what the fans are like. Whether I was in the bookies, the pub or the dry cleaners, there would be people saying, 'Come on, Bully. You've got to get them going. We've got to win this match'. That's all I've had for the last 20 years. Even now they say, 'Can you go into the changing room before the game and let them know what the derby is all about?'"

Albion refer to Wolves' supporters as "Dingles", likening their adversaries to the much derided family on Emmerdale. Wolves, conversely, describe Albion as "the Tesco carrier bags" because of their blue and white striped shirts.

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