Derek DOUGAN

 Derek Dougan, 'The Doog' to all Wolves fans, signed for the club in March 1967 for £50,000 from Leicester City. He made his debut that month at Plymouth, and one week later endeared himself to the Molineux crowd with a flamboyant hat-trick on his home bow against Hull City. One of his goals was a spectacular back-heel flick, twist and volley into the net, inside the penalty area. Doog was idolised by the North Bank 'Choir' - his popularity on a par with Steve Bull's, in more recent times. In 11 appearances, Dougan scored nine goals, which proved a vital contribution to Wolves achieving promotion from the Second Division. He made the first of his 26 appearances (4 goals) for Northern Ireland, as a Wolves player in April '67. Dougan top scored with 17 goals from 40 games in '67/68. He notched 'doubles' versus Leeds, Arsenal and West Ham and a second club hat-trick, against Nottingham Forest in a 6-1 win. Wolves struggled to consolidate their regained status though, finishing 17th. The following season, Dougan again top scored, with 14 goals from 44 games. He plundered the points with a brave diving header at Coventry in October, just a week after Wolves had suffered a 6-0 drubbing at home to Liverpool. That defeat cost manager Ronnie Allen his job. His replacement, Bill McGarry, was always uneasy with Doog's individuality - on and off the field. Derek scored twice against Newcastle (home) and Hull City (away - FA Cup), forming a fine attacking partnership with Peter Knowles, and the mercurial Dave Wagstaffe - whose centes from the left wing provided the lanky Irishman with countless headed chances to make, and take, goalscoring opportunities.

1969/70 was to be an eventful season for Doog. He scored twice past Gordon Banks in the opening game, but was sent off at Hillsborough a week later. Wolves had begun strongly, lying sixth when table-toppers Everton visited on October 4th. Dougan was dismissed again, which almost provoked a full-scale riot amongst Wolves fans, as policemen lined the pitch to prevent an invasion. Doog was suspended for eight weeks, returning in January, only to suffer a serious eye injury in the return Everton fixture at Goodison Park. This sidelined him for eight weeks again. Derek managed just 10 goals that term, as a consequence. During the summer of 1970, he appeared as a member of the ITV World Cup experts panel - and also began to host a regular local radio show. Doog's profile was raised still further with his election to the position of PFA Chairman. On the field, 70/71 proved a successful campaign, as Dougan performed consistently well - linking with both Hugh Curran and Bobby Gould. On a snowy Boxing Day he scored twice at Molineux against reigning league champions Everton. Another home double followed a month later against Crystal Palace. The most important strike of Doog's 13 that year came on a sunny spring Saturday in May, as Wolves beat Burnley 1-0 to ensure the prospect of European football at Molineux - by finishing in fourth place - their highest position for ten years.

Arguably Dougan's finest season came in 71/72. For the third time in 5 years he finished as top scorer - totalling 24 goals. Doog excelled in the UEFA Cup, scoring in four successive ties, including a hat-trick in Portugal against Academica Coimbra, as Wolves went all the way to the final, only to lose 3-2 on aggregate to Tottenham Hotspur. This came just four days after a triple against Nottingham Forest at Molineux. Doog maintained the goal standard with doubles versus Southampton and Arsenal, by which time he had gained a new strike partner - the young John Richards. They went on to forge a lethal understanding over the next three years. Dougan's output slowed as Wolves dipped to ninth in the final standings, although he did find the net in Wanderers' last league game - a 2-1 victory over Leeds United, which deprived the Yorkshire club of a League & FA Cup 'double'. (Andy Lockett)

 Derek Dougan's strike partnership with John Richards flourished during the 1972/73 season. They became a deadly duo, with Doog's headed flicks inevitably finding the fleet-footed Richards, whose aim was unerring. Between them, they totalled 53 goals in all competitions - Doog contributing 17. Incredibly, Wolves remained unbeaten for the 14 games in which he found the net. He also netted twice in three successive matches - but the highlight of a prolific year was undoubtedly a majestic fifth hat-trick for Wolves on March 3rd, at home to Manchester City. Dougan & Richards accounted for all the goals in a 5-1 win, as they shredded the opposition's defence to pieces. Such devastating form failed to secure any trophies though, as Wolves finished 5th, and lost in both Cup semi-finals. Dougan's international career ended this year with a final cap against Cyprus in March '73. Reward for a long, chequered career arrived 12 months later, as Derek picked up a League Cup winners' medal after Wolves defeated Man. City 2-1 (the photo above shows Doog celebrating after Wolves had clinched a place at Wembley, defeating Norwich 2-1 over two legs).

For the fourth time, Dougan finished the season as Wolves' top scorer - his 19 goal haul included doubles versus Norwich and Arsenal, as he hit the target in five successive early season games. He also netted in the post-Wembley celebratory 3-1 win over Ipswich. The end of Doog's playing days came in 74/75. He made just six starting appearances, yielding two goals, all season. Bill McGarry preferred Steve Kindon and Peter Withe in the side, and it became increasingly obvious that Dougan's time at the club was running out. He decided to retire completely from professional football, making an emotional farewell to the supporters with a token ten minute substitute appearance in the final league game, against Leeds, at Molineux in April 1975. During his eight year stay at Wolves, Doog totalled 123 goals in 323 games. His heroic status with Wolves fans was, however, forever tarnished by his involvement with the unpopular Bhatti Brothers regime at the club in the 1980s. (Andy Lockett)