AS a youngster my favourite team was Wolverhampton Wanderers and Billy Wright was my idol.

There was a very strong association between my home town Ellesmere Port and the two Midlands rivals, Wolves and West Brom. Many of the 'Port's' residents had moved from places like Tipton, Smethwick and others in order to find work at a newly opened iron foundry. Although on the banks of the Mersey, you were either a Baggies fan or a supporter of the Old Gold. My allegiance was also coloured by the fact that the Turner family lived in the same street as the Cullis family with Stan Cullis being synonymous with Wolves' successes.

When later I managed Wolves, Billy Wright was invited on to the Board and travelled everywhere with both the first team and reserves. In spending so much time with him on the team coach or in the hotels or on the odd pre-season tour, he became a very good friend. Whatever the result on a Saturday he would phone me Sunday morning and spend half an hour chatting about football, irrespective of how the previous day's game had gone. That call was priceless in either helping keeping feet on the floor or lifting spirits.

From his vast playing experience and short managerial time at Arsenal he would drop in pearls of wisdom.

One in particular was in his playing days under the management of Stan Cullis. Before going for a tough midweek match up in the North East on a bitterly cold February evening, Stan stood outside the coach counting as each player boarded. Billy was the last one on and made the comment that it was unusual for Stan to do that. "I'm not counting the players, I'm counting the 'big hearts'' because that is what we are going to need if we are to get a result."

The same could be said of our team at Dover last Saturday. Conditions were atrocious, with high winds, the rain coming almost horizontally across the pitch and water lying on the surface. If ever character and 'big hearts' were needed in the side, this was the occasion.

I had no need to worry about players passing the 'big hearts' test - they were magnificent, not only showing the character needed to compete but also playing some excellent football in the very trying conditions.

I have a feeling that Stan and Billy would have given their nods of approval at the manner in which we dispatched a Margate team who had enjoyed a very good run of results prior to this match.

The match further confirmed that not only have we some good players but there is a spirit amongst them that will stand us in good stead for the coming weeks.