Peter Broadbent - A Biography (Paperback)

Before Theo Walcott, was a little-known 17-year-old ever transferred to one of England's top sides for a big fee? Did anyone ever pass the ball with the accuracy of David Beckham? Was there a player with the trickery of Joe Cole? Did any midfielder score as many goals as Frank Lampard? If you are a Wolverhampton Wanderers fan of a certain vintage, your answer to each of those questions would be yes: Peter Broadbent. For those were the qualities that emerged as the unassuming youngster made the long journey from the Kent coalfields to the football hot bed that was the Black Country in the 1950s. There he went from being the young apprentice in the team who made Wolves champions of England for the first time to assuming the mantle of schemer-in-chief as Stan Cullis' side dominated domestic football. Only Broadbent played in the four great floodlit friendlies that captured the nation's imagine: Spartak, Honved, Dynamo and Real Madrid, three championship-winning sides and the FA Cup-winning side of 1960. He is still revered by older Wolves fans who remember his sublime football skills with great affection and their contribution to making his club the best in the land. Sadly, Broadbent now has Alzheimer's disease and the joy and memories he gave to many are lost to him. Here, with the help of his wife Shirley, former team-mates and fans, the author will tell the story of the man who will always be Peter the Great.