Memories Of Peter Knowles

Trevor Wootton wrote:

I remember both those cup ties with United. The first was played on a freezing night in 64. Knowles' goal was the last I think and just a consolation really. United were in their swagger, Besty was emerging as the greatest talent I've ever seen, but Wolves went two up courtesy of Hughie McIlmoyle. Law had to go off before half time to get instructions from Busby, but he came back on and got one with a diving header on the stroke of half time. Then he scored with one of those chipped free kicks over the wall from just outside the area. The writing was on the wall! Don't remember much else except crying at the end, I was only a young kid.
The other was on a warm spring day the next year. I can remember the Wolves fans chanting: "Where's your handbag, where's your handbag, where's your handbag Georgie Best?", and the United fans "where's your bible, where's your bible, where's your bible Peter Knowles?" in reply. We lost again, I seem to remember that a catastrophic back-pass by Ron Flowers sealed our fate.
Most notably, Peter was the only Wolves player I ever saw who came anywhere near Besty, and I mean very near. He had that streak of devilment in him. I saw him sit on the ball to taunt opponents. He was lightning quick in thought and action. Saw him one time against Liverpool, Tommy Smith, Ron Yeats & Co. He went for a ball at the South Bank end bye-line which was seemingly going out, just outside the box. You wouldn't have said it possible, but he got it back.
It looped high as Dougan hung in the air and delivered a bullet header. Tommy Lawrence only had time to lift his arms as if to go for the cross, but he was a mile too late as the goal bound effort stuck him on his left shoulder and flew into the net. It was the equaliser, and the Wolves fans went wild.
I think I rememeber his saying that the aggression which built up inside him every time he went to play eventually revolted him, more and more, as time went on, and so he had to choose between God and football. You have to respect the decision, but his faith robbed a whole mass of fanatics of years of enjoyment, and himself of his own footballing fulfillment. Which was the greater, his football or his religion, God only knowles!

ANDY STEVENS wrote:

Breathtaking with amazing vision and flair. Better than Rooney but not a Best.

Steve Gordos wrote:

Your story is wrong to say Knowles kicked the ball out of the ground after scoring the winner at Portsmouth. Knowles hit the equaliser and it was Ernie Hunt who made it 3-2.
Steve Gordos (former sports editor Express & Star, Wolverhampton)

Editor's note: This information is indeed correct and the profile of Knowles has been amended accordingly.

John Coleman wrote:

I remember him particularly in a game against Manchester United in the early 60's. He was his usual arrogant self, trying to outshine George Best. He did that all right, by getting him sent off.
Knowles took a throw in back to his goalkeeper at the South Bank end of the ground. He in turn kicked the ball down field. Knowles ran back toward the centre circle and passed Best on the Waterloo side of the pitch, and as he did so, he collapsed like a sack of coal.
Best didn't see him coming from behind and made no contact with Knowles. The linesman was on the opposite side of the pitch and could not have seen anything untoward. I, along with many others stood at the corner of the ground between the South Bank and Waterloo Road, saw directly behind what had happened.
Some years later, Knowles gave up the game having found religion. I gave up watching football after seeing this game. What Knowles did was the final straw for me, having become increasingly disappointed with players attitudes.
Nothing has changed since then. Cheating in football is not new, but more are aware of what goes on due to the TV cameras.

Tony Phillips wrote:

Hi there, just a brief comment on Peter Knowles.
I saw him play for most of his short career, he was the complete footballer, a class act, a pity those around him were not.
Though i regret saying this, as a Wolves supporter, he really should have played for United, alongside Best, where his talents could have been fully exploited.

anthony pote wrote:

i remember watching peter knowles from 1966, to those in that era peter was a hero. i watched in the north bank. it was brilliant watching him beat players then sit on the ball then he would beat them again.
he played football for fun, it was a waste of pure footballing genius to give it all up at such a young age and the legions of fans were deeply upset they had lost one of footballs heroes and what no one could understand was that it was for religion.
still all said and done we will always have great memories of peter the great.

David Bowen wrote:

Just enjoyed reading the profile of the wonder kid Peter Knowles and just wanted to say how much i enjoyed watching him until he sadly retired. He was the kind of guy that would come up with the goods especially if backs were up against the wall. But not only that; it was his tenacity and skills and trickery on the ball that made him a bit special.

norbert wrote:

Peter's mother met me in the street in Fitzwilliam lamenting Peter's decision to quit the game. He was adament. A natural player at school, we played for opposing schools, soccer was always to be his career. Until he met a woman, a member of the Jehovahs Witnesses. No one could persuade him otherwise. Whatever happended to him?

Bill Rogers wrote:

I saw Knowlsey score one of the greatest goals ever but I can't remember in which game. Running at speed he flicked the ball over his head, juggled it from one foot to the other and cracked a screamer which bent into the roof of the net.
I also seem to recall he once played a blinder against Man Utd and taunted them by sitting on the ball and challenging their players to take it off him.
A true legend.

John Jarvis wrote:

Peter Knowles...what can I say..He was the most exciting player I ever saw on a football pitch. George was on a par, of course he was, but Best and Knowles were different beasts altogether.
Knowles was completely unpredictable; you never knew what was coming next. He could beat a man, head a ball, shoot from any angle, and he was acrobatic as well.
But it was his personal presence on the field what did it for me. As a twelve year old from Wigan I travelled to watch my hero to the shrine that was the old Molineux. If ever he wasn't playing, I'd be devastated.
I remember my first trip to Molineux: it was the 4th November 1967. Wolves beat arch rivals Coventry 2-0 with Knowles netting both. The atmosphere was unforgettable. He was man of the match that day...a day I'll never ever forget.
I grew up in the late sixties when times seemed better. We didn't have money or material things, but we had the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and I worshiped my idol...the Great Peter Knowles...

Stefan Morawiec wrote:

I remember two occasions where I saw Peter Knowles play, firstly in a 2-1 home defeat by Everton, with a Knowles goal that would rank amongst the goals of the season. Cruising past 2 defenders he hammered the ball from 20 yards and it flew past West in the Everton Goal: Everton went on to become champions.
Sadly I was at his last game, when we were 3-1 up and allowed Notts Forest to come back to 3-3. The Forest Fans chants of "where's your bible, where's your bible, where's your bible Peter Knowles" still ring fresh, as does the violence which followed the game.
Peter remains for me the reason that Wolves failed to capitalise on successively good seasons after he left. What would have happened at the UEFA Cup final with him, the high places in the First Division could have been championship years.
He was not George Best, but he was on a par and at least he left with a degree of respectability.
Peter chose his direction and after all football is only a game. I hope Peter is happy and that obviously football was not what he wanted.