Professional, courteous, always adhering to the highest of standards and always willing to help people out however he could.
The sort of character and personality whom a manager would know they could rely on, who would never let anyone down.
In the words of Wolves former Head of marketing and communications Matt Grayson who worked closely with Pat when he first started volunteering around the club’s Museum: “He was a wonderful man who didn’t have a bad bone in his body.”
Sadly Pat, or Patrick to give him his full name, has passed away at the age of 72, after a short illness.
And Wolves have lost an extraordinary and encyclopaedic knowledge of all things Molineux, with a meticulous attention to detail delightfully coupled with a boyish charm and enthusiasm to spread the word about his beloved football club.
A teacher by trade, after retiring to look after his late wife, Pat first became more closely involved with Wolves as education officer when the Museum was being put together.
By this point he had already penned two books about the club, one about its origins – about which he was especially well-informed - and one about legendary manager Major Frank Buckley.
So for Pat, becoming more closely entwined with Molineux was certainly a labour of love.
Using the word labour is a slight misnomer as so much of the time Pat gave to the club was delivered on a voluntary basis, particularly when helping out after the double relegation. Nothing was ever too much trouble, but equally he was immensely proud of becoming a member of staff working as a curator at the Museum and as club historian.
It was in that role that he met and worked closely with fellow historical ‘anorak’ – using the term with enormous affection – Graham Hughes.
Both shared an incredible love of books, artefacts and memorabilia connected with Wolves, the weirder and more wonderful the better, and more importantly the stories behind them, and it was Graham who first became aware of Pat’s passion and talents and introduced him to the club.
Pat was in his element at the Museum, whether leading tours for supporters or invited guests on a formal or informal basis, chatting to past and present players, organising the displays or coming up with ideas for new exhibits. He became a conduit for Wolves devotees from far and wide – Malta, Scandinavia, America, China to name but a few. There were many, many more.
He was an integral part of the Hall of Fame committee providing an exhaustive supply of information about potential new inductees, and was instrumental in helping to track down an original, and very rare, Wolves shirt from the historic floodlit fixture with Honved, and persuading the owners to loan it to the Museum for fans to cherish and enjoy.
During takeover negotiations between Steve Morgan and current owners Fosun, it was Pat who answered the call from CEO Jez Moxey to show chairman Jeff Shi around the Museum to talk about the club’s rich and illustrious history. That is how highly regarded he has always been within the club’s hierarchy, not to mention a palpable sign of his vast level of expertise.
Also a hugely knowledgeable local historian away from football, Pat developed and nurtured an excellent working relationship with Wolverhampton Archives, and himself looked after the Wolves archives regularly coming to the rescue with requests for information or pictures from the club’s media office.
In recent years in particular, the media team have been indebted to Pat for his help in answering questions and for working together on providing articles and historical insight for articles on the club’s website and in the matchday programme. Never was he more comfortable than in making sure the history of the club continued to be communicated so it could be passed through the generations.
Whilst never chasing or indeed coveting the limelight, the limelight sometimes chased Pat via a regular flurry of interview requests from foreign broadcasters, particularly since the Fosun takeover and particularly since the return to the Premier League.
Once again, he loved and treasured the opportunity to spread the Wolves message further afield.
When carrying out those interviews, or attending club functions, Pat would always be immaculately dressed. Proud to be asked, and, as ever, delighted to help.
He worked with a team of dedicated volunteers, including one who was suffering with mental health issues, knowing how important it was for everyone to have access to that opportunity, and providing his usual quiet and unruffled support from the background. The one pack mentality in action, Pat would do anything for anyone when he could. One long-serving employee was touched to receive a Molineux rose bush when moving on from the club thanks to a collection organised by Pat with the Museum volunteers.
With his pocket watch, trademark sideburns and general appearance, Pat displayed manners and a sense of selfless decency which sometimes felt like it hailed from another age. Very much positive traits from another age, and perhaps the perfect description for someone with such a keen and dedicated historical interest.
In sharing the sadness of all who knew Pat that he is no longer with us, it is also important to point out that in the books he has written, the work he has delivered for the club over the last decade-and-a-half, every interview and conversation he has been involved in, he has become a part of the rich tapestry of the very Wolves history which he was always so grateful to be able to champion.
And Pat himself, was very much a Wolves champion. Part of the team behind the team who never sought appreciation or adulation, but delivered such important work with a minimum of fuss, but a maximum of pride and unstinting diligence. His is a contribution that will be etched in history itself, and will never be forgotten.
May he rest in peace.
By Paul Berry
