Legendary Wolves defender Geoff Palmer talks about life after football once he had hung up his boots.
How did you feel after retiring?
I knew my time in football was coming up towards the last 12 months of my career. I was speaking to a friend who was a sergeant in the police force, who I would go out with on a Wednesday night and have a game of snooker up in Wednesfield. I met a few people up there, a few bobbies, and they were always asking me what I was going to do when football was over, recommending jobs. But they kept telling me that I would still be able to play football because I was only 32, I would get a decent pension, and it all went on from there. I took a few exams in Birmingham, passed them, and with the team being split apart, it became common knowledge that I would be leaving at the end of my contract. I played my last game in September ’86, I think we beat Preston 1-0, and then I joined the police in the October.
Did it take time for your life to adjust?
I carried on playing football, representing the West Midlands Police, and I actually played at a few stadiums which I didn’t get the chance to while I was at Wolves, including Ibrox, which is Rangers’ ground, and I always played at Celtic’s ground, so football was an experience that carried on for me. I did 24 years in the police and after that finished, that was it for my working life. It took a bit of adapting because of the shift work. The old bobbies used to say you’d get used to the shift work, but I did 24 years on shifts, morning, afternoons and nights, and you never get used to them. It was fun sometimes, when I was going to work at seven o’clock in the morning and everyone else is rushing to get out to work, but it was interesting work and you met a lot of interesting people. I do think it changed me as a person though, because I had 24 years of people telling me lies all the time, and you sort of look at other people, and question everything they say, and it gives you a different outlook on life.
What did you miss most about football?
Everyone always says it’s the camaraderie and the dressing room that you miss, and it is really because I spent 15 years at Wolves and I met some fantastic blokes. I talk regularly with John Richards, Scouse [John McAlle], we all got on well together, because at the end of the day, you had 11 blokes who worked hard together to get three points – or two points as it was. There was great camaraderie here and there were plenty of jokers in the pack, but there were serious ones, professional ones – Scouse and Derek Parkin were really good professionals and they were people I really looked up to. There was also the build up to the matches on the Saturdays which I miss. I used to get butterflies and would hate the two hours before the match, but that’s what I always would get, and I genuinely missed it when it was gone. When I go to Molineux now and watch the games and hear the crowd, I always wish I was out there again because that’s what you miss.
Do you still catch up with your teammates?
I still see all the guys who are still around from my generation because the Former Players’ Association is really active. John Richards is the chairman, I’m on the committee with Phil Parkes, Matt Murray and Andy Thompson, and we arrange functions which keep us all connected, but also raise money for charity. Anything we can raise for a local charity and to help local people is very important for us, but we also get to meet up. We get asked to golf days, functions, special events, and we also had a visit to Molineux and Compton Park and got to see what the players so these days, which is different world from what we had.
Do you still watch and follow football?
I’ve always continued to watch Wolves and still go to most games at Molineux now. They’ve got a good group at the moment, although we had to get rid of a few of them at the beginning of the season, but the manager has come in, he’s got the team behind him and they’ve done well in most games this season. I know a lot of people thought we might struggle this season, but at the moment we’re holding our own and hopefully we should be looking up the table, especially if we can get a few more players through the door in January.
If you could play again now, would you?
The best days of my life were spent down at Molineux, playing with the guys I’ve already mentioned, as well as Frank Munro, Derek Doogan, all those lads, they were the best days of my life and I wouldn’t have changed them. People ask me all the time about if I would play now, with all the money they get, but I wouldn’t. What I’ve never had, I would never miss. I had the best times of my life, and I wouldn’t change it.
What do you hope you’re remembered for at Wolves?
The only thing I want to be remembered for was someone who was loyal to Wolves and was there every Saturday, giving 100 per cent. If people say Geoff Palmer was a good, dependable player, that’s all I want. I’m glad I got to experience some really good times with Wolves, I played 496 games, I won a few cups, so I must have done something right.
This article originally featured in Wolves' official 2023/24 matchday programme. Last season's programmes are still available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
