Peter Knowles

Early career

Knowles was born in Fitzwilliam, West Riding of Yorkshire, into a family which was originally Rugby league-oriented, as his father played for Wakefield Trinity. However, the main sport in the family quickly changed to football as he and his brother, Cyril Knowles, proved to have significant football talent. Peter's talent was spotted by Mark Crook who operated the feeder team, Wath Wanderers, which trained youth players primarily for Wolverhampton Wanderers. In 1961, aged 16, Knowles spent a year with the youth outfit, playing under supervision from Wath's coach, Mark Crook. Knowles quickly caught the attention of Wolves, who in 1962 signed the 17-year-old on a six-year contract.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

The Wolves side he joined was just starting to slip from their position towards the top of English football. Therefore, manager Stan Cullis gave him his debut early in the 1963–64 season, in a victory over Leicester City. He scored his first goal a game later, against Bolton Wanderers in a 2–2 draw. Toward the close of the season he represented England at the 1964 UEFA European Under-18 Championship held in the Netherlands. Knowles scored in the final as England beat Spain 4-0. In the 1964–65 season, Wolves were relegated in last-but-one place. However, it was that season which saw Knowles emerge as a top class footballer. The teenager finished the season with six goals and set up many others. Despite his good form for Wolves, he was…