Wolverhampton Wanderers newcomer Matt Hill recalls his debut for Bristol City in the midst of Wolfie's battle with the Three Little Pigs

Sep 14 2008

BIG bad Wolves once left Matt Hill feeling a little pig-sick – because he made his debut in the madcap match when Wolfie had a scrap with the Three Little Pigs!

Hill is ready to huff and puff to blow his way into Mick McCarthy’s starting XI after becoming the latest addition to Molineux’s Championship promotion-chasers.

And the experienced defender hopes his latest chapter will have a storybook ending, much happier than his memorable professional debut for Bristol City.

Hill, who signed from Preston on transfer deadline day, started his career as a 17-year-old substitute in Bristol’s 6-1 defeat to Wolves at Ashton Gate almost a decade ago.

But, despite the scoreline, the half-time entertainment was more memorable than the match itself with the respective club mascots causing mayhem.

In the old gold and black corner, Wolves’ costume-wearing character Wolfie ended up trading punches with Bristol’s Three Little Pigs, in the red and white corner.

Hill was disappointed that the fairytale tussle overshadowed his own cameo appearance, but is relieved that it deflected attention away from Bristol’s dreadful defeat.

“It was a bizarre day for Bristol,” he said. “I think we were 4-1 down at the time I came on and we lost 6-1, but for me, at that time, the score didn’t matter.

“It was just a case of me getting on and my family being there, not that many people will remember me making my debut that afternoon.

“It was the day when the mascots had a bit of a scrap and that was great. It was the Three Little Pigs trying to get their own back on the Big Bad Wolf!

“I think I was in the dressing room at the time, but obviously they tried to wind each other up and then it all kicked off.

“At least with it stopped people going on about of losing 6-1.”

Hill will be hoping to be a hit with the demanding Molineux crowd, although the 27-year-old left back admits he is not afraid of the big bad Wolves fans.

He was an interested spectator as Wolves blew away Nottingham Forest 5-1 in their last home game just days before he arrived in a swap deal for striker Stephen Elliott.

Expectations

And his experiences as an away player in the Molineux visitors’ dressing room has given him a sense of the overwhelming expectations from the Wolves public.

“It was always important when we came to Wolves that we started well because then it became difficult for the Wolves players to get the backing of their fans,” said Hill. “Wherever you go, whether it’s at Preston or Bristol or here, the fans want to see the team doing well.

“We know that the fans here expect a lot but hopefully they’ll be behind the players whatever happens.

“Before I even came here I was told that as long as the fans see that the lads are working hard then they will always be behind us. I’m sure that’s the case and that the lads are always putting in the effort.”

Sticking with the Three Little Pigs theme, Hill believes McCarthy’s early-season success story is built on solid foundations of bricks rather than straw or sticks.

And, with fierce competition for places, he admits that his Wolves defensive rivals will not be in a hurry to let him in, not by the hairs of their chinny chin chins.

But after a hard-luck story at Preston, Hill is not interested in footballing fables, he is just determined to become a Premier League player at his new club.

“The season before last was excellent and I played between 40 or 50 games,” added Hill, who suffered a setback when he took a knock to his knee in training on Thursday. “It didn’t quite work out for me last season for whatever reason and I’m hoping a fresh start gives me a good chance of playing games.

“It’s going to be tough here after not featuring a lot for Preston lately because the boys here are buzzing.

“They’re on top of their game at the moment, so I realise I’ve got a bit to do to warrant a place in the side.”

mat.kendrick@sundaymercury.net