Mike Bailey

Michael Alfred Bailey was born on 27 February 1942 in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. His family lived in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, but had been evacuated to Cambridgeshire during the Second World War. He considered himself a true son of Norfolk and kept a soft Norfolk accent throughout his life. As a boy he practised with a tennis ball in the playground of the Edward Worlledge Primary School in Yarmouth, a habit his son Andrew said explained why he could control and pass the ball well with both feet. He played youth football for Gorleston before leaving for London in 1958.

Bailey attended the Edward Worlledge Primary School in Great Yarmouth. His football education continued at Gorleston and then at Charlton Athletic, which he joined in 1958 before turning professional in March 1959. Further details of his schooling have not been made public.

Bailey made his Charlton first-team debut in 1960 and was soon club captain, making 151 league appearances in the Second Division over eight years. He won four England under-23 caps and two full caps in 1964: a 10-0 win over the United States in New York on 27 May and a 2-1 win over Wales at Wembley on 18 November. He was Charlton's first full England international for eleven years.

On 28 February 1966 he joined Wolverhampton Wanderers, signed by Ronnie Allen. He succeeded Ron Flowers as captain and led Wolves to promotion in 1966 to 1967, being named the Evening Mail West Midlands Footballer of the Year. Under Bill McGarry, Wolves won the Texaco Cup in 1971, reached the 1972 UEFA Cup final (Bailey, recovering from injury, came on as a substitute) and finished fourth and fifth in the First Division in 1970 to 1971 and 1972 to 1973. On 2 March 1974 he captained Wolves to a 2-1 League Cup final win over Manchester City at Wembley. His testimonial against West Bromwich Albion on 20 October 1976 drew almost 20,000. He made 436 appearances and scored 25 goals for Wolves before joining the Minnesota Kicks in the North American Soccer League in 1977, then finished his playing days as player-manager of Hereford United.

Bailey was player-manager of Hereford United in the Fourth Division in 1978 to 1979, leaving in October 1979. He returned to Charlton Athletic and, as manager, won promotion from the Third Division at the first attempt in 1980 to 1981. Brighton and Hove Albion appointed him on 9 June 1981 to replace Alan Mullery. His side won 1-0 at Liverpool on 6 March 1982 and finished 13th in the First Division, at the time the club's highest ever finish. He left in December 1982 after a 2-0 defeat at Coventry City, having managed Brighton 67 times (20 wins, 18 draws, 29 defeats). He later coached OFI in Crete from December 1984, was reserve team coach at Portsmouth until 1995 and managed Leatherhead in 1996. His biographer Clive Corbett felt the trials of management never really suited such a nice man.

Bailey married Barbara Mustin on 1 August 1964 at St Michael's Church in Welling, and they remained married for more than 62 years. They had two children, Andrew and Victoria, and grandchildren. The family lived in Surrey in his later years. He was a keen and fiercely competitive golfer, and his son said the only sporting hero he ever really talked about was Seve Ballesteros. Friends described him as modest, honest and naturally funny.

Bailey was known as a captain who led by example and never asked team-mates to do anything he would not do himself. He often credited others for his success, saying he was lucky to be surrounded by great players. His son recalled that he never complained about modern players' wages but was frustrated when well-paid players could not control and pass with both feet. His family believed his dementia was caused by heading footballs, and they chose the Jeff Astle Foundation, which campaigns on sport-related brain injury, for donations in his memory.

Wolves describe Bailey as one of the greatest captains in the club's history, and only twelve players have made more appearances for the club than his 436. Kenny Hibbitt called him the greatest captain he ever played with, and Steve Daley said he spent his career trying to be like Mike Bailey. At Brighton, the 13th-place finish of 1981 to 1982 stood as the club's highest league position for about 40 years. He served as chairman of the Wolves Former Players' Association and was honoured on the cover of the Wolves matchday programme after his death, while Charlton held a period of applause in his memory.

Football League Cup winner with Wolves, 1973 to 1974 (as captain). UEFA Cup runner-up, 1971 to 1972. Texaco Cup winner, 1971. Second Division promotion with Wolves in 1966 to 1967 and Second Division title season 1976 to 1977. Evening Mail West Midlands Footballer of the Year, 1967. Two full England caps and four England under-23 caps, 1964. Wolves Hall of Fame inductee, 14 January 2010. As a manager, Third Division promotion with Charlton Athletic in 1980 to 1981.

Bailey's life story was published as 'The Valley Wanderer', written with Wolves historian Clive Corbett, who described helping him record a story his family could pass down the generations. He appeared alongside John Richards and Kenny Hibbitt in the Wolves documentary 'Time Of Our Lives: Wolves In The 70's', presented by Jeff Stelling. Footage of the 1974 League Cup final, including Bailey lifting the trophy, survives in British Movietone, AP and BBC archives.

Bailey was diagnosed with dementia in his later years (the Express & Star reported the diagnosis in 2017), and his family spoke publicly about it in an Express & Star interview six years before his death. He died in Surrey on 17 August 2026, aged 84, after a long illness with Alzheimer's disease, days after the death of his friend Phil Parkes. Wolves, Charlton Athletic, Brighton and Hove Albion and the England team paid tribute. A Service of Celebration for his life was held at Bluebell Cemetery and Crematorium in Halstead, Sevenoaks, Kent, on 15 October 2026, attended by Dawn Astle and Clive Corbett, who gave an address on his sporting years.