Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Full name | Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club | |||
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Nickname(s) | Wolves, The Wanderers[1] | |||
Founded | 1877 | , as St. Luke's F.C.|||
Ground | Molineux Stadium | |||
Capacity | 31,750[2] | |||
Owner | Fosun International | |||
Chairman | Jeff Shi[3] | |||
Head coach | Gary O'Neil | |||
League | Premier League | |||
2022–23 | Premier League, 13th of 20 | |||
Website | Club website | |||
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Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (/ˌwʊlvərˈhæmptən/ ⓘ), commonly referred to as Wolves,[1] is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which competes in the Premier League. The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's traditional kit consists of old gold shirts and socks with black shorts. Since 1979, the kit has also featured the club's "wolf's head" logo. Long-standing rivalries exist with other clubs from the West Midlands, including Aston Villa but the main one being the Black Country derby contested with West Bromwich Albion. Since 2016, the club has been owned by the Chinese conglomerate Fosun International.
Formed as St. Luke's F.C. in 1877, the club changed name to Wolverhampton Wanderers two years later and became one of the founding members of the
Wolves suffered a financial crisis during the
After fourteen seasons in the second tier between 1989 and 2003, Wolves reached the
After becoming one of the first British clubs to install
History
Formation and the Football League (1879–1893)
In the 2000 edition of The Rough Guide to English Football, the history section on the Wolves page begins: "The very name Wolves thunders from the pages of English football history".
FA Cup success and world war years (1893–1950)
Wolves lifted the FA Cup for the first time in
When league football resumed after the Second World War, Wolves suffered yet another final day failure in the First Division. Just as in 1938, victory in their last match would have won the title but a 2–1 loss to title rivals
The Stan Cullis era (1950–1960)
The 1950s were by far the most successful period in the club's history.
Cup success in the '60s and '70s (1960–1980)
The 1960s began with
During the close season in 1967, Wolves played a mini-season in North America as part of the fledgling United Soccer Association league which imported clubs from Europe and South America. Playing as the "Los Angeles Wolves", they won the Western Division and ultimately the championship by defeating the Eastern Division champions Washington Whips (import of Aberdeen) in a final decider.[23]
The club's return to the English top flight in 1967 heralded another period of relative success under
Financial crisis, decline and recovery (1980–1990)
The multi-million pound rebuilding of the Molineux Street Stand in 1979 was to be the catalyst for the club's near-financial ruin during the next decade. Plunging match attendances in the early-1980s,
In 1986, with the club again in receivership, a deal saw
The Hayward years (1990–2007)
Lifelong fan
Promotion, relegations and turbulent times (2007–2016)
After former England manager Glenn Hoddle failed to bring a swift return to the Premier League, the rebuilding of the squad by Mick McCarthy rejuvenated the club with an unexpected play-off finish.[38] The club was bought from Sir Jack Hayward by Steve Morgan in 2007[39] and two years later the team returned to the Premier League as 2008–09 Football League Championship title winners.[40] Wolves successfully battled relegation for two seasons before McCarthy's dismissal in the 2011–12 season,[41] which precipitated relegation under his former assistant Terry Connor, who was promoted to replace McCarthy.[42]
Following relegation, Norwegian Ståle Solbakken became the club's first overseas manager[43] but his tenure lasted only six months before a poor run of results saw him replaced by Dean Saunders in January 2013.[44][45] Saunders failed to bring any upturn, culminating in both the club's relegation to EFL League One, a level the club had not played at since 1989, and Saunders's own dismissal.[46][47] Following this, Kenny Jackett was appointed in May 2013 in the retitled position of head coach,[48] and led the team back to the EFL Championship in his first season, setting a new club record points total of 103 which is also an all-time record for the most points accumulated by any team during a Tier 3 season.
Fosun era: Return to the Premier League and continental football (2016–present)
On 21 July 2016, Chinese investment group
Wolverhampton Wanderers finished 7th on their
In the
Colours and badge
The club's traditional colours of gold and black allude to
In the early decades of the club a variety of shirt designs using these colours were created, including stripes and diagonal halves, until the continual usage of a plain shirt design since the 1930s.[67] Before the 1960s a darker shade of gold was used,[68] known as "old gold", which is still often cited in the media as the club's colour.[69][70]
Like most English teams, their earliest shirts usually only featured a badge on special occasions such as cup finals.
In May 2019, the club won a legal challenge by Peter Davies, a 71 year old retired building industry manager, who claimed he drew the wolf head motif as a schoolboy in the 1960s and entered it in an art competition. Mr Davies said he came up with the angular design after a teacher asked him to demonstrate an understanding of Blaise Pascal's Hexagrammum Mysticum Theorem, and entered it in an art competition advertised in the Express and Star newspaper. Mr Davies had made a copyright claim and wanted compensation. Mr Davies lost his copyright infringement claim and now faces legal fees and costs estimated to be about £450,000.[72]
Wolves' traditional away colours have been all-white, but recent decades have seen a variety of colours used, including black, blue, teal, purple and maroon.[67]
Stadium
Former grounds
When first founded the club used a field on Goldthorn Hill in the Blakenhall area as its home, which could accommodate some 2,000 spectators.[5] In 1879 they relocated to John Harper's Field on Lower Villiers Street where they remained for two years before a short move to Dudley Road, with the new ground situated opposite the Fighting Cocks Inn.[5] It was here that they played their first FA Cup tie in 1883 and their first Football League fixture in September 1888. Although the site could only hold 2,500 spectators at first it was eventually developed to be capable of 10,000.[5]
Molineux
Capacity | 31,750[2] |
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Construction | |
Renovated | 1924–34; 1978–79; 1991–93 |
Expanded | 2011–12 |
Architect | Alan Cotterell (Billy Wright & Sir Jack Hayward stands)[73] AFL (Stan Cullis stand) Atherden & Rutter (Steve Bull stand)[74] |
Main contractors | Alfred McAlpine (3 stands) Buckingham Group (Stan Cullis stand) |
Tenants | |
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. (1889–present) |
In the summer of 1889 the club moved to its permanent home ever since, Molineux, in the Whitmore Reans area of the city. The stadium name originates from the Molineux House built in the area by Benjamin Molineux, a local merchant, in the 18th century and whose grounds were later developed to include numerous public leisure facilities. When the Northampton Brewery Company purchased these grounds in 1889, they rented their use to the city's football club, who were seeking to find a home more befitting a Football League member.[5] After renovating the site, the first ever official game was staged on 7 September 1889 before a crowd of 4,000.[5] The ground was capable of hosting 20,000 spectators, although English football crowds rarely reached that number in the 19th century.[5]
Wolves bought the freehold in 1923 and soon began a series of ground improvements under the auspices of Archibald Leitch,[75] beginning with the construction of a major grandstand on the Waterloo Road side.[76] In 1932, the club also built a new stand on the Molineux Street side and followed this by adding a roof to the South Bank two years later; this South Bank was historically the second largest of all Kop ends in the country and regularly held crowds in excess of 30,000.[77] The stadium finally now had four complete stands that would form its basis for the next half-century.
In the days before seating regulations, the ground could hold more than 60,000 spectators, with the record attendance being 61,315 for a First Division match against Liverpool on 11 February 1939.[5] The 1940s and 1950s saw average attendances for seasons regularly exceed 40,000, coinciding with the club's peak on the field.[5] During this time Molineux became one of the first British grounds to install floodlights, enabling it to host a series of midweek friendlies against teams from around the globe.[76] In the days prior to the formation of the European Cup and international club competitions, these games were highly prestigious and gained huge crowds and interest with the BBC often televising such events.[17][78]
When the Molineux Street Stand failed to meet new safety legislation, the club began building a new replacement stand behind the existing one on land where housing had been demolished. This new all-seater stand – named the John Ireland Stand after the then-club president – was completed in 1979 and was the first stage of a plan to rebuild the entire stadium.[76] The cost of the Ireland Stand escalated to over £2 million and plunged the club into a financial crisis. As a result, it was forced to enter receivership in 1982.[76] By the time the team dropped into the Fourth Division in 1986, only the John Ireland Stand and the South Bank terrace remained in use. New safety laws were implemented following the Bradford City stadium fire and these forced the closure of both the now-dilapidated North Bank and Waterloo Road Stand. The club did not have the funds necessary to rebuild them.[76]
Following the takeover of the club by
In 2010, plans were unveiled for an extensive redevelopment programme to enlarge the capacity and develop the facilities.[80] The first stage of this saw a new two-tier Stan Cullis Stand become fully operational for the 2012–13 season, raising the current official capacity to 31,700.[81] The proposed second stage concerned the rebuilding of the oldest stand at the stadium (built in 1979 as the John Ireland Stand and renamed the Steve Bull Stand in 2003) to increase capacity to around 36,000, but this and any further work was shelved when it became likely that the club would be relegated from the Premier League in 2012.[82]
Ground redevelopments were once again placed on the agenda following the club's acquisition by Fosun in 2016. In contrast to previously mooted plans,[83] it was publicly revealed in February 2019 that future plans consisting of the demolition and full rebuild of the Steve Bull Stand, followed by the redevelopment of the Sir Jack Hayward Stand, to raise the stadium capacity to 45-46,000, were under active consideration.[84] However, in 2020 the club announced more modest plans for making gradual improvements to the stadium as the club seeks to retain its unique character, and enable prioritisation of investment in the playing side of the club.[85]
Players
First-team squad
- As of 1 February 2024[86]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Development squad and Academy
Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-23s are competing in Division 2 of the Premier League 2 during the current season, following relegation from the highest level after the previous season was curtailed and decided on a point-per-game basis.[87] The team qualifies as an entrant in Premier League 2 by virtue of Wolves's academy holding Category 1 status.[88] Although the league is designed for players aged 23 and below, three overage players may also feature.[88] Home games are primarily staged at Kidderminster Harriers' Aggborough home.[89]
The following academy players have featured in a matchday squad for the 2023–24 season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Wolves Women
Originally founded in 1975, Wolves Women became the club's official women's team in 2008.[90] They currently play at the third level of English women's football in the FA Women's National League North.[91] Their home games are played at the New Bucks Head Ground in Telford. [92]
Player of the Year
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Source: [1]
Club officials
- Football staff[93]
- Head coach: Gary O'Neil
- Assistant head coach: Tim Jenkins
- First-team coach: Ian Burchnall
- First-team coach: Shaun Derry
- Head of goalkeeping: Neil Cutler
- Under-23 head coach: James Collins
- Under-18 head coach: James McPike
- Medical staff
- Head of medical services: Matt Perry
- Club doctor: Kai Win
- First-team physiotherapist: Ollie Leaper
- First-team sports therapist: Danny Fishwick
- First-team therapist: Rui Fuste
- Soft-tissue therapist: Matt Wignall
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Former players and managers
Notable players
For details on all former players, see List of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players
The club has been represented by numerous high-profile players over the years, most notably
The Wolverhampton Wanderers Hall of Fame has inducted the following former players:[103]
Managerial history
Wolves have had 32 different (permanently appointed) managers during the club's existence.[104] The first manager, George Worrall, was identified by the title of "club secretary", a post that continued until the appointment of a full-time manager in the modern sense was made in 1922.
The club's most successful manager is
In the 21st century, Dave Jones, Mick McCarthy and Nuno Espírito Santo have led the club into the Premier League. Kenny Jackett took Wolves to a record EFL League One (Tier 3) points haul of 103 as they won this division in 2013–14.
Wolves have also been managed by two former England national team managers in Graham Taylor and Glenn Hoddle.[104]
Support
As well as having numerous supporters' clubs across the United Kingdom,[108][109][110][111][112][113][114] Wolverhampton Wanderers also have an international support base, with supporters' clubs in Australia,[115] United States,[116] Sweden,[117] Spain, Germany,[118] Republic of Ireland,[119] Malta,[120] Iceland and Norway[121] amongst others. They have a particularly sizeable Scandinavian fanbase, due to the area's television coverage of Midlands football in the 1970s when the club were a regular top-flight team; the first-ever English match shown live in both Sweden and Norway involved Wolves (Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0 Sunderland in the Football League First Division on Saturday, 29 November 1969).[122][123]
Rivalries
Wolves' longest-established and strongest rivalry is with West Bromwich Albion, against whom the club contest the Black Country derby. The two clubs, separated by eleven miles, have faced each other 163 times;[124] their first competitive clash being an FA Cup tie in 1886.[124] A national survey by the football pools found the rivalry to be the strongest in English football.[125] Both clubs are founder members of the Football League and the two once contested the league title in 1953–54, with Wolves finishing as champions.[126]
Wolves also share rivalries with the two Birmingham clubs, Aston Villa and Birmingham City, against whom there have been numerous matches dating back to the 19th century.[127][128] Wolves' closest geographic rival is actually Walsall but, as they have rarely competed at the same level,[129] it is of less significance. As Wolverhampton historically sat within the boundaries of Staffordshire, a Staffordshire derby between Wolves and Stoke City is also recognised.
The 2018–19 Premier League season was the first and only time ever that Wolves were the sole representatives of the West Midlands in the top flight of English football. The 2020–21 Premier League season saw Wolves play against both Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion.[130] Since Albion's relegation at the end of that season, Aston Villa has been Wolves' only West Midlands rival in the Premier League.
Fan culture
During the club's peak in the 1950s, the home crowd's signature song was "
The club attracted a number of hooligans in the 1960s. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, a
The club invites interaction with its supporters and has a Fans' Parliament, at which independently selected candidates meet with club officials discuss issues relating to the club.[136] An independent fanzine named "A Load of Bull" (ALOB), in part a reference to leading goalscorer Steve Bull, published supporters' views between 1989 and 2012.[137][138]
Ownership and finances
The club is owned by the Chinese conglomerate group Fosun International, which purchased the parent company of the club, W.W. (1990) Ltd., on 21 July 2016 for a reported £45 million from previous owner Steve Morgan and his company Bridgemere Group.[139][140] In the last published accounts of Wolves' group parent company (covering the 2018–19 Premier League season), a pre-tax profit of just under £20 million was recorded, with turnover for the year equalling £172.5m. £92.1 million was spent on staff wages and costs.[141][142]
Like most football clubs, significant commercial income is generated from shirt sponsorship deals.
Fosun bought Wolves from Steve Morgan, who had taken ownership in August 2007 for a nominal sum of £10 with the proviso that £30 million was injected into the club,[39] ending an almost four-year search for a new buyer.[146] Morgan oversaw nine full seasons, but placed the club on the market for new owners in September 2015.[147] Morgan had bought the club from Sir Jack Hayward, a lifelong fan of the club, who had himself purchased it in 1990 for £2.1 million.[36][148] During his tenure Sir Jack invested an estimated £50 million of his personal wealth to rebuild the club's stadium and fund new players, but the team only achieved one season in the top flight during his 17 years at the helm despite this increased spending power.[148][149]
Hayward's takeover greatly improved the club's financial health, after a turbulent 1980s in which the club twice was declared bankrupt.
Honours
In the all-time table since the league's inception in 1888, Wolves sit fourth in terms of points gathered in all divisions (as of the conclusion of the 2018–19 season), with only Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal having accumulated more points in total.[150] Wolves were the first side to win all four divisions of the English professional game and have won every competition currently contested in English domestic football.[151]
League
- First Division (level 1)
- Second Division / First Division / Championship (level 2)
- Third Division North / Third Division / League One (level 3)
- Fourth Division (level 4)
- Champions: 1987–88
- Champions:
Cup
- FA Cup
- Football League Cup
- FA Charity Shield
- Associate Members' Cup
- Winners: 1987–88
- Football League War Cup
- Winners: 1942
- UEFA Cup
- Runners-up: 1971–72
- Texaco Cup
- Winners: 1970–71
- Winners:
- USA Cup
- Winners: 1967
Records and statistics
Individual records
Derek Parkin holds the record for the most first-team appearances, with 609 (501 of which were league appearances).[5] Highest goalscorer was Steve Bull with 306 (including 250 league goals - including a record 52 in one season).[5] Billy Wright was Wolves' most capped international, winning 105 England caps while with the club.[5] Signed in August 2022 for £38 million, Matheus Nunes became Wolves' most expensive signing,[152] and became Wolves' record transfer when sold for £53 million to Manchester City in September 2023.[153]
Team records
- Record win: 14–0 vs Crosswell's Brewery, FA Cup 2nd round, 13 November 1886[154]
- Record defeat: 1–10 vs Newton Heath, Division 1, 15 October 1892[154]
- Most league goals scored in a season: 115 (Division 2; 1931–32)[154]
- Highest home attendance: 61,315 vs Liverpool, FA Cup 4th Round, 11 February 1939[5]
League history
Wolverhampton Wanderers was a founder member of the Football League in 1888. The 2023–24 season is Wolves' 125th in the Football League system. Wolves have spent 118 of their 124 completed seasons to date within the top two tiers of English football. Wolves played in the third tier on four occasions, each occasion lasting just one season; three of these seasons ended with promotion back to the second tier as Champions, and one ended in relegation to the fourth tier. The club has played two seasons in England's fourth tier (in the 1980s).
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Notes
- ^ The direct parent company of the club was W.W. (1990) Limited, which was acquired by Prestige Century Holdings Limited; Prestige Century was a subsidiary of Fosun Management Holdings Limited; Fosun Management Holdings was a subsidiary of Fosun International; Fosun International, a listed company of Hong Kong, is a subsidiary of Fosun International Holdings, which was majority owned by Guo Guangchang, Liang Xinjun and Wang Qunbin
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External links
- Official website
- Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. on BBC Sport: Club news – Recent results and fixtures
- Premier League team profile
- UEFA team profile
- Molineux News