Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Wolves, the Old Gold | |||
| Founded | 1877, as St. Luke's F.C. | |||
| Ground | Molineux Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 31,750 | |||
| Owner | Fosun International | |||
| Chairman | Jeff Shi | |||
| Head coach | Gary O'Neil | |||
| League | Premier League | |||
| 2018–19 | Premier League, 7th of 20 | |||
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Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, often called Wolves, is a professional football team. It is based in Wolverhampton, England. The club plays in the Premier League, which is the top football league in England.
Wolves have played at Molineux Stadium since 1889. Their traditional home kit is old gold shirts and socks with black shorts. Since 1979, their kit has featured a "wolf's head" logo. Wolves have rivalries with other teams from the West Midlands, especially West Bromwich Albion. This rivalry is known as the Black Country derby. Since 2016, the club has been owned by a Chinese company called Fosun International.
The club started as St. Luke's F.C. in 1877. Two years later, they changed their name to Wolverhampton Wanderers. They were one of the first teams to join the Football League in 1888. Wolves won the FA Cup for the first time in 1893. They won it again in 1908 while in the Second Division.
Wolves won the English League title three times: in 1954, 1958, and 1959. All these wins were under manager Stan Cullis. They also won two more FA Cups in 1949 and 1960. In the 1980s, the club faced money problems and dropped down to the Fourth Division. However, they quickly recovered and won two league titles in a row in 1988 and 1989.
Wolves reached the Premier League for the first time in 2003. They won the Championship in 2009 to return to the Premier League. After a few ups and downs, they won the League One title in 2014 and another Championship title in 2018. This brought them back to the Premier League.
Wolves were one of the first British clubs to use floodlights in 1953. They played special "floodlit friendlies" against top teams from other countries. These games helped inspire the creation of the European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) in 1955. Wolves have played in European competitions several times, reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League in 2020.
Contents
- Club History
- How Wolves Started (1877–1893)
- FA Cup Wins and War Years (1893–1950)
- The Golden Stan Cullis Era (1950–1960)
- Cup Success in the 1960s and 1970s (1960–1980)
- Tough Times and Comeback (1980–1990)
- The Hayward Years (1990–2007)
- Promotions, Relegations, and Changes (2007–2016)
- Fosun Era: Back to the Top (2016–Present)
- Team Colors and Badge
- The Stadium
- Players
- Player of the Year Awards
- Club Officials
- Famous Players and Managers
- Fan Support
- Club Ownership
- Club Achievements
- Records and Statistics
- League History Overview
- Images for kids
- See also
Club History
How Wolves Started (1877–1893)
Wolves began in 1877 as St. Luke's F.C. Two students, John Baynton and John Brodie, from St Luke's Church School, started the team. Their headmaster gave them a football. The team played its first game on January 13, 1877.
In August 1879, St. Luke's F.C. joined with a local cricket club's football team, Blakenhall Wanderers. Together, they formed Wolverhampton Wanderers. They first played on small fields in the town. In 1881, they moved to a bigger place on Dudley Road. There, they won their first trophy, the Wrekin Cup, in 1884.
Wolves became a professional club. In 1888, they were chosen as one of the twelve founding members of the Football League. They played in the very first Football League game on September 8, 1888, against Aston Villa. They finished third in their first season. They also reached their first FA Cup Final, but lost to Preston North End. After this season, the club moved to its current home, Molineux.
FA Cup Wins and War Years (1893–1950)
Wolves won the FA Cup for the first time in 1893. They beat Everton 1–0. They reached another FA Cup Final in 1896. In 1908, they won their second FA Cup by beating Newcastle United 3–1. This was two years after they had moved down to the Second Division.
After struggling to get back to the top division around the First World War, Wolves were relegated again in 1923. They went into the Third Division (North). However, they won that league in their first try. Eight years later, in 1932, Wolves returned to the top league. This was after 26 years away.
Under manager Major Frank Buckley, the team became one of England's best before the Second World War. They finished second in the league twice in a row (1938 and 1939). They also reached the last FA Cup Final before the war in 1939, losing to Portsmouth. Major Buckley was known for using unusual methods to boost player performance.
When league football started again after the Second World War, Wolves almost won the league title in 1949. But a loss to Liverpool on the last day meant Liverpool won instead. This game was the last for Stan Cullis as a player. A year later, he became the club's manager. In his first season, Cullis led Wolves to win the FA Cup against Leicester City.
The Golden Stan Cullis Era (1950–1960)
The 1950s were the most successful time in Wolves' history. Led by captain Billy Wright, Wolves won the league championship for the first time in 1954. They beat their rivals West Bromwich Albion to the title. They won two more titles in 1958 and 1959. At this time, Wolves and Manchester United were considered the best teams in English football.
Wolves were famous for their success in England and for playing special "floodlit friendlies" against top teams from around the world. Wolves were one of the first British clubs to install floodlights in 1953. One famous friendly saw Wolves beat a Hungarian team called Honvéd. This team included many players from the Hungarian national team who had recently beaten England twice. After this game, the media called Wolves "Champions of the World." This inspired the creation of the European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) in 1955. Wolves were one of the first British clubs to play in this new competition.
Cup Success in the 1960s and 1970s (1960–1980)
The 1960s started well with a fourth FA Cup win in 1960. Wolves almost won both the league and FA Cup that year, but Burnley won the league by one point. Despite this, the team started to decline. Manager Stan Cullis was dismissed in 1964 after 16 years. Wolves were relegated in 1965, leaving the top division for the first time since 1932. However, they were promoted back to the First Division in 1967 after only two seasons.
In 1967, Wolves played a mini-season in North America as the "Los Angeles Wolves." They won their division and the championship.
Back in England's top league, Wolves had more success under manager Bill McGarry. They finished fourth in the league in 1971, which qualified them for the new UEFA Cup. They reached the UEFA Cup final in 1972, beating Juventus along the way, but lost to Tottenham Hotspur. Two years later, Wolves won the League Cup for the first time, beating Manchester City 2–1 in the final.
After being relegated again in 1976, Wolves quickly returned to the top flight in 1977 as Second Division champions. In 1980, under manager John Barnwell, they won the League Cup again. Andy Gray scored the winning goal against Nottingham Forest.
Tough Times and Comeback (1980–1990)
In the 1980s, Wolves faced big money problems. Building a new stand at Molineux in 1979 cost a lot. Fewer fans came to games, and the club struggled to pay its loans. In 1982, the club almost went out of business. It was saved when former player Derek Dougan led a group to buy the club.
At first, this helped, and Wolves were promoted back to the First Division in 1983. But the new owners didn't invest enough. The team then suffered three relegations in a row. By 1986, Wolves were in the Football League Fourth Division (now EFL League Two) for the first time ever.
In 1986, the club was in trouble again. The Wolverhampton City Council bought the stadium. A local developer helped pay off the club's debts. With new manager Graham Turner and goals from Steve Bull, who would score a club record 306 goals, Wolves started to recover. They won the Fourth Division and the Football League Trophy in 1988. The next season, they won the Third Division title in 1989.
The Hayward Years (1990–2007)
In 1990, lifelong fan Jack Hayward bought the club. He immediately spent money to rebuild the old Molineux stadium into a modern, all-seater venue. After the stadium work finished in 1993, Hayward focused on the team. He spent a lot of money to try and get Wolves promoted to the new Premier League. However, managers like Graham Taylor and Mark McGhee couldn't achieve this.
It wasn't until 2003 that Wolves finally got promoted. They beat Sheffield United 3–0 in the play-off final under manager Dave Jones. This ended their 19-year absence from the top league. But their stay was short, and they were relegated back to the EFL Championship after just one season.
Promotions, Relegations, and Changes (2007–2016)
After former England manager Glenn Hoddle couldn't get them back to the Premier League quickly, Mick McCarthy took over. He rebuilt the team, and they reached the play-offs in 2007. In 2007, Steve Morgan bought the club from Sir Jack Hayward. Two years later, in 2009, Wolves returned to the Premier League as champions of the 2008–09 Football League Championship.
Wolves stayed in the Premier League for two seasons. But in the 2011–12 season, McCarthy was dismissed. His assistant, Terry Connor, took over, but the team was relegated. The next season, 2012–13, they were relegated again to EFL League One. This was a level the club hadn't played at since 1989.
In May 2013, Kenny Jackett became the new head coach. In his first season, he led the team back to the EFL Championship. They set a new club record with 103 points, which is also a record for any team in the third tier.
Fosun Era: Back to the Top (2016–Present)
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On July 21, 2016, a Chinese company called Fosun International bought the club. They dismissed Kenny Jackett and hired former Italian player Walter Zenga as head coach. Zenga left after only 14 games, and Paul Lambert took over. Lambert was also dismissed at the end of the season.
Then, former FC Porto boss Nuno Espírito Santo became manager. Under Nuno, Wolves won the Championship title in 2018. This brought them back to the Premier League after six years.
In their first season back in the Premier League (2018–19), Wolverhampton Wanderers finished 7th. This was their highest finish since 1980. It also earned them a spot in the UEFA Europa League qualification rounds. This was their first European competition since 1980–81. They reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2020, losing to Sevilla. Wolves finished 7th again in the Premier League in 2019–20.
In the 2020–21 season, star striker Raúl Jiménez suffered a serious injury. The team struggled to score goals and finished 13th. Nuno Espírito Santo left, and Bruno Lage became manager. In 2021–22, the club finished 10th. Lage was dismissed in October 2022. Former Real Madrid and Spain manager Julen Lopetegui took over. He guided Wolves to a 13th-place finish. He left before the 2023–24 season and was replaced by Gary O'Neil.
Team Colors and Badge
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| Original colours. |
Wolves' traditional colors are gold and black. These colors represent the city council's motto: "out of darkness cometh light." Gold stands for light, and black for darkness. The team's first colors were red and white, from the school where the club started. But for most of their history, their home kit has been old gold shirts with black shorts.
Over the years, the shirt designs changed. Since the 1930s, they have mostly used a plain shirt. Before the 1960s, they used a darker gold, called "old gold."
Like most English teams, Wolves didn't always have a badge on their shirts. They only wore one for special games like cup finals. The first badge was the Wolverhampton City Council's coat of arms. In the late 1960s, Wolves introduced their own club badge. It showed a single leaping wolf. In the mid-1970s, it changed to three leaping wolves. Since 1979, the badge has been a single "wolf head" design. The current badge was last updated in 2002.
Wolves' traditional away colors are all-white. But in recent years, they have used many different colors. These include black, blue, teal, purple, and maroon.
Kit Makers and Sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (centre) | Shirt sponsor (sleeve) |
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| 1974–1982 | Umbro | No sponsor | No sponsor |
| 1982–1985 | Tatung | ||
| 1985 | Fiat | ||
| 1985–1986 | No sponsor | ||
| 1986–1988 | Spall | Staw | |
| 1988–1989 | Scoreline/Spall | Manders Paint & Ink | |
| 1989–1990 | Spall | ||
| 1990 | Goodyear | ||
| 1990–1992 | Bukta | ||
| 1992–1994 | Molineux | ||
| 1994–1996 | Nutmeg | ||
| 1996–2000 | Puma | ||
| 2000–2002 | Wolves Leisure | ||
| 2002–2004 | Admiral | Doritos | |
| 2004–2009 | Le Coq Sportif | Chaucer Consulting | |
| 2009–2010 | Sportingbet | ||
| 2010–2013 | Burrda | ||
| 2013–2015 | Puma | WhatHouse? | |
| 2015–2016 | Silverbug | ||
| 2016–2018 | The Money Shop | ||
| 2018–2019 | Adidas | W88 | CoinDeal |
| 2019–2020 | ManBetX | ||
| 2020–2021 | Aeroset | ||
| 2021–2022 | Castore | Bitci.com | |
| 2022–2023 | AstroPay | 12BET | |
| 2023–2024 | 6686 Sports | ||
| 2024–present | Sudu | DEBET | JD Sports |
The Stadium
Past Stadiums
When Wolves first started, they played on a field in the Blakenhall area. It could hold about 2,000 fans. In 1879, they moved to John Harper's Field. They stayed there for two years before moving to Dudley Road in 1881. This is where they played their first FA Cup game in 1883. The Dudley Road ground could eventually hold 10,000 spectators.
Molineux Stadium
Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, 2018
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| Capacity | 31,750 |
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| Construction | |
| Renovated | 1924–34; 1978–79; 1991–93 |
| Expanded | 2011–12 |
| Architect | Alan Cotterell (Billy Wright & Sir Jack Hayward stands) AFL (Stan Cullis stand) Atherden & Rutter (Steve Bull stand) |
| 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 current home, Molineux. The stadium is named after the Molineux House, built in the 1700s. The land around the house was later used for fun activities. When a company bought the land in 1889, they rented it to Wolves.
After making improvements, the first official game at Molineux was on September 7, 1889. About 4,000 fans watched. The ground could hold 20,000 people.
Wolves bought the stadium in 1923. They started making big improvements, adding new stands. By 1934, the stadium had four main stands. The South Bank stand was one of the largest "Kop ends" in the country. It often held over 30,000 fans.
Before seating rules, Molineux could hold over 60,000 spectators. The record attendance was 61,315 for a game against Liverpool in 1939. In the 1940s and 1950s, average crowds were often over 40,000. This was when the club was very successful. Molineux was also one of the first British grounds to have floodlights. This allowed them to host famous midweek friendly games against teams from all over the world. These games were very important before the European Cup started. The BBC often showed these games on TV.
In 1979, the club built a new stand, the John Ireland Stand. This was part of a plan to rebuild the whole stadium. But the cost of this stand grew to over £2 million. This caused big money problems for the club. By 1986, only the John Ireland Stand and the South Bank terrace were still used. New safety laws after a stadium fire meant the other old stands had to close. The club didn't have money to rebuild them.
After Sir Jack Hayward bought the club in 1990, he spent £8.5 million to rebuild Molineux. Between 1991 and 1993, three sides of the stadium were completely rebuilt. It became an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 28,525. The new stands were named after famous Wolves figures like Billy Wright and Stan Cullis. This new stadium was used for almost twenty years.
In 2010, plans were announced to make the stadium bigger. The first part of this plan was a new Stan Cullis Stand, finished in 2012. This raised the capacity to 31,700. Further plans to rebuild the Steve Bull Stand and increase capacity to around 36,000 were put on hold. This happened when the club was likely to be relegated from the Premier League in 2012.
After Fosun bought the club in 2016, stadium plans were discussed again. In 2019, they considered rebuilding the Steve Bull Stand and the Sir Jack Hayward Stand. This would increase the capacity to 45,000–46,000. However, in 2020, the club announced smaller plans. They decided to make gradual improvements to keep the stadium's unique feel. They also wanted to focus on investing in the team.
Players
First-Team Squad
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Players on Loan
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Youth Teams and Academy
The Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-23s team plays in Division 2 of the Premier League 2. This league is for players aged 23 and younger. However, three older players can also play. Their home games are usually at Kidderminster Harriers' Aggborough.
Wolves Women's Team
The Wolves Women team started in 1975. In 2008, it became the club's official women's team. They currently play in the FA Women's National League North, which is the third level of English women's football. Their home games are played at the New Bucks Head Ground in Telford.
Player of the Year Awards
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Club Officials
- Football Staff
- 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
- Medical Staff
- Club doctor:
Kai Win - First-team physiotherapist: Ollie Leaper
- First-team sports therapist: Gregg Jones
- First-team therapist:
Rui Fuste - Soft-tissue therapist: Matt Butterfield
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Famous Players and Managers
Notable Players
For details on all former players, see List of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players
Many famous players have played for Wolves. One of the most notable is Billy Wright. He captained England a record 90 times. He was also the first player to play 100 international games for England. Billy Wright won the Footballer of the Year Award in 1952. Another Wolves player, Bill Slater, won this award in 1960.
In total, 36 players have played for England while at Wolves. This includes the club's record goalscorer Steve Bull. He was the last Wolves player to play for England in a major tournament.
Players like Andy Gray, Emlyn Hughes, Paul Ince, and Denis Irwin have won league titles with other clubs before playing for Wolves. Joleon Lescott went on to play 26 times for England. Robbie Keane became Ireland's all-time leading goalscorer.
The Wolverhampton Wanderers Hall of Fame includes these former players:
- Mike Bailey
- Peter Broadbent
- Steve Bull
- Stan Cullis
Derek Dougan
Malcolm Finlayson- Ron Flowers
- Johnny Hancocks
- Billy Harrison
- Kenny Hibbitt
- Jackery Jones
- John McAlle
- Jimmy Mullen
- Andy Mutch
- Derek Parkin
- John Richards
- Bill Slater
- Roy Swinbourne
- Andy Thompson
- Dave Wagstaffe
- Bert Williams
- Billy Wright
Managerial History
Wolves have had 32 different permanent managers. The first manager, George Worrall, was called "club secretary." This continued until a full-time manager was appointed in 1922.
The club's most successful manager is Stan Cullis. He managed the team for 16 years. During his time, Wolves won all three of their league championships and two FA Cups. Two other managers are in the Club Hall of Fame: Major Frank Buckley and Graham Turner. Turner led Wolves to win two league titles in a row in the late 1980s. Bill McGarry and John Barnwell both won the League Cup for Wolves in the 1970s and 1980s.
In the 21st century, Dave Jones, Mick McCarthy, and Nuno Espírito Santo have led the club into the Premier League. Kenny Jackett led Wolves to a record 103 points in EFL League One (Tier 3) when they won that division in 2014.
Wolves have also had foreign managers. These include Ståle Solbakken (Norway), Walter Zenga (Italy), Nuno Espirito Santo (Portugal), Bruno Lage (Portugal), and Julen Lopetegui (Spain). Two former managers of the England national team, Graham Taylor and Glenn Hoddle, have also managed Wolves.
Fan Support
Wolves have many fan clubs in the United Kingdom. They also have supporters around the world. There are fan clubs in Australia, the United States, Sweden, Spain, Germany, Ireland, Malta, Iceland, and Norway. They have a large fan base in Scandinavia. This is because TV in that area showed football from the Midlands in the 1970s when Wolves were a top team. The first English match shown live in Sweden and Norway involved Wolves in 1969.
Rivalries
Wolves' oldest and strongest rivalry is with West Bromwich Albion. Their games are called the Black Country derby. The two clubs are about eleven miles apart. They have played each other 163 times. Their first game was an FA Cup tie in 1886. A national survey found this to be the strongest rivalry in English football. Both clubs were founding members of the Football League. They even competed for the league title in 1953–54, with Wolves winning.
Wolves also have rivalries with the two Birmingham clubs: Aston Villa and Birmingham City. They have played many games against these teams since the 1800s. Wolves' closest team geographically is Walsall. However, they rarely play in the same league, so this rivalry is less important. Since Wolverhampton is in Staffordshire, a Staffordshire derby between Wolves and Stoke City is also recognized.
The 2018–19 Premier League season was the only time Wolves were the only team from the West Midlands in the top league. In the 2020–21 Premier League season, Wolves played against both Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion. Since Albion was relegated, Aston Villa has been Wolves' only West Midlands rival in the Premier League.
Fan Culture
In the 1950s, when the club was at its best, the home crowd's song was "The Happy Wanderer." More recently, "Hi Ho Silver Lining" has become a popular song at home games. Fans change the chorus to "Hi Ho Wolverhampton!" The instrumental song "The Liquidator" was also used.
The club has a Fans' Parliament. Here, fans meet with club officials to talk about issues. An independent fan magazine called "A Load of Bull" (ALOB) was published from 1989 to 2012. It was partly named after the club's top goalscorer, Steve Bull.
Club Ownership
The club is owned by the Chinese company Fosun International. They bought the club on July 21, 2016. They paid about £45 million to the previous owner, Steve Morgan.
Fosun bought Wolves from Steve Morgan. Morgan had bought the club in August 2007 for a small amount of money. He agreed to invest £30 million into the club. Morgan owned the club for nine seasons. He put the club up for sale in September 2015.
Morgan had bought the club from Sir Jack Hayward. Sir Jack was a lifelong fan. He bought the club in 1990 for £2.1 million. During his time, Sir Jack invested about £50 million of his own money. He rebuilt the stadium and helped pay for new players. But the team only played one season in the top league during his 17 years as owner.
Sir Jack's ownership greatly improved the club's money situation. This was after a difficult time in the 1980s when the club went bankrupt twice. In 1982, the club was saved from closing down. Two Saudi brothers, Mahmud and Mohammad Bhatti, bought it. However, they did not invest enough. The club faced problems and was relegated several times. In 1986, the Wolverhampton City Council bought the club's stadium for £1.12 million. A local developer helped pay off the club's debts. In return, they got permission to build a supermarket next to the stadium.
Club Achievements
Wolves are fourth in the all-time table for points in all English league divisions since 1888. Only Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal have more points. Wolves were the first team to win all four divisions of English professional football. They have also won every major competition currently played in English domestic football.
League Titles
- First Division (top league)
- Champions: 1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59
- Second Place: 1937–38, 1938–39, 1949–50, 1954–55, 1959–60
- Second Division / First Division / Championship (second league)
- Champions: 1931–32, 1976–77, 2008–09, 2017–18
- Second Place: 1966–67, 1982–83
- Play-off Winners: 2003
- Third Division North / Third Division / League One (third league)
- Champions: 1923–24, 1988–89, 2013–14
- Fourth Division (fourth league)
- Champions: 1987–88
Cup Wins
- FA Cup
- Winners: 1892–93, 1907–08, 1948–49, 1959–60
- Runners-up: 1888–89, 1895–96, 1920–21, 1938–39
- Football League Cup
- Winners: 1973–74, 1979–80
- FA Charity Shield
- Winners: 1949*, 1954*, 1959, 1960* (* shared)
- Associate Members' Cup
- Winners: 1987–88
- Football League War Cup
- Winners: 1942
- UEFA Cup
- Runners-up: 1971–72
- Texaco Cup
- Winners: 1970–71
- USA Cup
- Winners: 1967
Records and Statistics
Player Records
Derek Parkin has played the most first-team games for Wolves, with 609 appearances. The highest goalscorer is Steve Bull with 306 goals. Billy Wright played the most international games for England while with Wolves, earning 105 caps. Matheus Nunes, bought for £38 million in 2022, was Wolves' most expensive signing. He was then sold for £53 million to Manchester City in 2023, becoming Wolves' record transfer sale.
Team Records
- Biggest win: 14–0 vs Crosswell's Brewery, FA Cup 2nd round, November 13, 1886
- Biggest defeat: 1–10 vs Newton Heath, Division 1, October 15, 1892
- Most league goals in a season: 115 (Division 2; 1931–32)
- Highest home attendance: 61,315 vs Liverpool, FA Cup 4th Round, February 11, 1939
League History Overview
Wolverhampton Wanderers was a founding 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 in the top two leagues of English football. Wolves played in the third league four times, each time for only one season. Three of these seasons ended with promotion back to the second league as champions. One season ended in relegation to the fourth league. The club has played two seasons in England's fourth league (in the 1980s).
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Images for kids
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The club's official crest.
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Wolves' 1893 FA Cup-winning team.
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A chart showing Wolves' league performance over the years.
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Nuno Espírito Santo, who led Wolves back to the Premier League.
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Celebrating the Championship title in 2009.
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The coat of arms of Wolverhampton.
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Molineux Stadium, Wolves' home ground.
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A statue of legendary player Billy Wright outside Molineux Stadium.
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A statue of famous manager Stan Cullis outside Molineux.
See also
In Spanish: Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club para niños
