Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. is one of English football’s most
storied clubs. Based in the town of Wolverhampton in the West
Midlands, ‘Wolves’ have spent almost their entire history in
English football’s top two tiers and were instrumental in the rise
of European competition. The club plays at Molineux Stadium, where it
has resided since 1889. Wolves was founded in 1877 and was one of the
12 founding members of the Football League in 1888, competing in the
first ever Football League match. The club celebrated early success,
winning the first of four FA Cups in 1893. Wolves also regularly
challenged for the League Championship and appeared in several FA Cup
Finals prior to the Second World War. Bookended by two FA Cup wins in
1949 and 1960, Wolves’ longest period of success came in the 1950s
under manager Stan Cullis as the club won its three only league titles
to date and regularly finished in the First Division’s top three.
The star of the Wolves team was its centre-half Billy Wright, who
captained both Wolves and England at three World Cups. Wolves also led
the introduction of floodlights and club games against European
opposition, giving them a rightful claim as pioneers in British
football. Wolves underwent a slight decline thereafter but remained
successful until the 1980s, contesting the 1972 UEFA Cup Final and
winning two League Cups in 1974 and 1980. Since 1982 the club has
remained mostly in English football’s second division, barring two
spells in the Premier League. Now under Chinese investment and back in
the Premier League after a six year absence, Wolves has a new, vibrant
Iberian flavour thanks to an influx of Portuguese coaches and players
including Nuno Espirito Santo and UEFA European Championship winners
Rui Patricio and Joao Moutinho, marking them as an intriguing team to
watch live.
culture
soccer
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21/03/2020 Last update