One comment that often comes up on this website is that; ‘Wolves are a big club,’ and that we need to get rid of ‘small club mentality.’
That got me thinking. What exactly makes a ‘big’ club?
History, tradition, winning trophies, are certainly all part of the equation, alongside the fan base and how many internationals you provide for your home country. I guess the age of the person wanting to know also plays a part, as someone aged twenty-five may scoff at the idea of Huddersfield Town winning the league – as they did for three successive seasons between 1923-26, alongside an FA Cup win in 1922.
Granted, these trophies were acquired a long-time ago, but they earn as much merit as the kudos going to Man City for winning the Premier League last season. Other ‘big’ clubs would include the likes of Blackburn, Preston and Sunderland, who have won the top league six times.
Sadly, so many fans of the modern era dismiss these past achievements, which I find disrespectful of the history that surrounds both our country and game. After all, if we sneer at others, why do we expect them to think of Wolverhampton Wanderers as a ‘big’ club?
Ah Wolverhampton, the club with its best years fading ever further away; our glory days of the 1950s caught on camera by the grainy Pathe news, rather than the 4K HD quality of SKY. It is worth repeating, to an audience that hopefully has some idea, of just how good we were between 1950-60.
Division 1 Champions for season 1953/54, 1957/58, 1958/59
FA Cup Winners: 1959/60
League Runners up: 1949/50, 1954/55, 1959/60
Amazingly, we scored over one hundred goals in four successive seasons, between 1956-1960, with players of the calibre of; Murray, Broadbent and Ted Farmer, amongst others.
Sadly, our time in the sun came to an end and we were relegated in 1964/65, the Stan Cullis magic having run out.
Ever since then our achievements are what can only be described as slim pickings.
We did have a relatively successful 1970s, with our League Cup win in 1974 followed up by a Division 2 Championship in 1977, alongside numerous cup semi-final heartbreak stories, as we made a name for ourselves as a ‘cup’ team. However, the 80s were a time of severe decline, with only the League Cup win of 1980 raising a smile in Wolverhampton.
One thing that does mark as up as a ‘big’ club is the fact that we are still the only English football team to have won all the big prizes available. By that I mean we have won every league and cup on offer – even the Sherpa Van Trophy (1987/88). Therefore, the next time a Manc fan has a go at Wolves just remind them of that.
And we won it fair and square!
I should also add that the Texaco Trophy was ours as well (1971) although not a lot of people know that.
European football involvement is surely also a marker of a club’s size, and here we fall down, as we only have one final appearance to celebrate, our defeat to Tottenham in 1972 in the UEFA Cup. Of course, under Nuno we did have a memorable run to the quarter finals of the Europa League in 2019/20, but this was our only appearance in Europe (Anglo-Italian Cup excepted) since we lost to PSV Eindhoven (3-2 on aggregate) in 1981.
Surprisingly, our overall record in European competitions combined is decent enough, with Wolves winning twenty-eight games out of forty-nine (only thirteen defeats).
One of our strong points is providing players for England. Not too many, but when we do get a player selected, we go big. As evidence I give you the magisterial Billy Wright, the first footballer, worldwide, who gained one hundred caps for his country, whilst playing for the Wolves. That must count for something and give us a few Brucie bonus points in the ‘big’ team league? Other international players of note include Bert Williams (24 England caps), Ron Flowers (49 England caps), Steve Bull (13 England caps) and George Berry (5 Welsh caps).
Our attendances are also quite reasonable, although clearly restricted due to the size of the city. WBA fans will refer back to our crowds back in the middle 1980s, which were quite shocking – a record low of 1,618 on Jan 6, 1986 – where we saw Ian Cartwright salvage a 1-1 draw with Torquay in the Freight Rover Trophy, but everyone had a reduction in crowd numbers then, as I covered in another piece. I guess the same people that claimed to be on the terraces that night also saw the Sex Pistols down the Wolverhampton Lafayette club, whilst on their SPOTS tour of1977!
In reality, hardly anybody cared about our team, the rot having long set in.
Historically, then, we are indeed a big club, with a history to be proud of. However, given that most fans today think that football started with the advent of the Premier League in 1992, we are a small to middling team, forever associated with struggle. In all honesty, the best we can realistically hope for is to be the new Coventry City, hanging onto our place in the Premier League by the skin of our teeth. Does that make us a big club? I think not.
A big club would have a structure and strategy for growth. Wolves, sadly, seem to be on the decline, with an uncertain future both on and off the pitch. This does indeed mark us down as a small club. Equally, a ‘big’ club would have the likes of Mourinho interested in a managerial vacancy, rather than Steve Cooper, who has been linked to our hot seat of late.
It matters not the mentality of our fans, as the result always shows itself on the pitch. By all means celebrate our history, but most fans are more concerned with the result on a Saturday afternoon.
So, is there a way out for Wolves? Can we ever reach top dog status again, as we barked so proudly in the fifties?
I can’t see it, as modern football is more about money and investment, rather than a long-term plan for growth, especially with Fosun as owners. As fans we have to accept our position and celebrate every small achievement, as the big prizes have been taken away by those who run the game, with economics trumping sporting prowess.
How much fairer football could be, if all prize money and gate receipts were shared out equally between each and every club, rather than syphoned off to the richest. How much more competitive would that make our league and football in general?
A lot.
So, does my conclusion make me a defeatist? Possibly, but I am just being honest.
Others, though, may disagree.
ARTICLE BY BOBBY SMITH
Ex-A Load of Bull writer who loves punk and Oi! music, Chris Woakes, Test Match cricket, Wolverhampton Wanderers, military history. Author of One Love Two Colours and The Armageddon Pact.
WOLVES: BIG CLUB? SMALL CLUB?