Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English football club based in Wolverhampton. The club was founded as St Luke's in 1877, soon becoming Wolverhampton Wanderers, before being a founder member of the Football League in 1888. Since that time, the club has played in all four professional divisions of the English football pyramid, and been champions of all these levels. They have also been involved in European football, having been one of the first English clubs to enter the European Cup, as well as reaching the final of the first staging of the UEFA Cup.
This list encompasses all honours won by Wolverhampton Wanderers and records set by the club, their managers and their players. The player records section includes details of the club's leading goalscorers and those who have made most appearances in first-team competitions, as well as transfer fee records paid and received by the club. A list of streaks recording all elements of the game (wins, losses, clean sheets, etc.) is also presented.
Honours In the all-time top flight league table since the league's inception in 1888, Wolves sit in the top fifteen, in terms of all-time English first level league position.
Alternatively, they sit in the top four, behind only Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in terms of all-time league position from points gained at any level of English professional football.
Cumulatively, they are the joint 11th most successful club in domestic English football history, tied with Nottingham Forest. One place behind Blackburn Rovers, with nine major trophy wins, not including super cups. Alternatively they are joint 10th with Nottingham Forest, in competitive honours with 13 trophy wins, behind Newcastle United.(see here).
Uniquely, they are the only club to have won titles in five different Football League divisions, and, in 1988, became the first team to have been champions of all four professional leagues in English football; although this feat has since been matched by Burnley (in 1992) and Preston (in 1996). They remain the only club to have won all the main domestic cup competitions (FA Cup, League Cup and EFL Trophy) currently contested in English football."Wolves completed the set when they won the (then) Sherpa Van Trophy in 1988. Apart from four FA Cups (1893, 1908, 1949, 1960), three First Division championships (1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59) and two League Cups (1974, 1980), the Wolves set also includes the Charity Shield (beating Forest in 1959), the FA Youth Cup (1958) and the Anglo-Scottish Cup (1971). Having also won the Second Division (1931–32, 1976–77), the Third Division (1988–89), the Third Division North (1923–24) and the Fourth Division (1987–88)", only the renamed Championship remained and was duly completed (2008–09). Bryant, Tom; Roopanarine, Les; Chesterton, George; "KNOWLEDGE ARCHIVE" Guardian.co.uk, 3 October 2007
League First Division/Premier League Champions: 1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59 Runners-up: 1937–38, 1938–39, 1949–50, 1954–55, 1959–60
Second Division/Championship Champions: 1931–32, 1976–77, 2008–09, 2017–18 Runners-up: 1966–67, 1982–83 Play-off winners: 2003
Third Division/League One Champions: 1923–24 (North), 1988–89, 2013–14
Fourth Division Champions: 1987–88
Cup UEFA Cup Runners-up: 1972 FA Cup Winners: 1893, 1908, 1949, 1960 Runners-up: 1889, 1896, 1921, 1939
EFL Cup Winners: 1974, 1980
FA Charity Shield Winners: 1949*, 1954*, 1959, 1960* (* joint holders) Runners-up: 1958
EFL Trophy Winners: 1988
Texaco Cup Winners: 1971
Minor honours
Premier League Asia Trophy Winners: 2019
Uhrencup Winners: 2018
Football League War Cup Winners: 1942
FA Youth Cup Winners: 1958 Runners-up: 1953, 1954, 1962, 1976
United Soccer Association Champions 1967 – playing as Los Angeles Wolves
NASL International Cup Winners 1969 – playing as Kansas City Spurs
Premier League 2 Division 2 Winners 2018-19
The Central League Winners 1931–32, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1957–58, 1958–59
Birmingham Senior Cup Winners 1891–92, 1892–93, 1893–94, 1899–1900, 1901–02, 1923–24, 1986–87 Runners-up 1888–89, 1896–97, 1897–98, 1903–04, 1906–07, 1908–09, 1912–13, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2016–17
Birmingham Football Combination Winners 1934–35
Birmingham & District League Winners 1892–93, 1897–98, 1898–99, 1900–01, 1953–54, 1957–58, 1958–59
Worcestershire Football Combination Winners 1957–58
Staffordshire Senior Cup Winners 1887–88, 1893–94, 1966–67 Runners Up 1884–85
Shropshire Senior Cup Winners 2001
Walsall Senior Cup Runners Up 1885–86
Wrekin Cup Winners 1884 (First ever trophy)
Daily Express National Five-a-Sides Winners 1975, 1976
Gothia Cup Winners 2009
Players
Appearances Most appearances Note: Competitive first-team games only; substitute appearances are included in total. RankPlayerYearsLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal1 Derek Parkin5014635276092 Kenny Hibbitt1968–19844664736255743 Steve Bull1986–19994742033345614 Billy Wright1939–19594904803541 5 Ron Flowers1952–196746731014512 6 John McAlle1967–19814064427315087 Peter Broadbent1951–1965452 31014497 8 Geoff Palmer1971–1984416383384959 Jimmy Mullen1937–19604453803486 John Richards1969–1983385443324
Most League appearances: 501 – Derek Parkin (1968–1982) Most FA Cup appearances: 48 – Harry Wood (1885–1898) and Billy Wright (1939–1959) Most League Cup appearances: 36 – Kenny Hibbitt (1968–1984) Most European appearances: 18 – Derek Dougan (1967–1975) Most consecutive appearances: 171 – Phil Parkes (127 league), September 1970 to September 1973 Youngest player: Jimmy Mullen, 16 years 43 days (vs Leeds United, 18 February 1939) Oldest player: Archie Goodall, 41 years 116 days (vs Everton, Division 1; 2 December 1905)
Goalscorers Highest goalscorers Note: Goals scored in competitive first-team games only RankPlayerYearsLeagueFA CupLeague CupEuropeOtherTotal1 Steve Bull2507180313062 John Richards1969–19831442418441943 Billy Hartill1928–193516280001704 Johnny Hancocks1946–195715780021675 Jimmy Murray1955–196315570221666 Peter Broadbent1951–1965127100711457 Harry Wood1887–1898110160001268 Dennis Westcott1937–1948105190001249 Derek Dougan1967–1975954712512310 Roy Swinbourne1945–19571075002114
Most goals in a season in all competitions: 52 – Steve Bull (1987–88, Division 4) Most League goals in a season: 38 – Dennis Westcott (1946–47, Division 1) Most top flight goals scored: 158 – Johnny Hancocks (1946–57) Most Premier League goals scored: 36 – Raúl Jiménez (as of 3 November 2021) Most goals in European competition: 12 – Derek Dougan (1967–75) Most hat-tricks scored: 18 – Steve Bull (1986–99) Most goals scored in a match: 5 Joe Butcher vs Accrington, 19 November 1892 (Division 1) Tom Phillipson vs Bradford City, 25 December 1926 (Division 2) Billy Hartill vs Notts County, 12 October 1929 (Division 2) Billy Hartill vs Aston Villa, 3 September 1934 (Division 1) Fastest recorded goal: 15 seconds – John Richards vs Burnley, 15 November 1975
Internationals First international: Charlie Mason for England vs Ireland, 17 March 1884 Most international caps received whilst signed to Wolves: Billy Wright – 105 for England (1939–59) Most international goals scored whilst signed to Wolves: 10 – Ron Flowers and Dennis Wilshaw (both England) Most World Cup Finals appearances whilst signed to Wolves: 10 – Billy Wright (England, 1950–58)
Award winners Football Writers' Footballer of the Year Billy Wright – 1952 Bill Slater – 1960
Transfers
Record paid NameFeePaid toDate1 £44,000,000 Atlético Madrid2 £38,000,000 Sporting CP3 £35,000,000 Porto4 £32,000,000 Benfica5 £27,500,000 Valencia
Progression of record fee paid DatePlayerBought fromFeeSeptember 1963 Ray CrawfordIpswich Town£55,000February 1968 Derek ParkinHuddersfield Town£80,000July 1972 Steve KindonBurnley£100,000September 1977 Paul BradshawBlackburn Rovers£150,000September 1979 Andy GrayAston Villa£1,500,000March 1995 Dean RichardsBradford City£1,850,000September 1999 Ade AkinbiyiBristol City£3,500,000June 2009 Kevin DoyleReading£6,500,000June 2010 Steven FletcherBurnley£6,500,000August 2016 Ivan Cavaleiro Monaco£7,000,000January 2017 Hélder Costa Benfica£13,000,000July 2017 Rúben Neves Porto£15,800,000August 2018 Adama TraoréMiddlesbrough£18,000,000July 2019 Raúl Jiménez Benfica£32,000,000September 2020 Fábio Silva Porto£35,000,000August 2022 Matheus Nunes Sporting CP£38,000,000August 2022 Matheus Cunha Atlético Madrid£44,000,000
Record received
NameFeePaid byDate1 £54,000,000 Chelsea2 £53,000,000 Manchester City3 £47,000,000 Al-Hilal4 £41,000,000 Liverpool5 £40,000,000 West Ham United
Progression of record fee received DatePlayerSold toFeeNovember 1961 Eddie ClampArsenal£45,000September 1967 Ernie HuntEverton£81,000March 1974 Jim McCalliogManchester United£81,000March 1975 Peter EastoeSwindon Town£88,000November 1977 Alan SunderlandArsenal£248,000September 1979 Steve DaleyManchester City£1,440,000July 1997 Neil EmblenCrystal Palace£2,250,000August 1999 Robbie KeaneCoventry City£8,100,000August 2012 Matt JarvisWest Ham United£10,750,000August 2012 Steven FletcherSunderland£14,000,000July 2020 Hélder CostaLeeds United£15,600,000September 2020 Diogo JotaLiverpool£41,000,000July 2023 Rúben Neves Al-Hilal£47,000,000September 2023 Matheus NunesManchester City£53,000,000
Managers
Longest-serving manager: Jack Addenbrooke – 36 years, 10 months Shortest-serving manager: Bill McGarry (second spell) – 61 days Youngest manager when appointed: Jack Addenbrooke – 20 years old Oldest manager when appointed: Bill McGarry (second spell) – 58 years old
Team records
Matches Firsts First known match: St Luke's 0–8 Stafford Road, 13 January 1877 First FA Cup match: Wolves 4–1 Long Eaton Rangers, 1st round, 27 October 1883 First Football League match: Wolves 1–1 Aston Villa, 8 September 1888 First match at Molineux: Wolves 1–0 Aston Villa, friendly, 2 September 1889 First European match: Wolves 2–2 Schalke, European Cup 2nd round 1st leg, 12 November 1958 First League Cup match: Wolves 2–1 Mansfield Town, 2nd round, 13 September 1966
Record wins Record win: 14–0 vs Crosswell's Brewery, FA Cup 2nd round, 13 November 1886 Record League win: 10–1 vs Leicester City, Division 1, 15 April 1938 Record FA Cup win: 14–0 vs Crosswell's Brewery, FA Cup 2nd round, 13 November 1886 Record League Cup win: 6–1 vs Shrewsbury Town, 2nd round 1st leg, 24 September 1991 Record European win: 5–0 vs Austria Vienna, European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final 2nd leg, 30 November 1960 Record home win (league): 10–1 vs Leicester City, Division 1, 15 April 1938 Record home win (cup): 14–0 vs Crosswell's Brewery, FA Cup 2nd round, 13 November 1886 Record away win (league): 9–1 vs Cardiff City, Division 1, 3 September 1955 Record away win (cup): 5–0 vs Grimsby Town, FA Cup semi-final, 25 March 1939 (neutral venue)
Record defeats Record defeat: 1–10 vs Newton Heath, Division 1, 15 October 1892 Record League defeat: 1–10 vs Newton Heath, Division 1, 15 October 1892 Record FA Cup defeat: 0–6 vs Rotherham United, 1st round, 16 November 1985 Record League Cup defeat: 0–6 vs Chelsea, 3rd round, 25 September 2012 Record European defeat: 0–4 vs Barcelona, European Cup 2nd round first leg, 10 February 1960 Record home defeat (league): 0–8 vs West Bromwich Albion, Division 1, 27 December 1897 Record home defeat (cup): 3–6 vs Derby County, FA Cup 3rd round, 14 January 1933 Record away defeat (league): 1–10 vs Newton Heath, Division 1, 15 October 1892 Record away defeat (cup): 0–6 vs Rotherham United, FA Cup 1st round, 16 November 1985; and vs Chelsea, League Cup 3rd round, 25 September 2012
Streaks
Note: Applies to League games only
Longest run of consecutive full seasons playing in Tier 1 of English football: 26 (1932 – 1965) [n.b. 1939–40 season was abandoned due to outbreak of World War II and there was no full league football between 1940 and 1946 due to the conflict]