The 2013–14 season was the 115th season of competitive league football in the history of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. The club competed in League One, the third tier of the English football system for the first time since 1988–89. The previous season had brought relegation for a second successive season.
Former Millwall manager Kenny Jackett was appointed as Wolves' new head coach in the close season, replacing Dean Saunders who was fired after overseeing their relegation.
The team achieved promotion back to the Championship with four games to spare, setting a new club record points tally for a season in the process. Their third title at this level was confirmed on 21 April as the team went on to create a new record points amount for the third tier, reaching 103 points, until Birmingham City surpassed the record in the 2024–25 season, finishing on 111 points.
Season review
After a second consecutive relegation and four different managers during the previous sixteen months, Kenny Jackett, who had resigned from Millwall weeks earlier, was appointed on 31 May 2013 in the newly titled role of head coach. When pre-season training began on 24 June, Jackett announced that four key first team players – Karl Henry, Stephen Ward, Jamie O’Hara and Roger Johnson – were all now transfer-listed and that he intended to make greater usage of the club's academy players. In addition to the transfer listed players, further key players such as Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Stephen Hunt and Christophe Berra did not have their contracts renewed as the club sought to reduce their salary commitments. Only three new signings were made during the summer transfer window: free signing Sam Ricketts, who became club captain, as well as Kevin McDonald and Scott Golbourne from Sheffield United and Barnsley, respectively.
Wolves' first fixture in the third tier since 1989 was a goalless draw at Preston. This was followed by five consecutive league wins to bring the team into the automatic promotion places and earn Jackett a nomination for August's Manager of the Month Award. Despite their unbeaten league run being ended by local rivals Walsall, a run of eleven unbeaten matches brought them to the top of the table by mid-November.
The following seven matches brought only one victory though, and by early January both Leyton Orient and Brentford stood above Wolves with further games in hand. Wolves sought to strength their squad and recruited five players during the January transfer window - two being loan deals of James Henry and Michael Jacobs being made into permanent signings. Strikers Leigh Griffiths and Kevin Doyle (on loan) were both allowed to leave, with two former players, Nouha Dicko and Leon Clarke being bought as replacements.
With this new squad, the team recorded a club record nine straight victories - including a 3–0 success at promotion rivals Brentford - to return to the top of the table. Although suffering a final defeat of the campaign at Crawley in mid-March, on 12 April, promotion was secured with a 2–0 win at Crewe Alexandra that ensured the club's exit from League One after a solitary season. After two further wins, they were confirmed as champions after Brentford failed to beat MK Dons hours after Wolves had won at Leyton Orient, who had led the table for much of the early part of the season.
A final day win that relegated Carlisle ensured that Wolves set a new points record for the third tier as they reached 103 points. En route to the title, the team also set numerous new club records, including a new points record (surpassing the 92 points they set when last in the third tier) and a record nine consecutive wins, as well as equalling their previous best run of five consecutive away wins. At the conclusion of the season, Kenny Jackett was joint-winner of the LMA Awards Manager of the Year for League One, having earlier won the monthly award for March 2014.
Results Preseason
League One
A total of 24 teams competed in League One in the 2013–14 season. Each team played every other team twice, once at their stadium, and once at the opposition's. Three points were awarded to teams for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats.
The provisional fixture list was released on 19 June 2013 with the exception of the club's opening fixture, which was announced one day earlier having been selected as part of The Football League's 125th anniversary.
Final table
Results summary
Results by round
FA Cup
League Cup
Football League Trophy
Players Statistics
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Awards AwardWinner Fans' Player of the Season Kevin McDonald Players' Player of the Season Kevin McDonald Young Player of the Season Jack Price Academy Player of the Season Declan Weeks Goal of the Season Michael Jacobs(vs Brentford, 22 February 2014)
Transfers In DatePlayerFromFeeJuly 2013 Anthony Breslin St. Kevin's BoysFreeJuly 2013 Aaron Hayden ChelseaFreeJuly 2013 Victor Wagner Esbjerg fBFree4 July 2013 Sam Ricketts Bolton WanderersFree15 July 2013 Albert Torras BarcelonaFree14 August 2013 Kevin McDonald Sheffield United£750,00030 August 2013 Scott Golbourne Barnsley£700,0003 January 2014 James Henry Millwall£250,0008 January 2014 Michael Jacobs Derby County£200,00013 January 2014 Nouha Dicko Wigan Athletic£300,00030 January 2014 Leon Clarke Coventry City£750,00031 January 2014 Kortney Hause Wycombe Wanderers£45,00031 January 2014 Răzvan Oaidă Atletico AradFree
Out DatePlayerToFee June 2013 Jody Craddock Retired – June 2013 Christophe Berra Released Free June 2013 Josh Cooke Released Free June 2013 Aljaž Cotman Released Free June 2013 Dominic Dell Released Free June 2013 Sylvan Ebanks-Blake Released Free June 2013 Johnny Gorman Released Free June 2013 Stephen Hunt Released Free June 2013 Luke Ifil Released Free June 2013 Cieron Keane Released Free June 2013 Jake Kempton Released Free June 2013 Gary O'Neill Released Free June 2013 Sam Winnall Released Free24 June 2013 Adam HammillHuddersfield Town£750,0003 July 2013 Dorus de VriesNottingham ForestFree12 July 2013 Eggert Jónsson Released Free23 July 2013 Karl HenryQueens Park Rangers £1,000,0001 January 2014 Patrick AntelmiWigan Athletic Free31 January 2014 Wayne HennesseyCrystal Palace £3,000,00031 January 2014 Leigh Griffiths Celtic £2,000,000
Loans in DatePlayerFromEnd date 1 October 2013 James Henry Millwall 1 January 2014 11 November 2013 Michael Jacobs Derby County 4 January 2014
Loans out DatePlayerToEnd date 6 August 2013 Tongo Doumbia Valenciennes End of season 16 August 2013 Stephen Ward Brighton & Hove Albion End of season 21 August 2013 Wayne Hennessey Yeovil Town 17 November 2013 27 August 2013 Razak Boukari Sochaux End of season 2 September 2013 Georg Margreitter Copenhagen End of season 2 September 2013 Jamie Reckord Plymouth Argyle 1 January 2014 16 September 2013 Roger Johnson Sheffield Wednesday 2 January 2014 11 October 2013 Liam McAlinden Shrewsbury Town 6 December 2013 18 October 2013 Dave Moli Boreham Wood End of season 28 November 2013 Aaron McCarey York City 2 January 2014 6 January 2014 Roger Johnson West Ham United End of season 8 January 2014 Zeli Ismail Burton Albion End of season 10 January 2014 Michael Ihiekwe Cheltenham Town End of season 24 January 2014 Jake Cassidy Tranmere Rovers 27 April 2014 25 January 2014 Jamie Reckord Swindon Town 28 April 2014 31 January 2014 Kevin Doyle Queens Park Rangers End of season 31 January 2014 Björn Sigurðarson Molde 31 December 2014 27 February 2014 Kevin Foley Blackpool 31 March 2014 18 March 2014 Dominic Iorfa Shrewsbury Town 18 April 2014 27 March 2014 Bradley Reid Wrexham End of season
Management and coaching staff PositionNameHead coach Kenny JackettAssistant head coach Joe GallenDevelopment coach Steve WeaverFirst Team Fitness and Conditioning coach Tony DaleyGoalkeeping coach Pat MountainHead of Football Development and Recruitment Kevin ThelwellHead of Recruitment Stuart WebberAssistant Academy Manager / Under-18's coach Mick HalsallClub Doctor Dr Matthew Perry Club Physio Phil Hayward
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