From Past to Present: A handful of Wolves’ finest players
By way of introduction, this article serves as a modest contribution to the Wulfrun ROC think tank, organised and coordinated by Intelligence Forums, which seeks to promote and drive forwards the Wolverhampton and Black Country region more widely. It is the city’s much beloved football team, Wolverhampton Wanderers, that occupies my interests here and, in due course, I will reflect on some of Wolves’ greatest ever players through the years.
Stanley Cullis (1934 - 1947)
Notable Achievements: FA Cup
Stanley Cullis joined Wolves as a teenager from Bolton Wanderers and quickly broke into the first team after demonstrating exceptional defensive ability. Cullis, who also offered superb ball-playing capabilities (particularly for a centre half), made an instant impact at the club and helped Wolves to exceed expectations by finishing as top-division runners-up for two consecutive seasons (1937-1938; 1938-1939). Beyond his natural talent, Cullis possessed one of the rarest and most valuable footballing qualities: leadership. It was this leadership which earned the Englishman not only club captaincy at the age of just 19 but also a managerial position immediately after his playing career had ended. With Cullis as manager (1948 - 1964), Wolves then went on to enjoy what many believe to be their most successful period ever, winning the illustrious FA Cup twice and the league title three times.
Billy Wright (1939 - 1959)
Notable Achievements: FWA Footballer of the Year; Ballon d’or Runner Up; First Division x3; FA Cup
Billy Wright’s football career - much like Cullis - was heavily affected by WWII: between 1939 (the beginning of his career) and 1945, Wright was unable to play consistent football amid the emergence and development of the second world war. Once the conflict reached its conclusion, however, Wright established himself in football’s top division and is widely accepted as one of the great post-war period players. Also playing at centre-half, Wright formed an outstanding partnership alongside the retiring Cullis and went on to accumulate over 500 club appearances over 20 years at the Molineux. During his playing time under Cullis’ management, Wright won individual awards such as FWA Footballer of the Year (1952) and Ballon d’Or Silver (1957) and also helped Wolves win a further FA Cup (1949) and the First Division three times (1953-54; 1957-58; 1958-59).
John Richards (1969 - 1983)
Notable Achievements: League Cup x2; UEFA Cup Runners Up
John Richards signed for the Wanderers in 1969 and made his professional debut against West Bromwich Albion in 1970, playing as an out and out centre-forward. Despite what was a relatively slow start to life at the Molineux, Richards went on to become Wolves’ all-time leading scorer, bagging 194 goals in 385 appearances (*this has since been surpassed by Steve Bull). Otherwise known as ‘King John’ - a testament to his popularity amongst fans - Richards’ goals helped the club attain the league cup twice (1974; 1980) and reach the finals of the coveted UEFA Cup. Beyond a fine servant to Wolves as a player, Richards returned to the club as a managing director in the 1990’s, shortly after occupying a role in Wolverhampton’s local government.
Adama Traore (2018 - present)
Notable Achievements: PFA Player of the Month
Adama Traore arrived at the Molineux Stadium in 2018 from Middleborough following an impressive two year spell at the Championship side. Notwithstanding Traore’s undoubted footballing ability - and his individual contributions to Wolves’ recent success in both domestic and European competitions - it is clear that he still has some way to go before earning the sort of status held by those already discussed. Given his brilliance, however, with time and continued consistency this is not inconceivable for Traore. The winger is known first and foremost for his incredible strength and blistering pace. Further than this, it ought be mentioned, Traore has recently added far more to his game than raw athleticism; namely he has become highly productive in so-called ‘final-ball scenarios’, particularly with regards to crosses into the box and one-on-one finishing.
It should be reiterated that those individuals discussed (or rather the first three) represent all but a portion - and certainly not an exhaustive list - of Wolves’ greatest ever players. Whilst there are even more still, I offer some honourable mentions to the likes of Ron Flowers, Bert Williams, Derek Dougan, Bill Slater and Steve Bull.
Theo Walsh Assistant Researcher & Recent Graduate of the University of Liverpool in Philosophy & Business Studies
theo17walsh@gmail.com | 07584433587 | @theowa1sh