List of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. records and statistics

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.[1] Since that time, the club has played in all four professional divisions of the English football pyramid, and been champions of all these levels.[2] 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.[3]

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

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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.[4]

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.[4]

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 Forrest, 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,[2] 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.[5]

League

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First Division/Premier League

Second Division/Championship

Third Division/League One

Fourth Division

UEFA Cup

FA Cup

EFL Cup

FA Charity Shield

EFL Trophy

Texaco Cup

  • Winners: 1971

Minor honours

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Premier League Asia Trophy

Uhrencup

  • Winners: 2018

Football League War Cup

FA Youth Cup

United Soccer Association

NASL International Cup

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

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Appearances

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Most appearances[1]

Note: Competitive first-team games only; substitute appearances are included in total.

Rank Player Years League FA Cup League Cup Other[C] Total
1   Derek Parkin 1968–1982 501 46 35 27 609
2   Kenny Hibbitt 1968–1984 466 47 36 25 574
3   Steve Bull 1986–1999 474 20 33 34 561
4   Billy Wright 1939–1959 490 48 00 03 541
5   Ron Flowers 1952–1967 467 31 00 14 512
6   John McAlle 1967–1981 406 44 27 31 508
7   Peter Broadbent 1951–1965 452 31 00 14 497
8   Geoff Palmer 1971–1984 416 38 33 08 495
9   Jimmy Mullen 1937–1960 445 38 00 03 486
  John Richards 1969–1983 385 44 33 24

Goalscorers

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Highest goalscorers[1]

Note: Goals scored in competitive first-team games only

Rank Player Years League FA Cup League Cup Europe Other[C] Total
1   Steve Bull 1986–1999 250 07 18 00 31 306
2   John Richards 1969–1983 144 24 18 04 04 194
3   Billy Hartill 1928–1935 162 08 00 00 00 170
4   Johnny Hancocks 1946–1957 157 08 00 00 02 167
5   Jimmy Murray 1955–1963 155 07 00 02 02 166
6   Peter Broadbent 1951–1965 127 10 00 07 01 145
7   Harry Wood 1887–1898 110 16 00 00 00 126
8   Dennis Westcott 1937–1948 105 19 00 00 00 124
9   Derek Dougan 1967–1975 095 04 07 12 05 123
10   Roy Swinbourne 1945–1957 107 05 00 00 02 114

Internationals

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Award winners

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Football Writers' Footballer of the Year

Transfers

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Record paid

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No. Name Fee Paid to Date Ref.
1   Matheus Cunha £44,000,000   Atlético Madrid 1 September 2023 [7]
2   Matheus Nunes £38,000,000   Sporting CP 17 August 2022 [8]
3   Fábio Silva £35,000,000   Porto 5 September 2020 [9]
4   Raúl Jiménez £32,000,000   Benfica 1 July 2019 [10]
5   Gonçalo Guedes £27,500,000   Valencia 8 August 2022 [11]
Progression of record fee paid[6]
Date Player Bought from Fee
September 1963   Ray Crawford Ipswich Town £55,000
February 1968   Derek Parkin Huddersfield Town £80,000
July 1972   Steve Kindon Burnley £100,000
September 1977   Paul Bradshaw Blackburn Rovers £150,000
September 1979   Andy Gray Aston Villa £1,500,000
March 1995   Dean Richards Bradford City £1,850,000
September 1999   Ade Akinbiyi Bristol City £3,500,000
June 2009   Kevin Doyle Reading £6,500,000
June 2010   Steven Fletcher Burnley £6,500,000
August 2016   Ivan Cavaleiro   Monaco £7,000,000
January 2017   Hélder Costa   Benfica £13,000,000
July 2017   Rúben Neves   Porto £15,800,000
August 2018   Adama Traoré Middlesbrough £18,000,000
July 2019   Raúl Jiménez   Benfica £32,000,000
September 2020   Fábio Silva   Porto £35,000,000
August 2022   Matheus Nunes   Sporting CP £38,000,000
August 2022   Matheus Cunha   Atlético Madrid £44,000,000

Record received

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No. Name Fee Paid by Date Ref.
1   Pedro Neto £54,000,000   Chelsea 11 August 2024 [12]
2   Matheus Nunes £53,000,000   Manchester City 1 September 2023 [13]
3   Rúben Neves £47,000,000   Al-Hilal 1 July 2023 [14]
4   Diogo Jota £41,000,000   Liverpool 19 September 2020 [15]
5   Max Kilman £40,000,000   West Ham United 6 July 2024 [16]
Progression of record fee received
Date Player Sold to Fee
November 1961   Eddie Clamp Arsenal £45,000
September 1967   Ernie Hunt Everton £81,000
March 1974   Jim McCalliog Manchester United £81,000
March 1975   Peter Eastoe Swindon Town £88,000
November 1977   Alan Sunderland Arsenal £248,000
September 1979   Steve Daley Manchester City £1,440,000
July 1997   Neil Emblen Crystal Palace £2,250,000
August 1999   Robbie Keane Coventry City £8,100,000
August 2012   Matt Jarvis West Ham United £10,750,000
August 2012   Steven Fletcher Sunderland £14,000,000
July 2020   Hélder Costa Leeds United £15,600,000
September 2020   Diogo Jota Liverpool £41,000,000
July 2023   Rúben Neves   Al-Hilal £47,000,000
September 2023   Matheus Nunes Manchester City £53,000,000

Managers

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Team records

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Matches

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Firsts[1]
  • 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[17]
  • 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[17]
  • 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[17]

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]
  • Longest run of consecutive full seasons playing in Tier 2 of English football: 14 (1989 – 2003)
  • Longest unbeaten run: 21 games (January – August 2005)
  • Longest unbeaten run in home games: 27 games (March 1923 – September 1924)
  • Longest unbeaten run in away games: 11 games (September 1953 – January 1954)
  • Longest winning run: 9 games (January – March 2014)
  • Longest winning run in home games: 14 games (March – December 1953)
  • Longest winning run in away games: 5 games (during 1938, 1962, 1980, 2001, 2013)
  • Longest winless run: 19 games (December 1984 – April 1985)
  • Longest winless run in home games: 13 games (November 1984 – May 1985)
  • Longest winless run in away games: 32 games (March 1922 – October 1923)
  • Longest scoring run: 41 games (December 1958 – December 1959)
  • Longest scoreless run: 7 games (February – March 1985)
  • Longest run of clean sheets: 8 games (August – October 1982)
  • Longest run without a clean sheet: 30 games (September 2011 – April 2012)

Goals

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  • Most league goals scored in a season: 115 (Division 2; 1931–32)
  • Fewest league goals scored in a season: 27 (Division 1; 1983–84)
  • Most league goals conceded in a season: 99 (Division 1; 1905–06)
  • Fewest league goals conceded in a season: 27 (Division 3; 1923–24)
  • Most goals scored in a game (league): 10 (vs Leicester City, Division 1, 15 April 1938)
  • Most goals scored in a game (cup): 14 (vs Crosswell's Brewery, FA Cup 2nd round, 13 November 1886)

Points

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  • Most points in a season:[1]
    • Two points for a win: 64 (Division 1, 1957–58)
    • Three points for a win: 103 (League One, 2013–14)
  • Fewest points in a season:[1]
    • Two points for a win: 21 (Division 1, 1895–96)
    • Three points for a win: 25 (Premier League, 2011–12)

Attendances

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  • Highest home attendance: 61,315 vs Liverpool, FA Cup 4th Round, 11 February 1939[1]
  • Highest league attendance: 58,661 vs West Bromwich Albion, Division 1, 15 October 1949[1]
  • Highest average league attendance: 45,346 (1949–50 season)[1]

Season-by-season performance

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Miscellaneous feats

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  • Wolves were awarded, and scored from, the Football League's first ever penalty kick on 14 September 1891.[18]
  • Wolves were the first (and as of 2014 only) English league team to pass the 100-goal mark for four seasons in succession, in the 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60 and 1960–61 seasons.
  • In 2005 Wolves became the first team to have scored 7,000 league goals[19] and currently trail only Manchester United and Liverpool in terms of total league goals (as of the end of the 2016–17 season).[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Matthews, Tony (2008). Wolverhampton Wanderers: The Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-632-3.
  2. ^ a b "Wolves: The only team to have won it all". The Guardian. 9 August 2001.
  3. ^ "Wolverhampton Wanderers". Football Club History Database.
  4. ^ a b c "a) England – First Level All-Time Tables". -—-—."b) England – Professional Football All-Time Tables". RSSSF.
  5. ^ "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
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Matthews, Tony (2001). The Wolves Who's Who. West Midlands: Britespot. ISBN 1-904103-01-4.
  7. ^ "Wolves confirm Matheus Cunha signing from Atlético Madrid in £44m deal". The Guardian. 25 December 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Matheus Nunes: Wolves sign Portugal midfielder for club record £38m fee". BBC Sport. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Wolves sign teenage striker Fabio Silva from Porto for record £35.6m". BBC Sport. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Raul Jimenez: Wolves sign Benfica striker for club record £30m". BBC Sport. 4 April 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Goncalo Guedes: Wolves complete £27.5m signing of Portugal forward from Valencia". BBC Sport. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  12. ^ "Chelsea sign £54m Neto from Wolves". 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Manchester City sign Matheus Nunes from Wolves for £53m". BBC Sport. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  14. ^ "Ruben Neves: Wolves captain joins Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal for club record £47m". BBC Sport. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Liverpool sign Diogo Jota for £50m from Wolves as Ki-Jana Hoever moves to Molineux". BBC Sport. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  16. ^ "West Ham sign Wolves defender Kilman for £40m". BBC Sport. 6 July 2024. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  17. ^ a b c "Wolverhampton Wanderers : Records". Statto.
  18. ^ "Happened on this day – 14 September". BBC News. 14 September 2002.
  19. ^ "Club Records". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 15 September 2010.