43 photographs of Wolves players and matches from the past - capturing the nostalgic charm of 20th century football
Few clubs evoke the same sense of tradition, passion, and nostalgia as Wolves, And as unofficial guardians of the some of the club's heritage (via our photo archive), we have decided to embark on a journey through time, delving deep into the Express & Star archives to unearth 43 captivating images of Wolves players and matches from the past.
Some of the Wolves photos in the Express & Star archive are truly fascinating.
These photographs, spanning from the early 1900s to the vibrant days of the 1970s, serve as a portal to a time when football was to many not just a sport, but more of a way of life—a communal experience that bound communities together.
Each image tells a story - a snapshot frozen in time, preserving moments that defined the club's journey through the 20th century. For that reason, we've left most of the captions as they were, written on the back of hard copies in our old archive.
Through the lens of nostalgia, we pay respect to the players who donned the gold and black and the fans who watched them, their exploits etched into the fabric of both local lore and the wider footballing world.
A cat on the Molineux pitch. This is a print in the Express and Star picture archive at Queen Street, Wolverhampton, but unfortunately bears no date on the back. Perhaps 1950s or 1960s.A picture used with a running report in the Express and Star of May 30, 1942, of the War League Cup Final between Wolves and Sunderland that day at Molineux. The published caption was: 'Picture shows Heywood, the Sunderland goalkeeper, saving from Westcott in the early stages of the Cup final at Molineux this afternoon.' The match was played over two legs and the first leg at Sunderland had been a 2-2 draw. Wolves won the return leg 4-1 to win 6-3 on aggregate.Believed to be Wolves v Juventus in the quarter final of the inaugural UEFA Cup in 1972, played over two legs, home and away. If this ground is Molineux, then this is the second leg. The first leg was played on March 7, 1972, in Turin, and was a 1-1 draw, and the second leg was at Molineux on March 22, 1972, and Wolves won 2-1 to go through and eventually reached the final, but lost to Spurs.Blackburn Rovers v Wolves, February 1961. This was a print in the Express and Star picture archive at Queen Street, Wolverhampton. The published caption pasted to the back reads: 'Finlayson makes a daring dive at the feet of Dobing to prevent the Rovers' star forward getting through.' It has a datestamp of February 6, 1961, which will be publication date as according to the internet the match was played on February 4, 1961, and Wolves, who were playing away, lost 2-1.Ferencvaros v Wolves, UEFA Cup, 1972.Handwritten on the back of this print in the Express and Star picture archive at Queen Street, Wolverhampton, is: 'Thurs May 9, 1963. Bill Slater leads out the team for his final home game for Wolves, against his former club. After the severe winter of that year Wolves still had one more game to play in an extended season - they lost it 5-1 at Blackburn. Slater is being followed out by Fred Davies, Gerry Harris and Bobby Thomson.'Ironbridge-born Billy Wright of Wolves and England in 1950. This is a print in the Express and Star picture archive at Queen Street, Wolverhampton. The published caption pasted to the back reads: 'Stanley Mortensen (Blackpool) - left - and Billy Wright (Wolves), the team's captain, talking with Miss Neuza De Almeida, air hostess of the plane, as England's Rio party left London airport today. Miss De Almeida is to represent Panair Do Brasil in the 'Miss Airways 1950' contest at London airport on July 15.'"M. C. E. Marchpast of RAF at Battle of Britain," is written on the back of this print which was in the Express and Star picture library at Queen Street, Wolverhampton. It has a datestamp of September 23, 1944, which is likely to be the publication date. Although there is no location information, it is identifiably MolineuxManchester United v Wolves, March 5, 1960. This was a print in the Express and Star picture archive at Queen Street, Wolverhampton. The information on the back reads: '61380/Thomas 5.3.60. T6. Man. Utd v Wolves. Solo effort! Billy Foulkes, the Manchester United full back, took possession of the ball in his own half, beat three men, a Wolves forward, half back, and full back, then the goalkeeper (Sidebottom), and then had the misfortune to watch his shot just scrape the outside of the upright and go behind." According to the internet this match was played at Old Trafford on March 5, 1960, and Wolves won 2-0.New floodlighting being erected at Molineux in July 1957.Newcastle United v Wolves, January 9, 1960, FA Cup, Third Round, played at St James' Park.
