| Club: | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| Season: | 2007–08 |
| Manager: | Mick McCarthy |
| Mgrtitle: | Manager |
| Chairman: | Steve Morgan OBE |
| Chrtitle: | Chairman |
| League: | Football League Championship |
| League Result: | 7th |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | 5th round |
| Cup2: | League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | 2nd round |
| League Topscorer: | Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (12) |
| Season Topscorer: | Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (12) |
| Highest Attendance: | 27,883 (vs. West Bromwich Albion, 15 April 2008) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 9,625 (vs. Bradford City, 15 August 2007) |
| Average Attendance: | 23,496 |
| Pattern La1: | _blackborder |
| Pattern B1: | _blacksidepiping |
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| Pattern So1: | _band_black |
| Leftarm1: | febd11 |
| Body1: | febd11 |
| Rightarm1: | febd11 |
| Shorts1: | 000000 |
| Socks1: | febd11 |
| Pattern La2: | _goldborder_2 |
| Pattern B2: | _amber_sleeve_seams |
| Pattern Ra2: | _goldborder |
| Leftarm2: | 2A2A86 |
| Body2: | 2A2A86 |
| Rightarm2: | 2A2A86 |
| Shorts2: | 2A2A86 |
| Socks2: | 2A2A86 |
| Pattern La3: | _blackshoulders |
| Pattern B3: | _blacksides |
| Pattern Ra3: | _blackshoulders |
| Pattern So3: | _band_black |
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| Prevseason: | 2006–07 |
| Nextseason: | 2008–09 |
The 2007–08 season was the 109th season of competitive league football in the history of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. They played the season in the 2nd tier of the English Football system, the Football League Championship. The season saw them finish seventh, narrowly missing out on a play-off place only by virtue of goal difference.
This season was the first under the ownership of Steve Morgan, ending the seventeen-year reign of Sir Jack Hayward.[1] Morgan had bought the club for the nominal sum of £10, with the proviso that he invested £30 million into the club.[2]
The close season saw businessman Steve Morgan take control of the club for a nominal £10 fee in return for a £30 million investment into the club, resulting in the departure of Sir Jack Hayward after 17 years as chairman. The protracted takeover, originally announced in May, was finally completed on 9 August 2007. The announcement of the deal saw the club set out their future ethos:[3]
After last season's unexpected play-off finish, hopes were high for the club to go one step further this time, with manager stating automatic promotion was his aim.[4] The side was strengthened by signing Freddy Eastwood,[5] Stephen Elliott[6] and Michael Gray,[7] but last season's Player of the Year, goalkeeper Matt Murray - who had only just recovered from a broken shoulder - missed the whole campaign after suffering a knee injury in pre-season training.[8]
On the field, the team started the season inconsistently, but a strong October and November saw them push as high as third, just three points from the summit. However, an injury suffered by key player Michael Kightly[9] [10] seemed to severely weaken the team's creativity and preceded a dismal Christmas period that saw them pick up just 4 points from a possible 21, leaving them mid-table and without hopes of an automatic finish.
More players were brought in during the January transfer window, most crucially striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake from Plymouth Argyle,[11] who scored 12 goals in the remainder of the season, finishing the division's top scorer on 23 goals. However, his goals alone could not bring about a second successive play-off finish as the side finished outside the final spot on goal difference, two goals short of Watford. Despite suffering just two defeats in their final 15 games, several crucial late goals that were conceded in the second half of the season ultimately proved costly. Indeed, just two more goals on the final day of the season would have booked them a playoff place.
"Wolves XI" pre season results: 0–0 v Brighton & Hove Albion (26 July; home), 7–0 v Holyhead Hotspur (28 July; away)
See also: 2007–08 Football League Championship. A total of 24 teams competed in the Championship in the 2007–08 season. Each team would play 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 14 June 2007, but was subject to change in the event of matches being selected for television coverage.[12]
Final table
| width=30 | Team | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 88 | 55 | +33 | 81 | |
| 2 | Stoke City | 46 | 21 | 16 | 9 | 69 | 55 | +14 | 79 | |
| 3 | Hull City | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 65 | 47 | +18 | 75 | |
| 4 | Bristol City | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 54 | 53 | +1 | 74 | |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 58 | 42 | +16 | 71 | |
| 6 | Watford | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 62 | 56 | +6 | 70 | |
| 7 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 53 | 48 | +5 | 70 | |
Results by round
See also: 2007–08 FA Cup.
See also: 2007–08 Football League Cup.
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| Award | Winner[13] | |
|---|---|---|
| Fans' Player of the Season | Wayne Hennessey | |
| Players' Player of the Season | Wayne Hennessey | |
| Young Player of the Season | Elliott Bennett | |
| Academy Player of the Season | Ashley Hemmings | |
| Goal of the Season | Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (Second goal vs Charlton Athletic, 29 March 2008) |
| Date | Player | From | Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 June 2007 | Gillingham | Undisclosed[14] | ||
| 3 July 2007 | Crystal Palace | Undisclosed[15] | ||
| 6 July 2007 | Southend United | £1.5 million | ||
| 17 July 2007 | Sunderland | £750,000 | ||
| 25 July 2007 | Unattached | Free | ||
| 14 August 2007 | Luton Town | Undisclosed[16] | ||
| 11 January 2008 | Plymouth Argyle | £1.5 million | ||
| 14 January 2008 | Luton Town | £675,000[17] | ||
| 31 January 2008 | Colchester United | Undisclosed[18] |
| Date | Player | To | Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 May 2007 | Aberdeen | Free[19] | ||
| 8 June 2007 | Leicester City | Free[20] | ||
| June 2007 | Released | Free[21] | ||
| June 2007 | Released | Free | ||
| 12 July 2007 | Bristol City | Undisclosed[22] | ||
| 31 August 2007 | Milton Keynes Dons | Undisclosed[23] | ||
| 31 August 2007 | Released | Free[24] | ||
| 3 December 2007 | Released | Free[25] | ||
| 31 January 2008 | Leicester City | Free[26] |
| Start date | Player | From | End date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 August 2007 | End of season[27] [28] | |||
| 19 October 2007 | End of season[29] [30] | |||
| 30 January 2008 | End of season[31] |
| Start date | Player | To | End date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 June 2007 | End of season[32] | |||
| 3 August 2007 | 26 January 2008[33] | |||
| 17 August 2007 | 19 September 2007[34] | |||
| 20 August 2007 | 21 November 2007[35] | |||
| 25 October 2007 | 3 January 2008[36] [37] | |||
| 14 November 2007 | End of season[38] [39] | |||
| 22 November 2007 | 6 January 2008[40] | |||
| 22 November 2007 | 2 January 2008 | |||
| 10 January 2008 | 12 March 2008[41] [42] | |||
| 31 January 2008 | End of season[43] | |||
| 31 January 2008 | End of season[44] | |||
| 31 January 2008 | 27 February 2008[45] | |||
| 21 February 2008 | 23 March 2008[46] | |||
| 29 February 2008 | 16 March 2008[47] | |||
| 6 March 2008 | End of season[48] | |||
| 14 March 2008 | End of season[49] | |||
| 27 March 2008 | End of season[50] |
The season saw a new away kit, navy blue with an old gold and white trim.[51] The home kit remained the same as the previous campaign and that season's white away kit was retained as a third kit for this term. The kits were manufactured by Le Coq Sportif, Chaucer Consulting sponsored the club for a fourth season.