List of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. records and statistics explained

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

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

First Division/Premier League

Second Division/Championship

Third Division/League One

Fourth Division

Cup

UEFA Cup

FA Cup

EFL Cup

FA Charity Shield

EFL Trophy

Texaco Cup

Minor honours

Premier League Asia Trophy

Uhrencup

Football League War Cup

FA Youth Cup

United Soccer Association

NASL International Cup

Premier League 2 Division 2

The Central League

Birmingham Senior Cup

Birmingham Football Combination

Birmingham & District League

Worcestershire Football Combination

Staffordshire Senior Cup

Shropshire Senior Cup

Walsall Senior Cup

Wrekin Cup

Daily Express National Five-a-Sides

Gothia Cup

Players

See also: List of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players.

Appearances

Most appearances[1] Note: Competitive first-team games only; substitute appearances are included in total.
Rankwidth=20%Playerwidth=12%Yearswidth=12%Leaguewidth=12%FA Cupwidth=12%League Cupwidth=12%Otherwidth=12%Total
1 Derek Parkin501463527609
2 Kenny Hibbitt1968–1984466473625574
3 Steve Bull1986–1999474203334561
4 Billy Wright1939–19594904803541
5 Ron Flowers1952–196746731014512
6 John McAlle1967–1981406442731508
7 Peter Broadbent1951–1965452 31014497
8 Geoff Palmer1971–198441638338495
9 Jimmy Mullen1937–19604453803486
John Richards1969–1983385443324

Goalscorers

Highest goalscorers[1] Note: Goals scored in competitive first-team games only
Rankwidth=20%Playerwidth=12%Yearswidth=12%Leaguewidth=12%FA Cupwidth=12%League Cupwidth=12%Europewidth=12%Otherwidth=12%Total
1 Steve Bull250718031306
2 John Richards1969–1983144241844194
3 Billy Hartill1928–19351628000170
4 Johnny Hancocks1946–19571578002167
5 Jimmy Murray1955–19631557022166
6 Peter Broadbent1951–196512710071145
7 Harry Wood1887–189811016000126
8 Dennis Westcott1937–194810519000124
9 Derek Dougan1967–19759547125123
10 Roy Swinbourne1945–19571075002114

Internationals

Award winners

Football Writers' Footballer of the Year

Transfers

Record paid

NameFeePaid toDate
1 £44,000,000 Atlético Madrid[7]
2£38,000,000 Sporting CP[8]
3£35,000,000 Porto[9]
4 £32,000,000 Benfica[10]
5£27,500,000 Valencia[11]
Progression of record fee paid[6]
DatePlayerBought fromFee
September 1963 Ray CrawfordIpswich Town£55,000
February 1968 Derek ParkinHuddersfield Town£80,000
July 1972 Steve KindonBurnley£100,000
September 1977 Paul BradshawBlackburn Rovers£150,000
September 1979 Andy GrayAston Villa£1,500,000
March 1995 Dean RichardsBradford City£1,850,000
September 1999 Ade AkinbiyiBristol City£3,500,000
June 2009 Kevin DoyleReading£6,500,000
June 2010 Steven FletcherBurnley£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 TraoréMiddlesbrough£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

NameFeePaid byDate
1£53,000,000 Manchester City[12]
2£47,000,000 Al-Hilal[13]
3£41,000,000 Liverpool[14]
4£40,000,000 West Ham United[15]
5£26,000,000 Nottingham Forest[16]
Progression of record fee received
DatePlayerSold toFee
November 1961 Eddie ClampArsenal£45,000
September 1967 Ernie HuntEverton£81,000
March 1974 Jim McCalliogManchester United£81,000
March 1975 Peter EastoeSwindon Town£88,000
November 1977 Alan SunderlandArsenal£248,000
September 1979 Steve DaleyManchester City£1,440,000
July 1997 Neil EmblenCrystal Palace£2,250,000
August 1999 Robbie KeaneCoventry City£8,100,000
August 2012 Matt JarvisWest Ham United£10,750,000
August 2012 Steven FletcherSunderland£14,000,000
July 2020 Hélder CostaLeeds United£15,600,000
September 2020 Diogo JotaLiverpool£41,000,000
July 2023 Rúben Neves Al-Hilal£47,000,000
September 2023 Matheus NunesManchester City£53,000,000

Managers

See also: List of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. managers.

Team records

Matches

Firsts[1]
Record wins[17]
Record defeats[17]
Streaks[17]

Note: Applies to League games only

Goals

Points

Attendances

Season-by-season performance

See main article: List of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. seasons.

Miscellaneous feats

Notes and References

  1. Book: Matthews, Tony . Wolverhampton Wanderers: The Complete Record . 2008 . Breedon Books . Derby . 978-1-85983-632-3.
  2. Web site: Wolves: The only team to have won it all . The Guardian. 9 August 2001.
  3. Web site: Wolverhampton Wanderers . Football Club History Database.
  4. Web site: a) England – First Level All-Time Tables . -—-—. Web site: b) England – Professional Football All-Time Tables . .
  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. Book: Matthews, Tony . The Wolves Who's Who . 2001 . Britespot . West Midlands . 1-904103-01-4 .
  7. News: Wolves confirm Matheus Cunha signing from Atlético Madrid in £44m deal. The Guardian. 25 December 2022. 30 April 2024.
  8. News: Matheus Nunes: Wolves sign Portugal midfielder for club record £38m fee. BBC Sport. 18 August 2022. 25 June 2023.
  9. News: Wolves sign teenage striker Fabio Silva from Porto for record £35.6m. BBC Sport. 5 September 2020. 25 June 2023.
  10. News: Raul Jimenez: Wolves sign Benfica striker for club record £30m. BBC Sport. 4 April 2019. 25 June 2023.
  11. News: Goncalo Guedes: Wolves complete £27.5m signing of Portugal forward from Valencia. BBC Sport. 8 August 2022. 25 June 2023.
  12. News: Manchester City sign Matheus Nunes from Wolves for £53m. BBC Sport. 1 September 2023. 1 September 2023.
  13. News: Ruben Neves: Wolves captain joins Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal for club record £47m. BBC Sport. 23 June 2023. 25 June 2023.
  14. News: Liverpool sign Diogo Jota for £50m from Wolves as Ki-Jana Hoever moves to Molineux. BBC Sport. 19 September 2020. 25 June 2023.
  15. Web site: West Ham sign Wolves defender Kilman for £40m. 6 July 2024. 21 April 2024 . BBC Sport. en.
  16. News: Morgan Gibbs-White: Nottingham Forest sign Wolves midfielder for club-record £25m plus add-ons. BBC Sport. 19 August 2022. 25 June 2023.
  17. Web site: Wolverhampton Wanderers : Records . Statto.
  18. News: Happened on this day – 14 September . BBC News . 14 September 2002.
  19. Web site: Club Records. Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 15 September 2010.