1953–54 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season
The
1953–54 season was the 57th season of competitive league football in the history of English football club
Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. They played in the
First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, then the highest level of English football.
The season was a major success as the team won the League championship for the first time in their history, pipping local rivals
West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. Winning the title was a breakthrough for the club after three times previously finishing runners-up.
Season review
After an opening day mauling away at
BurnleyBurnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, the team found its feet and enjoyed a run of five successive wins to reach second place. The table was led by their
Black Country rivalsThe Black Country derby is most commonly the local derby between the English football teams West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The term 'Black Country derby' can also be given to a match between either of these teams and Walsall F.C., though such matches are less common as a result...
West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. Both teams kept up a relentless pace before Christmas, with Wolves producing a run that brought 31 points out of a possible 36, including defeating West Brom 1–0. At the halfway mark only Burnley and newly-promoted
Huddersfield TownHuddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
were managing to keep pace with the top two.
Defeat in their Christmas fixture against
Aston VillaAston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
lost Wolves the top spot they had gained for the first time a week earlier. The start of 1954 brought an instant exit from the FA Cup at the hands of fellow Midlanders
Birmingham CityBirmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, but also saw them return to the top of the table. A run of three defeats in four though – including the end of their 11 game unbeaten away record (a club record) – allowed West Brom to regain top spot.
While March saw Wolves suffer further defeats, their main rival's form proved even worse. A second
Black Country derbyThe Black Country derby is most commonly the local derby between the English football teams West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. The term 'Black Country derby' can also be given to a match between either of these teams and Walsall F.C., though such matches are less common as a result...
victory for Wolves against them in early April brought them level on points at the summit, second only on goal average with only five games remaining. Wolves then claimed top spot for the first time since early January the following week after thrashing
CharltonCharlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
5–0.
The Easter period proved the pivotal twist in the title race. A 4–0 thumping of Huddersfield gave Wolves' goal average a further boost, while West Brom were held to a draw by Aston Villa. As was then traditional, the fixtures were reversed the following day, with decisive results. Although both title chasers lost, West Brom's 1–6 hammering at
Villa ParkVilla Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
left their goal average far short of Wolves' with just a single game to play.
Only a huge loss for Wolves coupled with a big win for Albion could alter the outcome of the championship on the final day. In the event, neither happened, Albion went down to defeat at
PortsmouthPortsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, while Wolves' 2–0 victory over
TottenhamTottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
confirmed their first ever league championship.
Football League First Division
A total of 22 teams competed in the
First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in the 1953–54 season. Each team would play every other team twice, once at their stadium, and once at the opposition's. Two points were awarded to teams for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats.
HoldenWilliam "Bill" Holden was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward for several clubs in the Football League.-External links:* at the Post-War Players Database...
Pilkington
|goals2 =
SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
|stadium =
Turf MoorTurf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
,
BurnleyBurnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
|attendance =32,822
|referee = A. Holland
|result=L
}}
William John "Bill" Slater , OBE is an English former professional footballer....
SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
|stadium =
Maine RoadMaine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
,
ManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
|attendance =22,729
|referee = A. Murdoch
|result=W
}}
ShackletonLeonard Francis Shackleton, was an English footballer of the post-World War II period. Known as the Clown Prince of Football, he is generally regarded as one of English football's finest ever entertainers....
FordTrevor Ford was a Welsh international centre forward footballer who played for Aston Villa, Cardiff City, Sunderland and Swansea Town. He was born and died in Swansea.-Football career:...
|goals2 =
HancocksJohnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
|stadium =
Roker ParkRoker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
, Sunderland
|attendance =57,135
|referee = T. L. Wood
|result=L
}}
Mullen
HancocksJohnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
|goals2 =
GrantWilfred Grant was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for Southampton, Cardiff City and Ipswich Town.-Early career:...
|stadium =
MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
,
WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance =33,221
|referee = W. H. Clapton
|result=W
}}
Mullen
SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
|goals2 =
T. WrightTommy Wright was a Scottish footballer who played for Sunderland and the Scotland national football team as a midfielder.-Club career:...
|stadium =
MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
,
WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance =41,442
|referee = T. L. Wood
|result=W
}}
HoltonClifford Charles "Cliff" Holton was an English footballer.Born in Oxford, Holton played as a full back for non-league Oxford City as a youth, before joining Arsenal in October 1947 at the age of 18. He spent three seasons in the Gunners' reserve team, eventually converting to a centre forward...
|goals2 =
BroadbentPeter Frank Broadbent is a former England international footballer. He won major domestic honours with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and appeared in the 1958 World Cup.-Biography:...
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
HancocksJohnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
|stadium =
HighburyArsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
,
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
|attendance =60,460
|referee = G. Gibson
|result=W
}}
BroadbentPeter Frank Broadbent is a former England international footballer. He won major domestic honours with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and appeared in the 1958 World Cup.-Biography:...
|goals2 = Jackson
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance =35,701
|referee = K. A. Collinge
|result=W
}}
SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
|goals2 = GordonJohn Duncan Sinclair "Johnny" Gordon was an English professional footballer who played for Portsmouth and Birmingham City in the First Division as an inside-forward....
HarrisPeter Philip Harris was an association football player.Harris is notable for his career with Portsmouth F.C., his only professional club. Born in Southsea and signed from Gosport Borough F.C., he played a crucial role in Pompey's championship-winning teams as an out and out right-winger with an...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance =36,524
|referee = N. C. Taylor
|result=W
}}
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
BroadbentPeter Frank Broadbent is a former England international footballer. He won major domestic honours with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and appeared in the 1958 World Cup.-Biography:...
Mullen
|goals2 = BentleyRoy Thomas Frank Bentley is a retired English football player who played most notably for Chelsea and the England national side. He later became a manager...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance =36,134
|referee = J. H. Clough
|result=W
}}
BottomArthur Edwin Bottom is an English former footballer in the 1950s and 1960s. He played as a striker, and had a tremendously high goals to game ratio during his career, playing at several clubs; most notably York City and Newcastle United.-Biography:Bottom's career in Football started with Sheffield...
|goals2 = HancocksJohnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
|stadium = Bramall Lane-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
, SheffieldSheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
|attendance = 35,961
|referee = F. S. Flander
|result=D
}}
SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
|stadium = St James' ParkSt James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
, NewcastleNewcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
|attendance = 39,913
|referee = F. Thurman
|result=W
}}
BroadbentPeter Frank Broadbent is a former England international footballer. He won major domestic honours with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and appeared in the 1958 World Cup.-Biography:...
SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
|goals2 = TaylorThomas "Tommy" Taylor was an English footballer, who was known for his aerial ability. He was one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster....
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance =40,084
|referee = L. A. Brown
|result=W
}}
McPhersonKen McPherson is an English former professional footballer. A centre-forward, he began his career with Notts county in 1950 before moving on to Middlesbrough in 1957 and Coventry City in 1955....
HartnettJames Benedict "Jimmy" Hartnett was an Irish former professional footballer who played as a left winger....
|goals2 = SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
HancocksJohnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
|stadium = Ayresome Park-External links:**-References:...
, MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
|attendance =24,284
|referee = R. P. Hartley
|result=D
}}
HancocksJohnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
|stadium = The Valley, LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
|attendance = 35,595
|referee = A. A. Howlett
|result=W
}}
HancocksJohnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
|goals2 = WoodheadDennis Woodhead was a professional footballer whose career lasted from 1947 until 1959 during which time he played for Sheffield Wednesday, Chesterfield, Derby County and Southport. Woodhead was primarily a left winger who also played as a stand in centre forward when needed...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance =35,154
|referee = J. H. Clough
|result=W
}}
DuqueminLen Stanley Duquemin was a professional footballer most famous for playing for Tottenham Hotspur which he made his debut on March 1946....
|goals2 = WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
BroadbentPeter Frank Broadbent is a former England international footballer. He won major domestic honours with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and appeared in the 1958 World Cup.-Biography:...
HancocksJohnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
|stadium = White Hart LaneWhite Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
, LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
|attendance = 48,164
|referee = S. V. Davis
|result=W
}}
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
|goals2 = DaviesGordon John Davies is a former Welsh international football player. He earned 16 caps for Wales between 1979 and 1986, scoring 2 international goals.-Club career:...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance = 27,606
|referee = A. Murdoch
|result=W
}}
McParlandPeter James McParland, MBE is a former professional footballer.-Dundalk & Aston Villa:...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance = 40,536
|referee = J. McCann
|result=L
}}
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
|stadium = Villa Park, BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
|attendance = 49,123
|referee = J. McCann
|result=W
}}
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
HancocksJohnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
|stadium = Ninian ParkNinian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
, CardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
|attendance = 47,113
|referee = W. H. Clapton
|result=W
}}
LishmanDouglas John Lishman was an English footballer.Born in Birmingham, Lishman first played as a centre forward for non-league Paget Rangers, before signing as a professional for Third Division South Walsall in August 1946...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance = 45,974
|referee = G. Gibson
|result=L
}}
ReidJohn Douglas Jamieson "Duggie" Reid was a Scottish footballer. An inside forward, he played for Stockport County and Portsmouth....
|stadium = Fratton ParkFratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
, PortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
|attendance = 35,312
|referee = N. C. Taylor
|result=L
}}
SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
|goals2 = StephensonRobert Leonard "Len" Stephenson is an English former professional footballer.-Playing career:Stephenson began his professional career with Joe Smith's Blackpool in 1951. He made his debut for the club on 20 January in a 2–2 league draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance = 27,795
|referee = J. V. Sherlock
|result=W
}}
ParsonsEric "Rabbit" Parsons was a footballer who played for West Ham United, Chelsea and Brentford.A winger and crowd favourite whose blistering pace earned him the nickname "the Rabbit", Parsons started his career with West Ham United, spotted by the club during a game against West Ham Boys at Upton...
StubbsLeslie 'Les' Stubbs was an English footballer.Playing mainly as an inside forward, Stubbs started out with his local side, Great Wakering Rovers before signing for Southend United. He made his debut for Southend in 1948 and scored 45 goals in 88 games over the next four seasons...
|goals2 = SwinbourneRoyston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
|stadium = Stamford BridgeStamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
|attendance = 60,289
|referee = J. H. Clough
|result=L
}}
HancocksJohnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
BroadbentPeter Frank Broadbent is a former England international footballer. He won major domestic honours with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and appeared in the 1958 World Cup.-Biography:...
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
|goals2 = CrossJack Cross was a comic book series written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Gary Erskine. It was first published by DC Comics in 2005.-Plot:...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance = 27,823
|referee = F. S. Fiander
|result=W
}}
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
SlaterWilliam John "Bill" Slater , OBE is an English former professional footballer....
|goals2 = MilburnJohn Edward Thompson 'Jackie' Milburn, , also known to fans as Wor Jackie and 'the first World Wor' in reference to his global fame, was a football player for Newcastle United and England...
BroadisIvan Arthur Broadis is a former England international footballer. Broadis' clubs were Carlisle United, Sunderland, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Queen of the South. Broadis played at inside forward...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance = 38,592
|referee = F. Thurman
|result=W
}}
McPhersonKen McPherson is an English former professional footballer. A centre-forward, he began his career with Notts county in 1950 before moving on to Middlesbrough in 1957 and Coventry City in 1955....
DelapenhaLloyd Lindbergh "Lindy" Delapenha was a football player. He was the first Jamaican to play professional football in England.-Footballing career:...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance = 29,145
|referee = R. P. Hartley
|result=L
}}
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
Mullen
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance =35,028
|referee = A. A. Howlett
|result=W
}}
HancocksJohnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
BroadbentPeter Frank Broadbent is a former England international footballer. He won major domestic honours with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and appeared in the 1958 World Cup.-Biography:...
WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance = 42,862
|referee = W. J. Gaiger
|result=W
}}
McGarryWilliam Harry "Bill" McGarry was an English international football player and manager.A right-half as a player, he joined Port Vale following the end of World War II, and spent the next six years with the club. He then moved on to Huddersfield Town in 1951, where he would spend the next ten years...
|goals2 = WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
|stadium = Leeds RoadLeeds Road may refer to:* Leeds Road, former football and rugby league stadium in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England* A660 road, West Yorkshire, England, between Golden Acre Park and the Otley bypass...
, Huddersfield Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
|attendance = 35,814
|referee = W. J. Gaiger
|result=L
}}
Final table
| |
Club |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1 |
Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
|
42 |
25 |
7 |
10 |
96 |
56 |
1.714 |
57 |
| 2 |
West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
|
42 |
22 |
9 |
11 |
86 |
63 |
1.365 |
53 |
| 3 |
Huddersfield TownHuddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
|
42 |
20 |
11 |
11 |
78 |
61 |
1.279 |
51 |
Results by round
|}
FA Cup
As a First Division team, Wolves entered the competition at the third round stage. The draw for this round was made on 14 December 1953.
9 January 1954
|time = 14:15 GMTGreenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
|team1 = Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
|score =1 – 2
|team2 = Birmingham CityBirmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
|goals1 = WilshawDennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
|goals2 = MurphyPeter Murphy , often referred to as "Spud" Murphy, was an English footballer who played as an inside left. He played professionally for three clubs, Coventry City, Tottenham Hotspur and Birmingham City...
RowleyKenneth Francis "Ken" Rowley was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. He made 44 appearances in the Football League playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Coventry City.-Playing career:...
|stadium = MolineuxMolineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, WolverhamptonWolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
|attendance =36,784
|referee =
|result=L
}}
Players
Top scorer
| P. |
Nationality |
Player |
Position |
Football League |
FA Cup |
Total |
| 1 |
 Kingdom of England |
Dennis Wilshaw Dennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
|
Forward |
25 |
1 |
26 |
| 2 |
Kingdom of England |
Johnny Hancocks Johnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
|
Forward |
24 |
0 |
24 |
| 3 |
Kingdom of England |
Roy Swinbourne Royston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
|
Forward |
24 |
0 |
24 |
| 4 |
Kingdom of England |
Peter BroadbentPeter Frank Broadbent is a former England international footballer. He won major domestic honours with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and appeared in the 1958 World Cup.-Biography:...
|
Midfielder |
12 |
0 |
12 |
| 5 |
Kingdom of England |
Jimmy Mullen |
Midfielder |
7 |
0 |
7 |
Most appearances
| P. |
Nationality |
Player |
Position |
Football League |
FA Cup |
Total |
| 1 |
Kingdom of England |
Johnny Hancocks Johnny Hancocks was an English footballer, most associated with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:A diminutive figure, standing just 5' 4" with size 3 boots, Hancocks played in the Wrekin Schools team before making his debut for hometown club Oakengates Town in the Birmingham League, aged just 15...
|
Forward |
42 |
1 |
43 |
| 2 |
Kingdom of England |
Bill Shorthouse William "Bill" Shorthouse was an English professional football player and coach, who spent his playing career with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:...
|
Defender |
40 |
1 |
41 |
| 3 |
Kingdom of England |
Roy Swinbourne Royston Harry "Roy" Swinbourne is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He was capped once by England B.-Career:...
|
Forward |
40 |
1 |
41 |
| 4 |
Kingdom of England |
Bill Slater William John "Bill" Slater , OBE is an English former professional footballer....
|
Defender |
39 |
1 |
40 |
| 5 |
Kingdom of England |
Dennis Wilshaw Dennis James Wilshaw was an English international footballer. He scored 172 goals in 379 appearances in the Football League, and also scored ten goals in twelve appearances for the England national team.-Playing style:...
|
Forward |
39 |
1 |
40 |
In
| Date |
Player |
From |
| November 1953 |
 Bill BaxterWilliam Baxter was a Scottish footballer who played for Midlands clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa.-Biography:...
|
Aston VillaAston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
|
Out
| Date |
Player |
To |
| January 1954 |
 Ray Chatham |
Notts County Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
|
External links
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