If you like classic English stadiums with a great history, you will find exactly what you're looking for in Wolverhampton. The official language of Wolves may be Portuguese these days, but Molineux is and remains a great place to visit.
Wolverhampton Wanderers has been around for almost 150 years and not without success. They already won the FA Cup in the 19th century and in the 1950s they became national champions three times. Since then, Wolves has pretty much played in every division of English football. A few years ago, they returned to the Premier League where they are more than creditable.
Molineux has been the home of Wolves since 1889, and what a home it is. It's a very nice stadium in every aspect. But particularly striking, are the large differences in height around the golden yellow stadium. The parking lot behind the Sir Jack Hayward Stand is almost on the same level as the roof from that stand, making it look like a small stadium, whilst from the other side the stadium looks massive.
In the 1950s, Molineux was one of the first stadiums with artificial lighting. This meant that football clubs could now also play in the evening. As a result, the club decided to organise gala matches against top European sides, matches that were so well received that they would prove to be the impetus for the emergence of European football as we know it today.
The curving 'banana-shaped stands' on the long sides are also very special. The Stan Cullis Stand, built in 2012, is the stadium's largest and most modern stand. The plan is – and this can clearly be seen from the curvature on that side – to extend this stand to the long stand on the other side, whereby only the main stand will remain as it is for the time being.
Wolverhampton is a grey town in The Black Country, the coal mining region in the English Midlands where the sun barely shines. It's the complete opposite of Portugal basically. So what attracts all these Portuguese footballers and trainers to Wolves? The answer is football agent Jorge Mendes. The world's most famous agent is not officially contracted by Wolves, but chairman Jeff Shi calls him ''a friend''. Coincidentally, since he took office, Wolves has practically only brought in players and coaches from Mendes' stable, a shadowy game that seems to involve multiple clubs.
Molineux's four stands are named after individuals who have played an important role in Wolves' history: Billy Wright (Legendary Captain), Stan Cullis (Most Successful Manager), Jack Hayward (Famous Owner) and Steve Bull (star striker in the 1980s and 1990s). The first three have also been given a statue behind their 'own' stands.
The Stan Cullis Stand houses the Wolves Museum, where you can get a good picture of the club's successes to date. The museum contains numerous shirts, cups from the 19th century and even a Hall of Fame with the most important people in the club's history. The museum is also open on match days and is an excellent stop in preparation for the match.
If a pub is named after you as a football player you are usually a great one, and in the case of Billy Wright, it is well deserved. As a centre-back, he never played for any other club than Wolves. He also became the first England national team player to make more than 100 caps and captained his country to three World Cups. In the heart of Wolverhampton – on 9 Princess Street – is 'The Billy Wright', the pub named after him. Beautiful photographs from Wolves' history adorn the walls, which also feature a photograph of Wright himself. It's a hotspot for many fans to drink a pint before and after matches.
Wolverhampton Wanderers was founded in 1877 as St Luke's, the school team of St Luke's Church in the south of the city. This church still exists and is on Upper Villiers Street, although the Grade II listed church building is now an antique shop. The school building no longer exists, but a plaque to the left of the church marks the site of the old building. This plaque tells the story of the founding of the club we know today; Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The nearest pub to Molineux is The Leaping Wolf, a detached pub on the corner of Staveley Road and Waterloo Road. The pub is decorated in club colours and scarves adorn the walls, whilst the outside terrace offers a beautiful view of Molineux's Stan Cullis Stand, just a mere 100 meters away.
Given the revival of the club's performance, matches are often sold out. To get tickets for matches in the Premier League you need a membership, which you can purchase via the club's official website. A membership costs 35 pounds. After purchasing a membership, you can also order tickets on the website.
Wolverhampton is a fairly compact city with everything within walking distance, and Molineux is no different being just a few minutes away from the centre. From Wolverhampton St. George's stop, the terminus of the West Midlands Metro from Birmingham, it's less than a ten-minute walk to the stadium. The train station of Wolverhampton is even closer.
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