Unlike Busby, who encouraged his talented players to express themselves. Wolves boss Stan Cullis favoured a much more regimented approach. He regarded overelaboration as a sin. The emphasis was was on getting the ball as quickly and as often as possible into the opposition’s box. Some denigrated this tactic as simply “kick and rush”, yet it reaped considerable dividends. Anchoring the side was the redoubtable Billy Wright, who would go on to make nearly 500 appearances in the famous Old Gold shirt. Wright set a new world record by making 70 consecutive international appearances, and he went on to become the first England player to win one hundred caps.
Apart from the championships of 1954, 1958 and 1959, Wolves also enjoyed some sparkling triumphs over top European opposition. In two memorable floodlit matches during the 1954-55 season Wolves came out on top against Moscow Spartak and a Honved side that boasted Puskas, Kocsis and several other members of Hungary’s all-star team. As Honved were regarded as the supreme club side of the day, CuUis was quick to acclaim his men as world champions. This piece of self-pubhcity is said to have prompted Gabriel Hanot, a sports reporter with L’Equipe, to seek support for his idea to stage a cup competition for Europe’s leading clubs. UEFA quickly took the idea on board and in September 1955 the first European Cup matches were held.
Drake makes history at Chelsea
Wolves could only finish runners-up in 1954-55, and it was Chelsea who earned the right to play in the first Champions Cup. Under pressure from the Football League, who were concerned that the new competition would undermine the domestic programme, Chelsea declined to enter. The only league success in the club’s history did earn a special place in the record books, however. Ted Drake had won the championsliip with Arsenal in the 1930s and had now repeated that success as a manager, the first man to do that particular double.
Above: England and Russia line up at Wembley before the start of the international in October 1956, which the home team won by 5 goals to nil.
Below: John Charles trains with his brother Mel who also represented Wales.
Opposite: Jackie Henderson, signed twenty-four hours previously from Wolves for ? 18,000, paid dividends to his new club Arsenal when he scored a goal against West Bromwich Albion Just ten minutes into the match.
World History
