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As a first step Wolves are inducting our legends into the Wolverhampton Wanderers Hall of Fame. Formal presentation was at a Hall of Fame dinner on Thursday 15th January 2009 and Thursday 14th January 2010 at Molineux. London Wolves table invited Terry Wharton as their guest in 2009 and were deloghted to see our President John Richards inducted in 2010. The third induction was Friday 7th January 2011. Nominations were invited - email halloffame@wolves.co.uk with up to five nominations before 28th August 2010. Current Hall of Famers are listed below. The rules have been changed so that non-footballers can be nominated. Legends inducted into the Hall of Fame 2009 (pix)
details: Jones/Cullis click here Wright/Flowers click here Bully & Derek Parkin click here 2010 (pix)
2011 (pix)
Wolves report is here http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/HallOfFame/0,,10307~1522539,00.html Photos C Oebel, webmaster Wolves Hall of Fame page is here http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/HallOfFameIndex/0,,10307,00.html
Billy Harrison Matt Murray on Bert Williams & Bert
Mike Stowell & Matt on Bert
Three weeks after the 2009 dinner - Thursday February 5th, the Wolves Former Players’ Association held their 21st Anniversary dinner at Molineux. London Wolves also hosted a table Peter Creed WW FPA secretary wrote to Stoo Wolves Former Players Association are celebrating our 21st Anniversary on Thursday 5th February at their spiritual home Molineux Stadium. The late great Billy Wright CBE created the FPA in January 1988 in honour of his friend and Wolves Legend Jimmy Mullen who sadly died in October 1987. Stan Cullis and Billy were the founder President and Chairman respectively. Since also sadly losing both Billy and Stan our President is now Bert Williams, Chairman Malcolm Finlayson with Bill Slater CBE OBE, Roy Swinbourne and Derek Parkin on the committee. It has been a privilege for me to be the honorary secretary since the start when the Express & Star helped the formation. Our last event was a tribute to Peter Broadbent in 2006 (which London Wolves attended) Wolves Chairman, Mr Steve Morgan OBE, is generously hosting the Dinner for the FPA members and their wives in the Hayward Suite at Molineux on Thursday February 5th at 7pm. The dress code is lounge suit or blazer and flannels plus a tie. Our friend Bob Hall of ITV will be the Compere for the evening. Comedian Ian “Sludge” Lees (a keen Wolves fan) will entertain us. . 2011 Induction. 7th January 2011 Molineux Wolves put on a great show for the latest batch of inductees. Pictures follow (thanks Colleen). For the Induction and, following a rule change by the selection committee which permitted recognition of other than players and managers, SJH was properly enrolled. Bizarrely they also included the play-off final in Cardiff in 2003, more in a double celebration of SJH, since no players were invited, not even Matt Murray, ignoring other much more significant events, but it was at least a great chance to see Matt’s saves and the three goals again. On the footballing side, recognition came to Roy Swinbourne (played 230 times 114 goals) and Jimmy Mullen (played 486, 112 goals) while all time Wolves playing record holder and Hall of Famer Derek Parkin told the committee not to ignore the significant fans’ clamour to include The Doog as he was a “helluva player” and first up was non-stop Kenny Hibbitt. Doog played 307 times scoring 123 goals while Kenny – the fans’ favourite of the 70s and early 80s played 552 and scored 114. The sold out SJH restaurant was well entertained by the evening, especially by Sir Jack, and we were fortunate to enjoy the company of legendary winger Terry (“Waggy and I made all Doog’s goals for him”) Wharton at the London Wolves table. One of the guests singled out for “dubious mention” was the Molineux architect (an SJH comment) but also recognised were soon to be Baroness Heyhoe Flint and Express & Star Chief Football Writer Martin Swain. Martin covered the event in Saturday’s Star as well as a special feature on Monday..... Martin wrote (now on the E&S website with pictures)... Sir And Sir Jack was at his mischievous best as two of his former managers Graham Turner and Graham Taylor joined him to offer their tributes before current owner Steve Morgan described him as "the greatest gentleman I have ever known". Wolves' great benefactor, the first figure from the club's history to take a Hall of Fame seat without either playing for or managing the team, had the guests in stitches with some typically mischievous wisecracks. Both Taylor and Turner agreed on the one problem managing the team after Sir Jack bought Wolves and rescued Molineux from dereliction back in 1990. It was a major problem that he lived so far away," they. agreed. "I was far away earning money to keep you people going" Sir Jack responded. The night became a double-award for Sir Jack because his finest moment as owner — the 2003 Championship Play Off final victory at the Millennium Stadium became the first occasion to be i Former Villa boss Martin O'Neill kept a pledge to lead the tributes to one of the most controversial but popular players of the past, Derek Dougan. O'Neill first met the old Wolves striker who died three years ago when he was called up for Northern Ireland and said "He came up to me to look after me and wish me well and I never forgot that. I absolutely loved the fella." Dougan repeated the same welcome for another nervous youngster. "I came down from Bradford Park Avenue where we had at most 20 players to find a club with 42 professionals, " recalled Kenny Hibbitt, one of the night's most popular inductees. "There used to be a top dressing room for the first team and a bottom one for the youngsters. I was 17 and never forgot Derek coming down to our dressing room to seek me out out on my first day. I was so nervous to be in the company of so many great players but he said: `Welcome son - work hard, listen and you'll do fine" It was great advice." By Martin Swain, Chief Football Writer, Express & Star
1. Roy Swinbourne
2. Jimmy Mullen Kenny Hibbitt
Derek Dougan
Sir Jack Hayward
26th May 2003 - Cardiff
London Wolves at he 2011 Hall of Fame Dinner
London Wolves have this fantastic souvenir legends poster for sale, signed by Billy and Bully. Details from Stoo or here
London Wolves have this fantastic souvenir legends poster for sale, signed by Billy and Bully - ask Stoo or here |
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Chairm
an Steve Morgan has announced plans for a museum as part of the stadium redevelopment. Amongst other purposes this will honour Wolves heroes of the past. The museum is expected to open late 2012 as part of the North Bank rebuild.
Jack Hayward stole the show on another night of star-touched memories at Molineux for Wolves' third Hall of Fame induction. The former owner shared the a stage with four more illustrious players from the club's roll call of honour as Fifties kings Roy Swinbourne and Jimmy Mullen and Seventies heroes Derek Dougan and Kenny Hibbitt joined him as the latest arrivals in the club's most prestigious members club. 
nducted into the Hall of Fame. Morgan led the acclaim for this moment and surprised Sir Jack by presenting him with a Craddock original — a painting by Wolves defender Jody capturing the moment when he gave the thumbs-up to supporters as the team closed in on victory over Sheffield United.
