Wolverhampton Wanderers
1888/1889…
Prominent Performers…
Jack Baynton
Gk 18 Appearances, 3 clean sheets
As well as actually forming the club, Jumpin’ Jack appears in Wolves’ first-ever F.A Cup tie, their first-ever Football League Match & is their first skipper to deliver any Silver-Ware to the cabinet- the rocking Wrekin Cup, of 1884 !
Albert Fletcher
Df 16 apps, 1 Goal
‘Man Mountain’, Albert notches the only League Goal of his career in the 4-4 draw with Accrington in October - The local lad will be selected to represent England against Wales in the end of season Home Internationals, England winning 4-1 at Stoke’s Victoria Ground…
Dickie Baugh
Df 22 Apps
“Teak-Tough” Dickie, a late aquisition for the forthcoming Football League campaign from near-neighbours & hot-rivals, Stafford Road F.C, the England International plays every minute of Wolves’ debut Football League season & cracking F.A Cup run…
Df 22 Apps
Harry Allen
England International Harry, hard as nails but twice as skillful, Captain Harry has alraedy represented his country, appearing in England’s 5-1 win over Wales in the previous seasons Home Internationals is undoubtedly Wolves’ player of the campaign, skippering them to third place finish in the League & a place in the season’s Cup Final to boot…
David Wykes
Mf 18 Apps, 4 Goals
Signing from Wallsall Swifts in the August of ‘88, Wykes most valuable contribution to the successful season, the late equalizing strike following a “…tussle for the Ball in the area…” that secures for the Wolves a September draw with big, bad, Blackburn Rovers…
John “Jack” Brodie
Fw 18 apps, 11 Goals
Along with Jack Baynton one of the original Wanderers from the club’s formation back in ‘77 & scoring the club’s first competitive Goal, Jack finds himself registering in nine consecutive games, between October the 20th & December the 29th, including the winner in the original Black Country League derby against the Albion…
Harry Wood
Fw 17 apps, 13 Goals
One of very many Walsallians that made up the Wolves’ original League number, cultured Inside-Forward Wood, top scores with 13 Goals including, on November the 3rd, the club’s first ever Football League Hat-Trick in their 4-1 beating of Derby at current home patch down Dudley Road way…
Notable Others…
William Crisp Rose
GK 4 Apps, 1 clean sheet
Eustonian Bill, thrice an England International, already, arrives at Wolves as Goalkeeping cover for club legend Jack Baynton…
Best Day…
January the 26th, 1889…
…& the Wolves have this game as good as in the bag by the interval, cruising into a formidable Four Goal lead, Jack Brodie fires the Fifth in the second half as the Wolves “cement” for themselves a more than creditable third place finish…
Everton
(h)
5-0
…Worst Day
…January the 19th, 1889
…as Billy Rose puts in a most lamentable display on his debut between the sticks at rock-bottom Notts…
Jack Brodie is missing however, due to being chosen to represent the “North” against the “South” at Sunderland - The “North” lose, 2-1…
Notts County
(a)
0-3
Brodie-Missing !
The Cup Run…
R1
Old Carthusians
(h)
4-3
Wolves battle back from two down at half-time to pull of a famous victory against the 1881 Winners, Mason pinching it in the dying moments…
R2
Walsall Town Swifts
(h)
R3
3-1
Despite going an early Goal down, Wolves end up brushing the Swifts aside rather easily in the end- They had pinched all their best players in the summer, mind…
(h)
The Wednesday
6-1
Brodie missing again, this time due to his being called up to play for England - Albert Fletcher steps in & registers the decisive Goal of the Game in his absence…It’s the last stand for Dudley Road before next seasons move to the Molineux Grounds- It goes out on a high, however, registering it’s highest attendance ( 10,000 )
SF
Blackburn Rovers
(n)
SF(replay)
3-0
Poor Jack Brodie misses this one, played in front of 15,000 souls at Crewe, due to the recent deceasement of his father, David Wykes weighing in with the second half equalizer…
(n)
1-1
Jack’s back but it’s Harry Wood (2) & Tommy Hunter who get the Goals that fire the Wanderers to their first, ever F.A Cup Final…
Wolves
The Final
London’s Oval, March the 30th, 1889
Preston North End
“…the match began with lots of wild rushing & reckless tackling as the early excitement seemed to get the better of both teams…”
“…Wanderers directed several long shots at the North End citadel but would surely have been more dangerous had they got themselves just a little closer to the target…”
“…Preston’s game of short passes to each others pedal extremities* gave them the edge over the Wanderers more enthusiastic long passes, right through the air…”
Final Score
Despite Wolves’s valiant efforts, North End come away with the Cup comfortably enough in the end, finishing the match with Association Football’s first ever Double - at the first attempt, at that & all without losing a match, the bloody Show-Offs !
Wolves 0, Preston 3
*…Feet, we think they mean…
Wolves 1888/89
P W D L G+ G- Pts Pos
22 12 4 6 51 37 28 3/12
F.A Cup Runners-Up
Birmingham Senior Cup Runners-Up
…The Wanderers Cup surely runeth over, this, the inaugural Football League season -Third position & Runners-Up in the Cup confirm them among the big beasts of the earliest days of the Professional Football League scene…
They’d’ve most certainly enjoyed their Christmas, beating, as they do, Shrewsbury Town 10-0 in the Brum Charity Cup on Christmas Eve & the Notorious Newton Heath, 6-1 on Boxing Day in a festive friendly !
Credit, where Credit’s due, Brian…
Wolves Complete History
Historical Football Kits
Before the ‘D’
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