Molineux Unveils Sculpture Commemorating Wolves’ Historic 1954 Victory

A new sculpture has been revealed at Molineux, commemorating Wolverhampton Wanderers’ notable triumph over Honved Budapest seven decades ago. In December 1954, nearly 60,000 spectators witnessed Wolves compete against the Hungarian champions. The home team achieved a 3-2 victory after initially trailing 2-0. Honved was considered among the era’s top teams, and Wolves’ success in this match was instrumental in the inception of the European Cup. On Friday, spectators assembled outside the stadium for the unveiling ceremony of the new steel and gold leaf sculpture, which commemorates one of the club’s most significant historical matches. Reverend Andrew Cullis, the son of former Wolves manager Stan Cullis, stated that the “match was so special”. He recounted, “Interestingly, I think he did shed a tear after they won, which was most unusual.” He added, “That really meant a lot to him.” Cullis, who passed away in 2001 at 85 years old, was also responsible for guiding Wolves to their initial league titles during the 1950s. Ivor Wherton, recalling the atmosphere of the game from seven decades prior, mentioned that the crowd was “shouting and screaming and cheering” for the team. He remarked, “It was a wonderful win at the time.” The sculpture commemorates the match’s significance and acts as an enduring symbol of Wolves’ contribution to the establishment of Europe’s leading club football competition. During the match, Cullis, then the team’s manager and a former footballer, assigned a confidential task to his apprentices, among whom was a young Ron Atkinson. Mr Atkinson recounted, “It’s absolutely bucketing down with rain… and you know what the manager, the legendary Stan Cullis had us kids doing?” He continued, “Watering the pitch. And it’s raining.” Diane Williams, daughter of Dennis Wilshaw, who assisted in scoring the second goal during the game, described her father as an “incredible player and incredible goalscorer”. She expressed, “I just feel very proud.” For further updates, follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.