It’s a debate that throws up many different names and there really isn’t a definitive answer, just a whole host of opinions, writes Wolves blogger Nathan Lloyd.
However, to mark its 100th anniversary, the Professional Footballers’ Association has published a list detailing every single league club’s best player ever - as voted for by supporters.
Surprisingly, Robert Taylor was voted Wolverhampton Wanderers best-ever player, a shock to many.
No, obviously it wasn’t the mighty sloth Taylor; the prestigious accolade actually fell to Steve Bull.
I wasn’t in agreement with this decision, buts that’s the beauty of it, isn’t it?
The possible flaw in online polls is that the people voting for a particular club’s greatest player are likely to be under the age of 40 and will therefore only have seen players from about 1980 onwards play for their clubs in the flesh.
When I put together my Wolves greatest XI a few weeks ago, I spent quite a few days researching each player’s achievements and therefore why they warranted a place in the team.
The bulk of that team was chosen from the 1950’s all-conquering Wolves side.
Wolves achieved more in that decade than every other Wolves team has collectedly accomplished in our history.
So who to pick?
Steve Bull epitomizes what this club and our fans are all about; hardworking, driven, and passionate.
He has old gold ‘n’ black running through his veins and you can’t imagine a player of his caliber staying at a lower division club in the current era.
Would the likes of Michael Kightly or Wayne Hennessy still be at this club in five years time if we are still languishing in the Championship?
I’ve drawn up my all time top ten players below.
Because I am only in my mid-thirties, I obviously haven’t seen any of the player’s pre-1980 playing in the flesh, so I am relying on video footage, fans and fan-sites to help shape my opinion.
10. Eddie Clamp
9. Bill Slater
8. Ron Flowers
7. Eddie Stuart
6. John Richards
5. Doog
4. Peter Broadbent
3. Dennis Westcott
2. Bully
1. Billy Wright
A top-ten is a very subjective choice.
Leaving out the many great players that have worn the old gold ‘n’ black almost fills me with guilt.
The likes of Robbie Keane, Paul Ince, Emlyn Hughes and Andy Gray were not at the club long enough to really be considered as an all-time great.
The top ten I have chosen have exactly 4,000 Wolves appearances between them.
My number one choice, Billy Wright, was the first ever player to represent his country over 100 times and captained England 90 times (a record he shares with Bobby Moore).
His achievements with Wolves are unparalleled.
He only missed 31 league games during the 1950s and picked up three leagues titles and an FA Cup in the process.
During his total of 541 appearances for Wolves and his 105 games for England, he was never cautioned or sent off by any referee.
So although Bully was a phenomenal player and I’m proud to sit in the stand that bears his name, I just feel that Billy’s achievements are on another level.
Do you agree with my choice of Billy at the top or should it be Bully, or perhaps someone else?
Wolves fans what do you think? Have your say below
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54 Comments
You can’t really say that the greatest Wolves player of all time COULD be anyone else but Billy Wright.
your spot on there Nathan.
Bully was the best iv ever seen in my life time and im younger than u!
bully was amence in the box but billy was england and wolves captain! thats an acheivment!
Steve bull will always be known 4 saving wolves.
what about stan cullis?
maybe if billy wright was still alive it may have been different?
ever way they are both Wolverhampton Wanderers legends and they both deserve it
all the best wacky!
ps THE STEVE BULL…THE STEVE BULL…THE STEVE BULL
Nathan, I think you’ve got it just about right. Although Bully is probably my all time Wolves hero, I think that Billy Wright’s overall performance/career earns him the accolade of our best ever player. I think my top three would be 1) Billy Wright 2)Steve Bull 3) Stan Cullis (on the merit of his playing and his management.
I wouldn’t put Stan Cullis in the top ten players although he was obviously our greatest ever manager.
For playng merits alone, you can’t see beyond Billy Wright’s achievements.
However, if you looking for a player who was “pure Wolves”, I would pick the Doog.
What about Bert Williams, surely he should be in the top ten, probably at the expense of John Richards or Eddie Stuart.
Peter Broadbent should be number one; greatest midfielder we have ever had.
How an earth can you choose a greatest ever player?
I believe it is impossible to say and why would you want to turn something into a contest like that anyway?
This is just a throw back on inane TV programs designed to fill time. There is no possible use for them and it panders to the ‘dumb Britain’ mentality.
I’m sick of these blogs!
Not trying to start a row here guys - I read the blogg because i usually enjoy reading nathans stuff, but is it just me or are you all stuck in some time warp ?
All we ever seem to hear from Wolves fans is how great you were years ago - and i agree that Bull, Wright etc deserve their place in history - but you are fixated with how it was in the 50’s etc..
In any discussion between Albion and wolves fans on here, it never takes long for someone to bang on about how many cups you won or how many internationals you had in the 50’s or your attendance in the 60s.
As a genuine football fan, i love my clubs history too, but I would much rather talk about the merits of the team NOW.
Or is that the problem ?
7. abdonwolf
So why bother reading and adding your comments to them if your sick of them?? Everyone is aware that it isn’t a level playing field when making comparisons between players.
IMO it has to be Billy Wright as you rightly say Nathan given his achievements. As well as only missing 31 league games he also only missed 13 internationals between his debut and his retirement.
The changes in the game, i.e. advances in equipment (Boots and balls), the laws and also the conditions the games are now played in. (Many of the games that were played in Billys era would have ben cancelled because the pitches would have been classed as too dangerous)just highlight how great a player he was.
abdonwolf (7). The blog was about a poll that had been posted by the PFA.
Don’t read the blogs if they offend you so much. Or be slightly more constructive and come up with some topics.
8. HB
WBA are the 16th most successful club in terms of trophies, whilst Wolves are 8th.
Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t the last trophy you won back in 1968 (Disregarding divisional champions outside the top flight)?
Its understandable you dont like to talk much about your clubs history given that you haven’t won anything in nigh on forty years.
Swanleywolf - thank you for illustrating my point so perfectly.
Wolves history fills me with a great sense of pride for the club and the city. Billy Wright no1 Bully no2,only my humble opinion.Its the history thats the foundation of the club,and what makes wolverhampton wanderers so special,past achievements are just as important to me as the present.
12.HB
Ref No.11
Hook , Line and Sinker……
Again another good blog from nathan spoiled by the sanctimonious comments of an unimportant baggies fan. This is a Wolves blog and we’ll bleat on about our great history - because we can. End of. The only reason you want to talk about your present team is because they are sitting in 2nd place of the CCC before christmas - well done (sic)!!! Lets see if you finish there come May when its important. rant over
Whenever I speak to a little Sandwell Town supporters they always seem to moan about something - currently the players are okay but no-one likes Mr Peace. The ticket office is always being moaned about as well. I think that this just goes to show that neither team has had very much to shout about in recent years so I think HB’s arguments are a bit “pot and kettle”. At least our (long gone) glory days involved winning trophies - L.S.T fans keep talking about the glorious (although potless) days of Cyril Regis and Laurie Cunningham. Still it has got to be better for both set of fans than revelling in the glories of the Championship for yet another year
I went to my first Wolves game in 1954 with my dad and have been supporting and watching them ever since. There have been many good players in the old gold in that time but only a handful of what I would call really great players. To me Bully is in that group for many reasons but above because he gave supporters their pride back at Wolves darkest hour. On the playing side the one player who really stood out for me was PETER BROADBENT. He was the creative soul of that Wolves team of the 50’s. He wasn’t Cullis’s usual ‘type’ but even he saw the magical side to Broadbents play.
10.
Perhaps you should ask Nathan, he may come clean and admit that I have come up with some ideas and he may have used them in his blogs.
Here is another one;
Perhaps we should stay in the here and now and discuss the current Wolves set up and if we believe it is moving forwards or backwards. Then we may like to look at ourselves and ponder on the thought that we may have lowered our expectations for the team.
Do we just blindly support the team just because it is ‘our team’ and because you disagree with the direction the club is taking does it make you less of a supporter?
There, is that better?
14.
Ha everytime, would you like children with happy? Like the chuckle brothers. You’re like the sad little kid hanging round with the bigger one as it makes you feel good.
As for the history stuff happy, you may have a point, but it depends how it’s done. We have a very proud history that we should be proud of and should not be forgotten, as long as we see it as what it is. The ones who annoy me are the likes of quality counts who still thinks we have a right to be at the very top, rather than the ambition like most. What I will say is these pages have been filled with Albion fans on about your victories over us last season, is that not history as well?
how about dennis wilshaw,johnny hancocks & bert williams.i also think kenny hibbitt was on a par with doogan & richards in the 70’s.
abdonwolf:
You say about the article, “it panders to the ‘dumb Britain’ mentality”, should suit you down to the ground then.
(18)
Don’t take it so seriously!
I agree that in the main, talking about the current crop of players is more important, but having a look back can ocassionally be quite pleasent.
What blog topics have you come up with abdonwolf that have been utilised by Nathan?
realist - I have said that history is very importnat and should not be forgotten. But its the people like swanley who have to constantly use stats from the 50s to try to gain some superiority in every debate.
You mention last season and ask if this is also history - yes it is, and so is yesterday. just SOME history is more relevent than others.
I for one gave up going about last season ages ago - its this season that interests me now… but if discussing Albion V Wolves then surely last season (or last sunday) is far more relevent than Bully & Super Bob ?
I’m not dissing the great tradition of WW - just trying to put it into context.
Sorry mate, I disagree. Yes, Billy Wright captained England and was a true Wolves legend, but Steve Bull saved the club when we so easily could have gone under.
The simple fact we get to watch football at Molineux these days to any kind of standard, is because of two men: Jack Hayward and Steve Bull.
Billy Wright is a true legend, but you can’t beat a bit of bully.
abdonwolf (10).
Get a life! How boring would the blog be if we just keep talking about Freddy vs Bothroyd vs Elliott vs Keogh vs Ward etc etc
I enjoyed this blog, it is always nice to reminisce. Your idea for a blog sounds about as exciting as Wednesday’s match against Colchester!
23.
Fair enough and the whole agree. Don’t think it hurts to discuss a bit of history on a blog like this though. Like you I do disagree when using it in debate on current affairs.
19.
and the chuckle brothers gag rears it’s head one more time…
Mr ” One Joke ” Realist.
go on…one more time to make you feel better…
from me to you from you to me…
It’s funny how Paul Ince’s name is dragged up time and time again, when personally I believe Alex Rae gave us a hell of a lot more than Ince.
I think both Ince and Rae deserve to be remembered in Wolves folklore. Rae was a phenomenally tough player, but don’t forget that Ince played 115 times for the club and Rae 108.
At least this blog has got people talking!
I’ve been on these Friday blogs before and its been like a ghost town.
Realist - did we just agree on something ?
I may need to sit down for a bit.
25.
Yes, ok!
How about a Hibbit v Carr or Rea v Ince debate.
I’m feeling better now, yes this nostalgia is like a drug… I can feel the 70’s flowing into my veins as I type!
I can see it now, Geoff Palmer holding his finger up to Charlie George as he skipped past him saying “take the p**s like that one more time and you end up in row Z”
He did and he did end up in row z!
Wow, it’s ok if we all shut our eyes and hold hands, say uummmm we could transport ourselves right back there!
Good Idea for a TV show - Eastwood could get kicked in the head, sent into a coma and transported back to 1973 where he becomes a superstar, but his team mates don’t understand his ‘new brand of football’?
90% of your views Happy are very accurate, just occassionaly do you have a slightly crooked view of the world.
Happy-Think we did.
Ha. It came as a shock to me too. I’m sure we’ll find something to disagree on shortly, to address the balance ha.
I can hear the conversation in my head….
“Yes lads, where I come from you get paid thousands of pounds a week, you don’t have to score or even make the first team and the fans still chant your name”!
I can see the look on their faces now!
Thats what I call progress!!
abdonwolf - I usually try not to comment on subjects that I don’t think I can contribute on, or don’t want to contribute on.
I’ve found in the past that this simple rule tends to work - you may want to give it a go sometime a let those that want to contribute, do so without meaningless comments like ‘dumb Britain mentality’
Don’t know what thats got to do with this blog and I don’t suppose you do either - just sounded good ?
Actually i would watch that.
Not the programme - just eastwood getting kicked in the head !
JOKE EVERYONE….
I’d watch thattoo, afootball version of ‘Life On Mars’, great.
Surely Leon “running through treacle” Clarke was our best player.
John Richards by a clear mile. Steve Bull - no way - he never played top flight football.
I saw JR run 100 yards to poke one home off a Steve Kingdon cross, brilliant. He could out jump anyone, O’leary anyone. Turn on a sixpence - he’d got the lot, and none of your airy fairy don’t touch me football - like they play today. They couldn’t even hack him down, he was so strong on the ball and when he got to play for England where do they play him - on the flippin’ wing - the idiots.
King John !!! Forever !!
King John, great player, but Wolves best? Look what Billy Wright achieved.
36
What I mean abour ‘dumb Britain’ is why do we as ‘grown ups’ have to discuss who the best ever wolves player is.
It is impossible to gnow because every player is of that time and so can’t be compaired with another.
So, in the context of ‘dumb Britain’ instead of discussing something of relvance to the team as it is now or how we would lke it to be we are forced into plagrownd stuff like this because it’s easy and everyone can join in.
A bit like BBC1 used to have well made and cellenging material but now we have Eastenders.
Is that ok?
Can I post again now I’ve explained myself?
Great blog, really enjoyed this one. Very well written E&S!
Having watched football at Molineux since 1948, I would say that Eddie Clamp is my favourite player, but thats just a personal choice.
If you look at who the real best player is than William Ambrose Wright, god rest his soul, is the player who achieved more than any other at Molineux.
Steve Bull was good but scored all his goals outside the top flight. Not his fault, but you can’t really say he achieved his potential. He did however help ensure that we are still playing football today at Molineux, and for that I am truly grateful.
And another thing……
It says ‘have you got an oppinion have your say’
It does not say only post if your oppinion is favorable or positive so I think if you can’t be botherd to give a reason for your response apart from ‘I don’t like what you said’ I think it would be a splendid idea to stick to your own rule!
abdonwolf… your spelling is awful. Opinion has 1 ‘p’, compared doesn’t have an ‘i’.
Are you in fact the ‘Dumb Britain’ that you are talking about? You don’t really have an opinion, you just come on here and get all argumentative. And I thought you said that you hate the blogs? Yet, you’ve posted half-a-dozen on here today.
Your comment that players can not be compared, is utter bile. Do you never stand in the pub and argue the merits of Bull vs Richards or the Doog vs Kightly? Plenty do.
And the blog was about the PFA list of players, not just to start a debate on the greatest Wolves player of all time.
I can tell that you only a kid, your spelling and grammar makes that quite obvious. But why do you have to have a downer on everything? If your not happy with the blog topic, state your disgust (as you did) and then leave it so that people can have a proper discussion.
I think nearly everyone on here is unhappy at your comments, so why not try and post something constructive and perhaps even correctly spelt? That way we can all enjoy your comments and perhaps understand what you are going on about!
46.
Your quite right about the spelling but in my defense I am typing this on a tiny lap top that I can’t get my fingers on so sorry about that.
If you read most of the things I write on here you will realise that I am usually ok.
I’m 43 by the way!
Have you an oppinion about what I have said at all?
who cares if people don’t like what I am saying, it isn’t compulsory to agree!
I thinkyou are very rude and patronising, but I can live with that!
45 abdon keep going you’re having a wonderful time talking to yourself - as usual!
And where did I say I didn’t like what you said ?
Like I said to start with, if you don’t like the blog - don’t contribute - much better than accusing everyone else that does want to comment of being ‘dumb’.
Very Very arrogant
Arec you a Villa supporter with nobody to talk to ?
steve bull is the best player wolves have ever had
oppinion? Was that ironic, abdonwolf? Age 43 or IQ of 43?
No 41 beat me to it. Richards is the best I’ve seen, closely followed by Kenny Hibbitt. Could have been Peter Knowles though, if he hadn’t given up.
Happy_baggie - you don’t like to refer to the past because WBA have no history having won nothing apart from 68 F A Cup.As for the greatest player it has to be Peter Broadbent.
It is always impossible to compare players of different eras. Things move on. Whether it is Billy Wright, Steve Bull or even Doog, be proud that they all wore the Gold and Black with pride, and all on the list are great men before they were great players. A lesson there perhaps for us all.
having seen Wolves teams since the fifties for me it has to be Broadbent. But I have no quarrel with Billy Wright as no 1. A true gentleman and hero who served Wolves and England.