How many goalkeepers have ever captained Wolves?

When Jose Sa donned the captain’s armband in Wolves’ 3-0 win over West Ham United on January 3, it had me scratching my head at the last time that a goalkeeper had captained the team.

I contacted Peter Crump from the Wolves Museum and it transpired that the only previous ’keeper captain on this list was John (Jack) Baynton.

It is well known that the club started out in 1877 as a school team at St Luke’s School in Blakenhall. Jack Baynton was one of two pupil-teachers (the other John Brodie) to be presented with a ball and encouraged to play by their headmaster, W. H. (Harry) Barcroft.

Brodie and Baynton arranged a meeting on November 10, 1876 that saw the establishment of St. Luke’s football club, the team would soon become Wolverhampton Wanderers.

John Baynton was born in Rushock in Worcestershire on March 20, 1859 and died in Alfreton, Derbyshire, on May 17, 1939. Baynton initially lined up for Blakenhall St. Luke's as a centre-half, and became an officially registered footballer at the outset of the club in 1877 and appeared for them in various roles, including right-back and centre-forward. In the early days Baynton also acted as club secretary and treasurer, later and somewhat surprisingly deciding to play between the sticks.

He appeared in Wolves' first-ever FA Cup tie (in October 1883) but not in goal, and in their first-ever league match (on September 8, 1888 against Aston Villa) as goalkeeper, as well as skippering them to their first-ever silverware, the 1884 Wrekin Cup. 

As a goalkeeper, he once scored a goal from almost 100 yards, fly-kicking the ball downfield and between the posts when playing in a game at Dudley Road. He was also part of the losing 1889 FA Cup final team, joining Kidderminster Olympic very soon afterwards, for whom he played for only a short while before retiring from the game. 

Due to the fact that league football didn’t start until the 1888-89 season Jack played only 28 times for Wolves (all 18 league games in goal, 10 in the FA Cup, of which six were in goal).

I just need to throw a spanner in the works though. My research found the following extract on the England Football Online website: ‘Started his career with Burslem Swifts FC and joined Burslem Port Vale FC in 1892, in which he dropped from the Football League to the Midland League, he was signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers FC in 1897 for £40, becoming club captain the season after.’

Does this mean that Tom Baddeley was club captain but never captained the team in a game?

Baddeley was born in Stoke-on-Trent on November 2, 1874 and began his professional career with Burslem Port Vale in 1893 after joining the club from non-league Burslem Swifts.

He was an ever-present in the 1894-95 and 1895-96 seasons, but was suspended from the Potteries club in August 1896 after signing as a professional with another team. Two months later he was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers for the princely sum of £40 the (equivalent of over £13,000 today). 

Baddeley did not make his league debut for Wolves until September 1, 1897 against Preston North End, keeping a clean sheet in a 3-0 win. He was made Wolves’ captain the following year and went on to keep opponents scoreless on a further 30 occasions in his first three years with the Molineux men. However, Tom was in goal in January 1900 when Southern League Queen’s Park Rangers sensationally dumped Wolves out of the FA Cup after a replay.

Baddeley represented England on five occasions in full internationals, between February 1903 and April 1904 (against Ireland (twice), Scotland (twice) and Wales). His debut came in a 4-0 victory over Ireland at Molineux on February 14, 1903. 17,000 braved a fierce wing that swirled around Molineux and emphasised the need for more covered accommodation there.

The card from which the picture of Baddeley in goal is taken described him: “He is a great goalkeeper and deals equally well with all kinds of shots. In 1902 he kept English goal against Ireland, and played for the League against Ireland and Scotland.” 

It can only be assumed that this refers to Tom’s Football League starts and not his full international outings.

Tom left for Bradford Park Avenue in 1907 (the season after Wolves’ relegation to Division 2) but made only nine appearances before joining Stoke City in 1910. He only made six starts for the Potters to complete a career total of 376. Baddeley’s place in goal at Molineux was taken by Tommy Lunn who became part of the FA Cup winning team in 1908.

He played for Wolves between 1896 and 1907, and his 315 first-team appearances ranks him at 31st in the club’s all-time list. He is fourth in the roll of honour of Wolves’ goalkeepers, behind only Phil Parkes (16, 382), Bert Williams MBE (14, 420) and Mike Stowell (12, 448).

Aged 71, Tom died in Stoke on September 24, 1946.

I am sorry but what started as what seemed to be a simple investigation might just turn out to be the start of a long conversation!