Express & Star

Steve Morgan's time at Wolves - in his own words

We track Steve Morgan's eight-year reign as Wolves owner - in his own words.

Published
July 2007

"It is my great privilege and pleasure to succeed Sir Jack as the new owner of this famous club and I thank him sincerely for his trust in me.

"I will work tirelessly alongside Jez and the board, the backroom team and Mick and the players to do my very best for Wolves.

"We will continue to build on the current strategy of steadily and progressively developing a team of young, hungry and talented players.

"Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to play my part in re-establishing Wolves as one of the top teams in the land. The loyal fans of this great club deserve nothing less."

February 2009

"I kick every ball on the pitch, but I don't enjoy it when we lose.

"The highs are as high as you can get – but the lows are as low as you can get."

- on rumours of a rift with Mick McCarthy after fielding a weakened team against Manchester United

"Not at all – it's rubbish. I've always had a very strong working relationship with Mick and Jez ever since the day I came to the club and we work as a team.

"Did I agree with Mick? No, I didn't. We don't always agree on everything and we never have. But hopefully we never will, because if that were the case then we'd never have any fresh input."

June 2010

"In 10 years I hope Wolves will be a totally unrecognisable football club.

"I don't mean that in a disrespectful way to what I found here in 2007. The advances it made from 1987 were a fantastic tribute to Sir Jack Hayward.

"But now it is time to begin another journey and I want to take it as far as I can so that, at some time in the future, I will be able to pass it on to the next owner and be proud of what has been achieved."

February 2011

- unveiling plans for a £40m revamp of Molineux

"This is a brave and decisive leap forward, but one which will open up an exciting and historic new chapter for the benefit of everyone connected to this wonderful football club and city.

"We must not underestimate the importance of this journey that we are announcing we are starting today. What it is doing is taking Wolves to the next level."

January 2012

"This club is in the top five or six net spenders in the Premier League since promotion, and we're seldom given credit for that. If you ask the fans, they're probably unaware of that."

- on sacking Mick McCarthy and appointing Terry Connor

"This is a very important appointment and this is not one you can make on a knee-jerk response.

"Mick has done a fantastic job at this club. Each season that I've been here working with Mick, Mick has taken this club forward.

"This season it was different. The decision we had to take after the West Brom game (a 5-1 defeat after which McCarthy was sacked) was: was it right to continue the way we were going or was it right to make a change?

"Of course I'm convinced it was the right thing to do."

May 2012

- after appointing Stale Solbakken

"He will be an excellent fit for the club. We needed to bring in someone fresh, a new approach to the club.

"Of course, any appointment is a gamble, but he is the veteran of the Champions League and is a true professional."

- after sacking Solbakken, and replacing him with Dean Saunders

"There was clearly a culture issue between what he's used to and what he inherited at Wolves.

"It obviously wasn't working.

"I'm convinced I've got the right man. Dean's a very experienced football man."

"What's my exit plan? I don't have one.

"But if it gets to the point where I feel I am not wanted I will go. Simple as that. If you want me to go I will go.

"But if that day comes, it won't be for the want of trying or effort."

May 2013

- after relegation to League One

"As chairman of the club I take my responsibilities very seriously; we have failed our supporters, and the city, and for that I am truly sorry.

"We are all looking at ourselves in the mirror and reflecting on what went wrong. It is only right the players do the same.

"I understand the fans' pain, anger and resentment towards me, the board and the players, especially within the context of successive relegations. It's not been good enough and we must improve both on and off the pitch."

Morgan speaks to Kenny Jackett ahead of a pre-season game at Barnsley in July 2013.

- on Kenny Jackett promoting young players into the first team

"Previous managers have been reluctant to pick our youth players and if you knew some of the arguments we've had with those who wouldn't give them a chance...but now we have a man who thinks 'if they're good enough, they're old enough'."

October 2014

- on improving the club's academy facilities

"We'll be on a par with most Premier League clubs.

"We've got category one status which is the highest possible status and I'm determined Wolves will be right at the forefront.

"The facilities are state-of-the-art. The investment in the academy is stage one and bringing the young players through to be the players of tomorrow is what it's all about. It's great to see so many youngsters in the team at the moment and we want to build on that."

November 2014

"I'm very proud. When I came in here and the boys were kicking a ball around on the pitch I had a tear in my eye.

"It was so emotional coming here seeing the results and efforts of so many people coming together and knowing we're giving our youngsters the best possible future."

- and on Jackett

"We work well together; he communicates well at every level, I speak to him two or three times a week and he's very clear in what he wants, which makes him an easy man to work with.

"We've made too many mistakes with bringing in the wrong personnel in the past and getting the right people isn't easy. But he will always have our full backing – as he has done from the beginning."

Morgan confronted referee Mike Jones in December 2014.

- an apology after confronting referee Mike Jones on the pitch after a defeat to Bournemouth

"I would like to apologise personally to Mike Jones. I was extremely angry and frustrated at many of his refereeing decisions, and I still am.

"However, I should not have gone pitch side to vent my frustrations."

May 2015

- on Bakary Sako...and the 2015/16 season

"Whatever happens, we wish you all the best. Just don't sign for West Brom!

"We'll approach next season knowing the club's in great shape. We've got a stable footing on and off the pitch."

"Sir Jack said when he was alive that I'd had a heart transplant to Wolverhampton and I think it's a bit more than a heart transplant – it's a whole body transplant.

"So that's what Wolverhampton's become to mean to me.

"When I first came to the club we didn't own most of our own ground.

"We didn't have any longevity on our away visiting car park. All those issues are sorted out now – we own all of the land around us now.

"We've invested very, very heavily in the academy. The rest of the stand will come – it's also a chicken and egg because we actually need to fill what we've got.

"We must have one of the highest percentage of ex-academy players in the first team squad of anybody in the league and I'm very proud to see this investment is now paying off."

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