Fifty years ago: Stan Cullis returns to Wolves

Cullis spent 30 years at Molineux as player, assistant boss and then manager before he was surprisingly axed from the latter position, writes Craig Birch.

He claimed he would never in football again when the decision was made in September 1964 and, if he had stuck to that, he would have achieved enough.

He was the club's most successful manager and had, for a time, turned Wolves into the best team in the country and, arguably, the world.

Three First Division titles, two FA Cups and one Charity Shield came along with the first foray into European football, after what is now the Champions League was first formed.

He had also helped pioneer the famous 'floodlit friendlies' - Wolves were one of the first to install the facility - against the top teams from around the globe.

Their classic meeting with Honved in 1954 was broadcast live on the BBC where, after they came from two goals down to win 3-2, they were dubbed 'the champions of the world.'

He nearly won English football's first 'double' in 1960, only for Burnley to pip Wolves to the post for the title by a point after Cullis' side had already won the FA Cup.

The 1960s had seen Wolves start to struggle, but the decision to dispense with Cullis was still extremely unpopular with supporters and the team were relegated that season.

Andy Beattie was in charge when they went down and left in September 1965, with Ronnie Allen taking up the reins before they welcomed Birmingham City on 12 April 1966.

Cullis came back into the game, after all, and was in charge of Blues when they arrived for a Second Division midweek fixture staged on a Tuesday night in Wolverhampton.

The Express & Star billed the match as a 'must win,' if Wolves were to stand any chance of catching second-placed Huddersfield Town or the league leaders Manchester City.

Reporter Phil Morgan called the clash "as rugged a 90 minutes as Wolves have had this season" as they jostled for position against Cullis' Blues, who were also in the top 10.

A vital strike on the half hour broke the deadlock for the home side, with Hughie McIlmoyle heading home Bobby Thomson's cross after a short corner routine with Dave Wagstaffe.

An all-important second goal came on 37 minutes for Wolves, with Ernie Hunt rifling the ball into the net after Joe Wilson's run had allowed Peter Knowles to put him through.

Birmingham huffed and puffed but couldn't find a response with Cullis and Co leaving beaten to a 2-0 defeat, after a 2-2 draw between the two sides at St Andrew's the day before.

Cullis only returned once more as an opposing boss, with Blues again in the Second Division after Wolves missed promotion. He had turned down the likes of Juventus for Birmingham.

He would exact his revenge on the opening day of the following season, winning 2-1 at Molineux this time. It wouldn't stop Wolves from returning to the top-flight, though.

Allen got Wolves promotion as runners-up in that campaign, with Cullis retiring from the game in March 1970. He later worked for a travel agency in Malvern, his adopted home-town.

His achievements at Wolves were not forgotten, though, and he would have a stand named after him in the redevelopment of Molineux in 1992 under Sir Jack Hayward's ownership.

He passed away on 28 February 2001 at the age of 84 and would have been 100 this year, on October 25. A statue of him was first erected outside of the ground in 2003.