Wolves unveil special plaque to mark 150 years since club’s beginning

A commemorative plaque has been unveiled to mark the meeting which sparked the formation of Wolverhampton Wanderers, exactly 150 years ago.

The special blue plaque, celebrating the historic occasion, was unveiled at the Wolves museum on Tuesday, November 10.

Wolves director John Gough and club historian Peter Crump told the story of how school friends John Baynton and John Brodie, encouraged by their headmaster Harry Barcroft, laid the foundations for the club at St Luke’s in November 1876.

Relatives of Baynton and Brodie attended the event alongside representatives from the Wolverhampton Society, St Luke’s and the 1877 Trust.

Former Wolves midfielder Geoff Palmer, one of only four players to have won the League Cup twice with the club, in 1974 and 1980, also attended alongside Mel Eves, who was part of the latter triumph. Both represented the Former Players’ Association.

The plaque, titled ‘Origin of the Wolves’, has been brought to life through a collaboration between the Wolverhampton Society and Lumley Designs, and tells the story of Barcroft, Baynton and Brodie.

It reads: “Harry Barcroft, St Luke’s School headmaster gave ‘Jack’ Baynton and ‘Jack’ Brodie a football. They, with teachers, monitors, pupils and ex-pupils formed a team which developed into Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club.”

The side played its first match against a Stafford Road reserve team in January 1877 before merging with the football section of local cricket club Blakenhall Wanderers in August 1879 to form Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Wolves, one of the founding members of the Football League, have already begun celebrations to mark their 150th anniversary.

The plaque will be installed outside St Luke’s Primary School ahead of January 13, the date marking the precise 150th anniversary of the club’s founding.

Director Gough said: “It was a very important day. Wolves were a founder member of the only football league in the world at the time, and they wouldn’t have been without the foresight of two young pupils.

“The city and Wolverhampton Wanderers are joined at the hip. We work together incredibly well, more now than ever, and now I can’t wait to see the plaque up in Blakenhall, where it belongs.”