Three Wolves legends who played a major part in the club's most recent cup competition successes can today be revealed as the latest trio of greats to enter the Hall of Fame.
Two cup winning captains - Bill Slater for the FA Cup in 1960 and Mike Bailey the League Cup in 1974 - are joined in the illustrious line-up by legendary goalscorer John Richards, who not only notched the winning goal against Manchester City in 1974 but also featured in the League Cup triumph against Nottingham Forest six years later.
The three join the already announced Bert Williams and Peter Broadbent in those to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for 2010 with a final announcement revealing two more names to be made next week.
The final Magnificent Seven will then be honoured at the Hall of Fame gala dinner at Molineux in January.
Clitheroe-born, Bill Slater arrived at Molineux as an amateur player in 1952 and played both as an inside forward and wing half during his 11 years with the club.
Having made history as the last amateur to play in an FA Cup final, for Blackpool against Newcastle in 1951, it was nine years later that he held aloft the famous FA Cup after skippering Wolves to victory against Blackburn.
Before that he had of course played a major part as the club won their three First Division titles, ultimately achieving all this - not to mention 12 England caps to go with his 339 appearances for Wolves - whilst working as a lecturer at Birmingham University.
He remained heavily involved in sport after his playing career, including roles with the Central Council for Physical Education and British Gymnastics Association and has been honoured with an OBE and CBE.
And now the Molineux Hall of Fame.
"I feel very honoured about being named particularly when I think about some of the players that have already been chosen to receive the award," says Bill.
"I'm in good company aren't I?
"I'm very pleased and I'm sure that my family will be too.
"I'm very much looking forward to the dinner in January which I'm sure will be a very grand occasion.
"It will also be good to see my old friend Bert Williams again - it's been some time since I last saw him."
Of the successors to Bill as Wolves captain it would be difficult to argue against any being more of a natural leader than Mike Bailey.
Born in Wisbech, Mike joined Wolves in March, 1966 and helped the team to promotion back to the top flight in his first full season.
That Wolves team, under his leadership, continued to develop and reached the UEFA Cup Final in 1972 albeit with the barrel-chested midfielder's playing impact limited due to injury.
But the best was to come, as Wolves defied all the odds at Wembley to defeat Manchester City in the 1974 League Cup final with Mike not only providing his usual inspirational presence but also playing a part in John Richards' crucial winning goal.
All in all Mike rattled up 436 appearances during his 12 years at Molineux, notching 24 goals, while many observers felt he should have picked up far more than the two England caps at a time when he was regularly named in Sir Alf Ramsey's squads but so rarely used.
"I'm absolutely thrilled - I couldn't be more so," Mike says of being named in Wolves' Hall of Fame.
"It's such an honour particularly when you think of all the players who have come through at Wolves.
"It's always extra special when you are nominated for something by the club's supporters - I think they appreciate players who always give 100 per cent and that's what I was desperate to do every time I played.
"From my point of view it was fantastic to play in a Wolves team in an era when we had so many great players."
That 1974 League Cup triumph also saw a continuation of the Wolves' fans love affair with 'King John' as Richards, despite not being fully fit, wrote himself into Molineux folklore with the winning goal.
It was one of a cool 194 from 486 appearances for Wolves which made him record goalscorer until the days of Steve Bull.
John played much of his football in the highest division, hitting the goalscoring trail with regular abandon to help Wolves to that 1972 UEFA Cup final as well as partnering Andy Gray as the club added the 1980 League Cup to the one won six years earlier.
Born in Warrington, John was spotted by Wolves who beat off a host of other clubs to secure his services, his debut coming in 1970.
By the time he left the club in 1983 he not only took with him a host of goals and those League Cup winners medals, but also a place in the heart of the Molineux faithful which remains undiminished.
"It's a fantastic honour to be considered for inclusion in something like this at one of the famous clubs in the world," he said.
"It would have been the furthest thing from my mind when I was a lad just setting off in 1969 and my ambition was just to play one game for the club at Molineux - I just wanted to say I'd played for the Wolves.
"To have been their record scorer for a few years before Bully, also the club captain and MD, and now this, I'm very proud.
"I was fortunate enough to be in a team with some great players who I'm sure will be joining the rest of us in the Hall of Fame in the years to come."
More detailed profiles on the three new inductees will be published in the matchday magazine for the Birmingham game, but here is a brief taster of the articles courtesy of well-known journalist and Wolves author Steve Gordos.
On Slater: "Bill Slater had skill and like all good players seemed to have that extra bit of time on the ball.
"Though one always thinks of him as a stylish player he was also an uncompromising defender."
On Bailey: "The barrel-chested bundle of energy had some hard acts to follow at Molineux not only as a half-back but in the captaincy department.
"In the latter he earned the right to be ranked alongside great Wolves skippers like Stan Cullis and Billy Wright.
On Richards: "Goalscorers are born not made and John Richards was a natural when it came to being in the right place at the right time to do that thing which tends to win football matches - put the ball in the back of the net.
"To have been a top striker for a dozen seasons says everything about Richards as does his record of 194 goals in 486 games for the club."
The seven new inductees will go into the Hall of Fame alongside the six named in the inaugural year - Jackery Jones, Stan Cullis, Billy Wright, Ron Flowers, Derek Parkin and Steve Bull.
The selections - made by the Hall of Fame committee after receiving fans' nominations - have been made to take into account all periods of the club's history.
* A small number of individual places are available for the dinner on January 14, at just £65 plus VAT whilst we have just one table for ten available at £600 plus VAT. For further details call our commercial team on 0871 222 2220 (option 4) or email commercial@wolves.co.uk
