14th July 1967: The Los Angeles Wolves win the United Soccer Association Final
After a team of American entrepreneurs aimed to drum up interest in football in the USA, Wolves, along with eleven other sides (eight being British and Irish) went out to the States to play in the first season of the United Soccer Association. Wolves, coming off the back of promotion to the First Division fourteen days prior, arrived in Los Angeles and received “film star treatment” according to Derek Dougan. The LA Wolves would go onto win both the Western Conference and the United Soccer Association Championship Match, beating the Washington Whips (Aberdeen) 6-5 in golden goal extra time, to be crowned as the USA Champions on the 14th of July 1967.
July 1953: Molineux becomes one of first British stadia to install floodlights
During the summer of 1953, Wolves installed floodlights at the cost of almost £10,000. This paved the way for the infamous ‘Floodlight Friendlies’ that would shoot Wolves to fame during the 1950s. These games were highly prestigious events, especially in the absence of a formally organised European competition. The first flood-lit game at Molineux was played on the 30th of September 1953, with Wolves winning 3-1 against the South African national side. Molineux would also go on to make good use of the lighting facilities with light shows becoming very popular pre-match events following the club's return to the Premier League in 2019.
21st July 2016: FOSUN buy Wolves
On the 21st of July 2016, FOSUN International bought Wolverhampton Wanderers from Steve Morgan for £30 million. Wolves were coming off the back of a fourteenth placed finish in the Championship having been promoted from League One only two seasons prior. However, FOSUN would invest heavily into the club, taking Wolves from a mid-table Championship side to an established Premier League force. The club even enjoyed a European adventure in the 2019/2020 season, reaching the quarter final stage of the Europa League.
20th July 2020: Wolves secure back-to-back 7th placed finishes
After two seasons of magic under Nuno Espíritio Santo in the Premier League, Wolves secured back-to-back seventh place finishes in the Premier League. In a season that was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wolves finished in seventh on fifty-nine points following key wins, including a 3-2 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and a league double against defending champions, Manchester City.
-Louis Sharma
