Molineux Mood Lifted By Magnificent Anniversary Touch

At the start of a trying weekend for Wolves and their fans, a delightful ceremony in the club museum was followed by the unveiling of a permanent tribute to what ranks as the most famous game ever played at Molineux. Fittingly, this spectacular new artwork is situated between the Cullis and Wright stands and was revealed in its full glory exactly 70 years to the day after the match took place. John Lalley was on the guest list.

The name ‘Honved’ is inextricably linked with that of Wolves; synonymous and special, a glorious strand in the club’s history that continues to kindle a sense of pride and achievement.

There were no trophies, no points at stake, the game was simply a ‘friendly’ but the significance of this fixture, decades on, remains profound. A striking and evocative sculpture, the work of local artist Luke Perry, now serves as a fitting tribute to a unique occasion.

English football, static and entrenched, but still convinced of its substantive superiority, had been rocked to its complacent foundations by the matchless skills of the Hungarian national team at Wembley in 1953.

While many of the game’s administrators remained stubbornly reluctant to process the evidence of their own eyes, Stan Cullis adopted a more radical approach. The Wolves manager, in so many ways was a visionary, saw beyond the parochial and embraced the massive potential of extending the boundaries of the game.

For him, this was diversity and inclusion in action; a natural evolution offering a celebration of the game not witnessed previously in British football. And he was overwhelmingly proved to be right.

The floodlit games at Molineux would excite the football public way beyond the boundaries of Wolverhampton and serve as a trailblazer for European competition. The culmination was the visit of a Honved side boasting six members of the Hungary team who had humiliated England – and the opportunity to restore some national pride rested with Wolves, the reigning League champions.

A superb 13-minute film, meticulously written and produced on behalf of the club by Wolves fan Greg Whelan, a long-time former reporter for Sky Sports, whetted the appetite for those present at the ceremony and rekindled a host of nostalgic memories, with input from seven of the participating players as well as forthright comments from Cullis himself.

On ‘Wolves, Champions of the World’ (Wolves: Champions of the world), the manager said he was fortunate to have not only fine players but ‘men of integrity.’ It was a rare accolade from him and an insight into why the Wolves of this glorious era were so successful.

The great George Best told of his youthful support and affection for the club and Ron Atkinson, bubbling with enthusiasm, related memories from his time as a youngster on the Molineux groundstaff. He talked with great amusement at being ordered by Cullis to water the pitch on match-day despite persistent heavy rain. He acknowledged that this manoeuvre partially neutralised the skills of the Hungarians, especially late in the game.  And indeed, the match footage revealed a playing surface reminiscent of the Baseball Ground at Derby circa 1970!

Atkinson expressed reservations about the special fluorescent jerseys Wolves wore for the occasion. ‘Like pulling a parachute behind you!’ He finished his energetic contribution with a smile by saying that most Wolves fans cited this game as the most significant in the history of the club….’and it was only a friendly!’ We all knew exactly what he meant.

The Daily Mail exultantly described Wolves the following morning as ‘Champions of the World’. It has to be conceded that it was stretching the truth a fraction seeing the headline always triggers a happy memory from many few years ago of an extended conversation with full-back Eddie Stuart. Eddie was an emotional guy, proud beyond measure to have played for the Wolves and what’s more, a heck of a good player. Late in our chat, with a tear in his eye and a lump in his throat, he faced me with steely conviction and proudly declared: “We weren’t just the best team in the country. We were the best team in the world.” Showing uncharacteristic good judgement, I chose not to contradict him.

Prior to the unveiling, designer Luke offered a fascinating insight into the project. He admitted he knew ‘absolutely nothing’ about the Honved game at the outset but quickly developed there ‘an incredible excitement’ as the potential for ‘creating a silhouette of the club’ emerged.

He soon became aware of ‘the resounding passion of the people’ connected to Wolves, which he found ‘very humbling.’ He confessed that trying to convey the ambience of a floodlit scene on a sculpture could look ‘very odd’ and that he had to make the art appear crafted in the 1950s but still relevant to the 21st century.

The three figures of Bert Williams, Billy Wright and Ferenc Puskas harmoniously blend together with the depiction of Puskas dominant as he was seen as the best player in the world. Perry explained that ‘the tiny accent of the colour red in the Honved shirt had to be achieved without appearing garish.’

The font is Eastern bloc, etched in 24 gold carat and sealed to look antique although the work is brand new. The sculpture itself was created in a factory in Cradley Heath and all the materials are Black Country-made.

Applause broke out as the black sheeting was removed to finally reveal a stunning collage of three exceptional athletes expressing themselves at the very pinnacle of their talent, framed within a backdrop of the European Cup trophy. It’s imaginative, graceful, self-contained and permanent; an overdue tribute after a 70-year wait.

Footnote: within two years of the game, the revolution against communism in Hungary was brutally crushed, leading to the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War. In December, 1956, another Hungarian club, Red Banner, played under the lights at Molineux. Unlike the fanfare of expectation created by Honved, this game saw the receipts given to assist the emergency Hungarian Relief Fund. Since this turmoil and the dispersal of its people, Hungarian football has never again remotely regained its ascendancy.