Molineux Stadium

Molineux Stadium stands in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, on land once owned by a local merchant in the 18th century. The ground began as Molineux Grounds, a public pleasure park with an ice rink, cycling track and boating lake before Wolverhampton Wanderers moved there in 1889. It became the first stadium built exclusively for a football club and hosted England internationals as early as 1891. Floodlights were installed in 1953, allowing midweek friendlies against visiting world clubs. The record crowd of 61,315 filled the terraces in 1939 for a First Division match against Liverpool. The stadium is now a 31,700-seat all-seater venue with four stands: the Steve Bull Stand, the Sir Jack Hayward Stand, the Stan Cullis Stand and the Billy Wright Stand. Six full England internationals have been played here, including a 6–1 win over Ireland in 1891 and a 0–4 defeat to Hungary in 2022. England under-21 internationals have also taken place, and in 2003 Bon Jovi drew 34,000 fans for a concert. The ground has hosted European club games since the 1950s, including the first UEFA Cup Final in 1972. Visitors enter a modern stadium with bright red seats and executive boxes in the Sir Jack Hayward Stand. The Stan Cullis Stand, rebuilt in 2012, rises behind the goal with a single-tier safe-standing terrace. The Billy Wright Stand holds dressing rooms and the family section, while the Steve Bull Stand keeps the club’s history alive with its former name. Views stretch across the pitch from every stand, and the atmosphere on match days recalls the days when more than 60,000 crammed into the ground.