Stan Cullis
Posted on: Wed 17 Nov 2004
Not only was Stan Cullis one of Wolves best ever defenders, but he was also the man who led the team to their greatest glories when he became manager of the side in 1948.
Under his reign Wolves won the League Championship three times (1953/4, 1957/8 & 1958/9) and the FA Cup twice (1949 & 1960). As a player, between the years of 1934 and 1947, he gained an FA Cup runners-up medal (1939) and was twice a member of the Wolves side who were League runners-up (1937/8 & 1938/9).
He captained the Wolves side at just 19 years of age, and became England skipper when he was 22. It total he won 12 senior caps.
Stan, who passed away in February, 2001, and his late wife Winifred, had two children, a son (Reverend) Andrew and daughter Susan. Wolves announced plans to erect a statue of Stan outside the ground in November 2000.
He was born on 25 October 1916 in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire and attended Cambridge Road School in Ellesmere. In the summer of 1930 he joined local league side Ellesmere Port Wednesday.
Although the young Cullis had made his mind up that he wanted to become a journalist, his interest in football began to flourish and several clubs monitored his progress. He was invited for a trial with Bolton Wanderers but luckily for Wolves, a friend of the manager, Major Buckley, had noticed the youngster's skills and Stan, on his father's advice, travelled to Wolverhampton for talks with the Major. Within a week he had signed for the club on professional terms.
He was immediately made captain of the third team and, as he was only 17, it shows how highly rated he was by the Molineux management. The following year he was skipper of the reserves and then he made his full debut, at the age of 19, when Wolves took on Huddersfield Town at Molineux. It was not to be a happy debut for Stan as The Terriers won by 3-2. A defeat at The Hawthorns the following week and a home draw with Sheffield Wednesday was the final first team game that he participated in that season.
Stan was made club captain and although he only made 12 appearances in 1935/6 season, the following year he began to establish the centre-half position as his own. The two years leading up to the outbreak of war were to prove disappointing for him as Wolves twice finished as runners up in the league and also lost the FA Cup Final to Portsmouth in 1939 after being tipped as hot favourites.
During the war Stan served as a PT instructor both in Britain and in Italy before he returned to Molineux after the hostilities had ceased. He was to play just one more season in League football before hanging up his boots. In the final game of 1946/7 Wolves needed just a point from their home game with Liverpool to secure their first title.
Sadly, they went down 2-1, and the title went to the men from Merseyside. One of their goals was scored by Albert Stubbins. He got goalside of Stan, and although the Wolves defender had plenty of opportunity to fetch Stubbins down, he allowed the forward to go on and score. Although criticised for not fouling his man, Stan always maintained that he did not want to be known as the man who won a medal by cheating.
In international football he captained his country, winning 12 full caps and 20 more in wartime football.
Stan was approached by Hull City to take over as manager at Boothferry Park on his retirement from playing but Wolves' chairman, Jimmy Baker, persuaded him to stay on at Molineux as assistant to Ted Vizard. It proved to be a wise move. The following summer (1948), Vizard was dismissed by the club and Cullis took over the managership.
In his first season in charge, Stan took the club to Wembley and the FA Cup Final which they won beating Leicester City, by 3-1. Then in the 1953/4 campaign Cullis guided Wanderers to the First Division title for the first time.
Wolves began to capture the headlines nationally when they invited some of the world's finest teams to Molineux for a series of friendly floodlit matches in which the men in old gold and black excelled. Sides like Moscow Spartak, Moscow Dynamo and Honved, were all laced with international stars, and all tasted defeat at Molineux.
Twice more in the 50s Wolves lifted the Championship and in 1960 they triumphed again in the FA Cup, this time Blackburn Rovers were the victims. But the 60s saw a decline in the fortunes of the club culminating in relegation in the spring of 1965. Stan Cullis was sacked by the board in the September of that dire season, a move that was met with disapproval from the vast bulk of the Wolves support.
Stan then spent five years managing neighbours Birmingham City before he retired from the game in 1970. His skill in the art of football, both on and off the park, was second to none.
He left football to work in the photography business and then lived in retirement in Malvern. In 1992 Sir Jack Hayward and Aston Villa chairman Doug Ellis arranged a testimonial game at Molineux. The match marked the opening of the new North Bank stand named after Stan.
WOLVES PLAYING CAREER 1934-1947
League Appearances 152
FA Cup Appearances 19
TOTAL APPERANCES 171
Under his reign Wolves won the League Championship three times (1953/4, 1957/8 & 1958/9) and the FA Cup twice (1949 & 1960). As a player, between the years of 1934 and 1947, he gained an FA Cup runners-up medal (1939) and was twice a member of the Wolves side who were League runners-up (1937/8 & 1938/9).
He captained the Wolves side at just 19 years of age, and became England skipper when he was 22. It total he won 12 senior caps.
Stan, who passed away in February, 2001, and his late wife Winifred, had two children, a son (Reverend) Andrew and daughter Susan. Wolves announced plans to erect a statue of Stan outside the ground in November 2000.
He was born on 25 October 1916 in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire and attended Cambridge Road School in Ellesmere. In the summer of 1930 he joined local league side Ellesmere Port Wednesday.
Although the young Cullis had made his mind up that he wanted to become a journalist, his interest in football began to flourish and several clubs monitored his progress. He was invited for a trial with Bolton Wanderers but luckily for Wolves, a friend of the manager, Major Buckley, had noticed the youngster's skills and Stan, on his father's advice, travelled to Wolverhampton for talks with the Major. Within a week he had signed for the club on professional terms.
He was immediately made captain of the third team and, as he was only 17, it shows how highly rated he was by the Molineux management. The following year he was skipper of the reserves and then he made his full debut, at the age of 19, when Wolves took on Huddersfield Town at Molineux. It was not to be a happy debut for Stan as The Terriers won by 3-2. A defeat at The Hawthorns the following week and a home draw with Sheffield Wednesday was the final first team game that he participated in that season.
Stan was made club captain and although he only made 12 appearances in 1935/6 season, the following year he began to establish the centre-half position as his own. The two years leading up to the outbreak of war were to prove disappointing for him as Wolves twice finished as runners up in the league and also lost the FA Cup Final to Portsmouth in 1939 after being tipped as hot favourites.
During the war Stan served as a PT instructor both in Britain and in Italy before he returned to Molineux after the hostilities had ceased. He was to play just one more season in League football before hanging up his boots. In the final game of 1946/7 Wolves needed just a point from their home game with Liverpool to secure their first title.
Sadly, they went down 2-1, and the title went to the men from Merseyside. One of their goals was scored by Albert Stubbins. He got goalside of Stan, and although the Wolves defender had plenty of opportunity to fetch Stubbins down, he allowed the forward to go on and score. Although criticised for not fouling his man, Stan always maintained that he did not want to be known as the man who won a medal by cheating.
In international football he captained his country, winning 12 full caps and 20 more in wartime football.
Stan was approached by Hull City to take over as manager at Boothferry Park on his retirement from playing but Wolves' chairman, Jimmy Baker, persuaded him to stay on at Molineux as assistant to Ted Vizard. It proved to be a wise move. The following summer (1948), Vizard was dismissed by the club and Cullis took over the managership.
In his first season in charge, Stan took the club to Wembley and the FA Cup Final which they won beating Leicester City, by 3-1. Then in the 1953/4 campaign Cullis guided Wanderers to the First Division title for the first time.
Wolves began to capture the headlines nationally when they invited some of the world's finest teams to Molineux for a series of friendly floodlit matches in which the men in old gold and black excelled. Sides like Moscow Spartak, Moscow Dynamo and Honved, were all laced with international stars, and all tasted defeat at Molineux.
Twice more in the 50s Wolves lifted the Championship and in 1960 they triumphed again in the FA Cup, this time Blackburn Rovers were the victims. But the 60s saw a decline in the fortunes of the club culminating in relegation in the spring of 1965. Stan Cullis was sacked by the board in the September of that dire season, a move that was met with disapproval from the vast bulk of the Wolves support.
Stan then spent five years managing neighbours Birmingham City before he retired from the game in 1970. His skill in the art of football, both on and off the park, was second to none.
He left football to work in the photography business and then lived in retirement in Malvern. In 1992 Sir Jack Hayward and Aston Villa chairman Doug Ellis arranged a testimonial game at Molineux. The match marked the opening of the new North Bank stand named after Stan.
WOLVES PLAYING CAREER 1934-1947
League Appearances 152
FA Cup Appearances 19
TOTAL APPERANCES 171
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