On This Day – 8th May
Sir Jack Hayward bought Wolverhampton Wanderers on this day back in 1990. The boyhood Wolves fan paid £2.1 million to buy the club.
The club had fallen on hard times in the 1980’s and were even relegated to the Fourth Division in 1986.
The situation became bleaker still that year when the club nearly went out of business.
A deal was made with various investors and the local council but Wolves’ future was still in the balance until Hayward stepped in and took control.
When Haywood became chairman, the club’s Molineux stadium was in a real state of disrepair. Two sides of the ground had been closed down due to health and safety.
A new stand had been built along one of the pitch and it stood well away from the pitch. It nearly financially crippled the club in 1982. That stand and the South Bank terrace were the only parts of the ground open to fans. It’s fair to say that Molineux was an eyesore!
With three years of Hayward taking charge of the club, two new stands had replaced the dilapidated stands. Molineux was now a modern and smart stadium, fit for the Premier League.
Hayward and the Wolves fans would finally get their wish and the club returned to the top flight in 2003. They would only stay in the Premier League for one season though.
Sir Jack Hayward finally decided to sell the club in 2007. He passed away eight years later at the age of 91. His name will always be a huge part of the history of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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