Stan Cullis
Encyclopedia
Stanley Cullis was a professional footballer and manager, most notably for Wolverhampton Wanderers
. During his term as manager between 1948 and 1964 Wolves became one of the strongest teams in the British game, winning the league title on three occasions, and playing a series of high-profile friendly matches against top European sides which acted as a precursor to the European Cup.
Cullis was a talented defender, owing to the fact that he was a very defence-minded player by nature. As such, he possessed little attacking instinct and rarely ever got forward. Frank Buckley
once said of him: "Stan? Stan's the best defender we have here by a country mile, but he gets a nosebleed every time he crosses the half way line!". Cullis scored only twice in his entire playing career, in league games versus Bury
and Northampton Town
.
as a teenager after a trial at Bolton Wanderers
, signing professionally within a week of his arrival. He quickly moved up through the youth and reserve ranks and made his senior debut on 16 February 1935 in a 2–3 defeat at Huddersfield Town
. He had to wait until the 1936–37 season though before he became first choice, when he replaced Bill Morris
, and swiftly became club captain.
Cullis led the team to become one of the top teams in England, finishing runners-up in the league in 1938 and 1939. In 1939 Wolves had the chance to win The Double
, but with only 5 wins in the last 11 matches the team lost the championship by 5 points to Everton
, and reaching the FA Cup Final
then losing 4–1 to Portsmouth
saw Wolves become the first English club to achieve The Double Horror.
When the Second World War
started it took away many of the best years of Cullis's career.
He won a call-up to the England
team and made his international debut on 23 October 1937 in a 5–1 success against Ireland. Because of the outbreak of the war, he won only 12 full caps (once as captain), although he also played in 20 wartime internationals (10 as captain).
When England played Germany
in Berlin
on 14 May 1938, Cullis refused to join the rest of his team mates in performing a Nazi salute
prior to the match. Cullis, the only player to refuse, was dropped from the team; England won the match 6–3.
During the conflict, he served as a PT instructor
in both Britain and Italy, and also managed 34 wartime appearances for Wolves in regional competitions, as well as guesting for Aldershot
, Fulham
and Liverpool
. Shortly after, he also managed briefly Fredrikstad in 1946.
When competitive football resumed in England in 1946–47, Cullis played just one more season for Wolves, in which the club once again narrowly missed out on a first league title. He then announced his retirement as a result of injury and was appointed assistant to manager Ted Vizard
, after having made 171 appearances in total for the club.
and presided over the most successful era in the club's history. In his first season in charge, he became the youngest manager to win the FA Cup
at Wembley as Wolves beat Leicester City
to win their first major trophy since 1908. Five years later Wolves overhauled local rivals West Bromwich Albion
to win their first league title.
Cullis' team restored some pride to English football after the national team's thrashings at the hands of Hungary
when they beat the star-studded Honvéd
side in a friendly, and Cullis' comments that his team were "champions of the world" played a large part in the formation of European club competitions.
Cullis led Wolves to two more league titles, in 1958 and 1959
, and they narrowly missed the hat-trick in 1960 by losing by 1 point to Burnley
, while also winning the FA Cup again in 1960 avoiding a repeat of the 1939 Double Horror season, sealing their position as one of the dominant teams of the era. The 1960s saw Wolves begin to struggle, and Cullis was surprisingly sacked in September 1964, declaring that he would not work in football again, despite an offer from Juventus
.
After a short spell working as a sales representative, he did return to the game as manager of Birmingham City
in December 1965, but could not reproduce the success he had enjoyed at Wolves. Cullis retired from football in March 1970, and took up a post with a travel agency in Malvern
, his adopted home town.
Tributes to Cullis include the naming of a stand (the Stan Cullis Stand) at Wolves' Molineux Stadium
, and in 2003 he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
in recognition of his impact as a manager.
(as player and manager)
|1934–35||rowspan="7"|Wolverhampton Wanderers
||rowspan="7"|First Division
||3||0||0||0||3||0
|-
|1935–36||12||0||0||0||12||0
|-
|1936–37||24||1||7||0||31||1
|-
|1937–38||36||0||2||0||38||0
|-
|1938–39||40||1||6||0||46||1
|-
|1939–40||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|1946–47||37||0||3||0||40||0
|-
152||2||18||0||170||2
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
. During his term as manager between 1948 and 1964 Wolves became one of the strongest teams in the British game, winning the league title on three occasions, and playing a series of high-profile friendly matches against top European sides which acted as a precursor to the European Cup.
Cullis was a talented defender, owing to the fact that he was a very defence-minded player by nature. As such, he possessed little attacking instinct and rarely ever got forward. Frank Buckley
Frank Buckley (footballer)
Franklin Charles Buckley was an English football player and, later, manager. He is the brother of Chris Buckley who played for Aston Villa.-Early life:...
once said of him: "Stan? Stan's the best defender we have here by a country mile, but he gets a nosebleed every time he crosses the half way line!". Cullis scored only twice in his entire playing career, in league games versus Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
and Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
.
Playing career
Cullis joined Wolverhampton WanderersWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
as a teenager after a trial at Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, signing professionally within a week of his arrival. He quickly moved up through the youth and reserve ranks and made his senior debut on 16 February 1935 in a 2–3 defeat at Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
. He had to wait until the 1936–37 season though before he became first choice, when he replaced Bill Morris
Bill Morris (footballer)
Bill Morris was an English footballer, who spent the majority of his playing career at Wolverhampton Wanderers.Morris began his senior career in the colts side of West Bromwich Albion, before moving to Halesowen Town...
, and swiftly became club captain.
Cullis led the team to become one of the top teams in England, finishing runners-up in the league in 1938 and 1939. In 1939 Wolves had the chance to win The Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
, but with only 5 wins in the last 11 matches the team lost the championship by 5 points to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, and reaching the FA Cup Final
1939 FA Cup Final
The 1939 FA Cup Final was contested by Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Wembley. Portsmouth won 4–1, with goals from Bert Barlow, John Anderson and two by Cliff Parker...
then losing 4–1 to Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
saw Wolves become the first English club to achieve The Double Horror.
When the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
started it took away many of the best years of Cullis's career.
He won a call-up to the England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
team and made his international debut on 23 October 1937 in a 5–1 success against Ireland. Because of the outbreak of the war, he won only 12 full caps (once as captain), although he also played in 20 wartime internationals (10 as captain).
When England played Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
on 14 May 1938, Cullis refused to join the rest of his team mates in performing a Nazi salute
Hitler salute
The Nazi salute, or Hitler salute , was a gesture of greeting in Nazi Germany usually accompanied by saying, Heil Hitler! ["Hail Hitler!"], Heil, mein Führer ["Hail, my leader!"], or Sieg Heil! ["Hail victory!"]...
prior to the match. Cullis, the only player to refuse, was dropped from the team; England won the match 6–3.
During the conflict, he served as a PT instructor
Physical Training Instructor
Physical Training Instructor is a term used primarily in the British Armed Forces and British police, as well as some other Commonwealth countries, for an instructor in physical fitness.-United Kingdom:...
in both Britain and Italy, and also managed 34 wartime appearances for Wolves in regional competitions, as well as guesting for Aldershot
Aldershot F.C.
Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable...
, Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. Shortly after, he also managed briefly Fredrikstad in 1946.
When competitive football resumed in England in 1946–47, Cullis played just one more season for Wolves, in which the club once again narrowly missed out on a first league title. He then announced his retirement as a result of injury and was appointed assistant to manager Ted Vizard
Ted vizard
Edward 'Ted' Vizard was a Wales international footballer who became a manager. He spent almost all his playing career at Bolton Wanderers.-Playing career:...
, after having made 171 appearances in total for the club.
Management career
In June 1948, aged just 31, Cullis became manager of WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
and presided over the most successful era in the club's history. In his first season in charge, he became the youngest manager to win the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
at Wembley as Wolves beat Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
to win their first major trophy since 1908. Five years later Wolves overhauled local rivals West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
to win their first league title.
Cullis' team restored some pride to English football after the national team's thrashings at the hands of Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
when they beat the star-studded Honvéd
Budapest Honvéd FC
Budapest Honvéd FC |football]] team. "Honved" means the Homeland Defense. Originally formed as Kispest AC, they became Kispest FC in 1926 before reverting to their original name in 1944. The team enjoyed a golden age during the 1950s when it was renamed Budapest Honvéd SE and became the Hungarian...
side in a friendly, and Cullis' comments that his team were "champions of the world" played a large part in the formation of European club competitions.
Cullis led Wolves to two more league titles, in 1958 and 1959
1958-59 in English football
The 1958–59 season was the 79th season of competitive football in England.-Diary of the season:August 1958: The Football League season begins with the new national Third and Fourth divisions that have been created from the old Third Division North and Third Division South.September 1958: Manchester...
, and they narrowly missed the hat-trick in 1960 by losing by 1 point to Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
, while also winning the FA Cup again in 1960 avoiding a repeat of the 1939 Double Horror season, sealing their position as one of the dominant teams of the era. The 1960s saw Wolves begin to struggle, and Cullis was surprisingly sacked in September 1964, declaring that he would not work in football again, despite an offer from Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
.
After a short spell working as a sales representative, he did return to the game as manager of Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in December 1965, but could not reproduce the success he had enjoyed at Wolves. Cullis retired from football in March 1970, and took up a post with a travel agency in Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, his adopted home town.
Later Life
Cullis died on 28 February 2001 at the age of 84.Tributes to Cullis include the naming of a stand (the Stan Cullis Stand) at Wolves' Molineux Stadium
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
, and in 2003 he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame
English Football Hall of Fame
The English Football Hall of Fame is housed at the National Football Museum, currently being relocated to Manchester, England. The Hall aims to celebrate and highlight the achievements of the all-time top English footballing talents, as well as non-English players and managers who have become...
in recognition of his impact as a manager.
Honours
(as player and manager)- First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
- Champions: 1953–541953–54 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. seasonThe 1953–54 season was the 57th season of competitive league football in the history of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. They played in the First Division, then the highest level of English football....
, 1957–581957–58 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. seasonThe 1957–58 season was the 60th season of competitive league football in the history of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. They played in the First Division, then the highest level of English football, for a 21st consecutive year....
, 1958–591958–59 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. seasonThe 1958–59 season was the 61st season of competitive league football in the history of English football club Wolverhampton Wanderers. They played in the First Division, then the highest level of English football, for a 22nd consecutive year.... - Runners-up: 1937–38, 1938–391938–39 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. seasonThe 1938–39 season was Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club's 42nd of competitive football, 7th consecutive year in the English top flight. It was the club's second season as finishing runners-up in the League and also lost the FA Cup Final to Portsmouth at their first trip to Wembley thus...
1949–501949–50 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. seasonThe 1949–50 season was Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club's 53rd competitive football, 13th consecutive year in the English top flight. It was the club's third season as finishing runners-up in the League to Portsmouth on goal average...
, 1954–551954–55 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. seasonThe 1954–55 season was Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club's 58th of competitive football, 17th consecutive year in the English top flight. It was the club's first season as defending champions but Chelsea won the title by 4 points...
, 1959–601959–60 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. seasonThe 1959–60 season was Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club's 63rd of competitive football, 23rd consecutive year in the English top flight. It was the club's chance of a hat-trick of titles after successfully defending it in the last two seasons they lost to Burnley by one point... - Third-place: 1946–471946–47 Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. season*Season:1946-1947*1st Division*Final league position: 3-Statistics:-External links:*...
, 1952–53, 1955–56, 1960–61
- Champions: 1953–54
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
- Winners: 19491949 FA Cup FinalThe 1949 FA Cup Final was contested by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium. Wolves finished 6th in the First Division during that season, and boasted several England internationals among their ranks, while Leicester City had struggled to avoid relegation in the Second...
, 1960 - Runners-up: 19391939 FA Cup FinalThe 1939 FA Cup Final was contested by Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Wembley. Portsmouth won 4–1, with goals from Bert Barlow, John Anderson and two by Cliff Parker...
- Semi-finalists: 1951
- Winners: 1949
- FA Charity ShieldFA Community ShieldThe Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...
- Winners: 19591959 FA Charity ShieldThe 1959 FA Charity Shield was the 37th FA Charity Shield, a football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles. This year's match was contested by league champions Wolverhampton Wanderers and FA Cup winners Nottingham Forest.The match was held at the...
- Shared: 19491949 FA Charity ShieldThe 1949 FA Charity Shield was the 27th FA Charity Shield, a pre-season exhibition football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles. The match took place at Highbury, London, between the league champions Portsmouth and FA Cup winners Wolverhampton Wanderers...
(with Portsmouth), 19541954 FA Charity ShieldThe 1954 FA Charity Shield was the 32nd FA Charity Shield, a football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles...
(with West Bromwich Albion), 19601960 FA Charity ShieldThe 1960 FA Charity Shield was the 38th FA Charity Shield, a football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles. The match was contested by league champions Burnley and FA Cup winners Wolverhampton Wanderers....
(with Burnley) - Runners-up: 19581958 FA Charity ShieldThe 1958 FA Charity Shield was the 36th FA Charity Shield, a football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles. This year's match was contested by league champions Wolverhampton Wanderers and FA Cup winners Bolton Wanderers.The match was staged at...
- Winners: 1959
- FA Youth CupFA Youth CupThe Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
- Winners: 1958
- Runners-up: 1953, 1954, 1962
Player
|-|1934–35||rowspan="7"|Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
||rowspan="7"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||3||0||0||0||3||0
|-
|1935–36||12||0||0||0||12||0
|-
|1936–37||24||1||7||0||31||1
|-
|1937–38||36||0||2||0||38||0
|-
|1938–39||40||1||6||0||46||1
|-
|1939–40||0||0||0||0||0||0
|-
|1946–47||37||0||3||0||40||0
|-
152||2||18||0||170||2
Manager
| Season | League | FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
FA Charity Shield FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition... |
Europe | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | ||||
| 1948–49 | First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 79 | 66 | 46 | 6th | W 1949 FA Cup Final The 1949 FA Cup Final was contested by Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium. Wolves finished 6th in the First Division during that season, and boasted several England internationals among their ranks, while Leicester City had struggled to avoid relegation in the Second... |
||
| 1949–50 | 42 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 76 | 49 | 53 | 2nd | R5 | Shared 1949 FA Charity Shield The 1949 FA Charity Shield was the 27th FA Charity Shield, a pre-season exhibition football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles. The match took place at Highbury, London, between the league champions Portsmouth and FA Cup winners Wolverhampton Wanderers... |
||
| 1950–51 | 42 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 74 | 61 | 38 | 14th | SF | |||
| 1951–52 | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 73 | 73 | 38 | 16th | R4 | |||
| 1952–53 | 42 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 86 | 63 | 51 | 3rd | R3 | |||
| 1953–54 | 42 | 25 | 7 | 10 | 96 | 56 | 57 | 1st | R3 | |||
| 1954–55 | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 89 | 70 | 48 | 2nd | QF | Shared 1954 FA Charity Shield The 1954 FA Charity Shield was the 32nd FA Charity Shield, a football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles... |
||
| 1955–56 | 42 | 20 | 9 | 13 | 89 | 65 | 49 | 3rd | R3 | |||
| 1956–57 | 42 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 94 | 70 | 48 | 6th | R4 | |||
| 1957–58 | 42 | 28 | 8 | 6 | 103 | 47 | 64 | 1st | QF | |||
| 1958–59 | 42 | 28 | 5 | 9 | 110 | 49 | 61 | 1st | R4 | R/U 1958 FA Charity Shield The 1958 FA Charity Shield was the 36th FA Charity Shield, a football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles. This year's match was contested by league champions Wolverhampton Wanderers and FA Cup winners Bolton Wanderers.The match was staged at... |
European Cup R2 | |
| 1959–60 | 42 | 24 | 6 | 12 | 106 | 67 | 54 | 2nd | W | W 1959 FA Charity Shield The 1959 FA Charity Shield was the 37th FA Charity Shield, a football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles. This year's match was contested by league champions Wolverhampton Wanderers and FA Cup winners Nottingham Forest.The match was held at the... |
European Cup QF | |
| 1960–61 | 42 | 25 | 7 | 10 | 103 | 75 | 57 | 3rd | R3 | Shared 1960 FA Charity Shield The 1960 FA Charity Shield was the 38th FA Charity Shield, a football match between the winners of the previous season's First Division and FA Cup titles. The match was contested by league champions Burnley and FA Cup winners Wolverhampton Wanderers.... |
European Cup Winners' Cup SF | |
| 1961–62 | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 73 | 86 | 36 | 18th | R4 | |||
| 1962–63 | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 93 | 65 | 50 | 5th | R3 | |||
| 1963–64 | 42 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 70 | 80 | 39 | 16th | R3 | |||