For new club historian Peter Crump, having the opportunity to tell the Wolves story is a genuine privilege.
Having worked behind-the-scenes in voluntary and casual roles for the more than a decade, earlier this month Crump took over the full-time role of club historian role, previously held by his good friend Pat Quirke, who sadly passed away last year.
Looking to continue the expert work of Quirke, who handed Crump his first role within the tour and museum department at Molineux in 2017, the lifelong Wolves supporter is relishing the opportunity to share his passion for the Old Gold with supporters and visitors to Molineux all year round.
“It’s about preserving the history of the football club – telling the Wolves story in various different ways,” he said. “We’ve got the museum and stadium which are fantastic resources, so it’s about being a port of call for any historical matters. It’s bringing the history to life to everybody – supporters and visitors – and making sure it’s taken care of in a proper way.
“It’s a real privilege. I’ve been here for some time as a tour guide and working in the museum, and there’s a lot of people who’d like to be in my shoes. It’s hard to find the words to describe it really, but I’m really pleased to be here.”
Crump attended his first Wolves match in 1991 and first served the club in 2012 as a fan volunteer, waving flags, collecting fan banners and assembling mosaics, amongst various responsibilities.
However, over the past six years it’s from the museum, and as a tour guide, where Crump will be more familiar to supporters, where his passion for the city and club he represents has had visitors coming back over and over again to Molineux.
“It’s more than being a supporter, it’s a huge part of my life and always has been. Wolves is just so important, not just the club but Wolverhampton and the history of the city. I’m proud to be from Wolverhampton. I believe my football club chose me; I didn’t choose it. I have two older brothers and my dad is a big Wolves fan. My uncle Pete [Redfearn] used to be the secretary here as well. It’s well and truly in my DNA.
“I’ve got a lot of experience looking into the history of the club – a lot of reading and research. I’ve been very fortunate over the last three or four years to meet a lot of ex-players and one of the most important skills is listening, so I’ve been listening to the stories told to me by them and supporters. A lot of people think I was around in the ‘70s, but I wasn’t, it’s just about research listening to people.”
Due to his experience and personable approach, Crump has become a fixture at the club in recent years, running VIP tours of Molineux on a matchday and even sharing the story of the club with former head coach Julen Lopetegui following his appointment last November.
Now, in his new role, Crump is focused on evolving the Museum and tour experience for visitors through a variety of new initiatives, which will be laid out over the coming months, as he prepares to tell the Wolves story to those who visit the historic stadium, both from local and further afield.
“Everybody’s welcome – it doesn’t matter who you support. The museum is our museum, the supporters – everybody in their own way upholds our history – and the resource we’ve got is phenomenal. Maybe there are supporters who haven’t visited, so please come and see it because it’s one of the best museums in the country. There aren’t many football clubs with their own museum.
“We’re going to get lots of different options, and we want fans to be welcome to come and come again. The museum will evolve so people who’ve been before, please keep a look out for changes and come back.
“There’s lots of activities going on at Molineux in the various offices, but predominantly the stadium is sat, and we want it in use as much as possible. Every single one of our tour guides is extremely knowledgeable. They’re all passionate Wolves supporters, so don’t just bring in knowledge of the club, but their own insights. They’re all absolutely excellent and should be proud of the work they do.”
