Wolves’ historic floodlit victory over Honved Budapest, one of the most cherished nights in the club’s history, will be commemorated with a bespoke sculpture outside Molineux on the 70th anniversary next month.
On 13th December 1954 Wolves beat Hungarian side Honved, one of the greatest teams of the era, which showcased British football on a global stage and ignited the spark for Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
Wolves’ memorable 3-2 victory from 2-0 down saw Stan Cullis’ side hailed ‘Champions of the World’ by British newspapers, leading to the French press calling for official European competition, and just months later the European Cup was born.
To mark the 70-year anniversary, Wolves will unveil a specially made piece of art nodding to both the European Cup trophy, and the footballing legends on the pitch that famous night at Molineux.
Designed and created by artist Luke Perry, the sculpture will be permanently located outside Molineux, and unveiled on 13th December 2024, before the club continues the celebrations into the Premier League clash with Ipswich Town the following day.
Perry, who is based in the West Midlands, worked in conjunction with Wolves and the club’s fan groups to bring an artistic interpretation to Wolves’ momentous win, which will provide a permanent reference point for current and future supporters.
Perry said: “It is a real honour to be asked to create this sculpture for my local team and even more so considering the incredible importance that this match has in the hearts of the fans. Many of the people that I work with are Wolves fans and are watching the sculpture take shape with something like reverence.
“The historic match had some characters from football history that are particularly rich to capture such as Bert Williams who's outline as a goalkeeper with a flat cap makes for brilliant reference material.
“I'm hoping that this sculpture will be a beloved representation for the fans of what is for many of them an almost mythical moment in the club's rich history.”
The match was part of a prestigious series of ‘floodlit friendlies’, organised by manager Cullis, which saw Wolves wear iconic fluorescent old gold jerseys, designed to reflect the floodlights.
To celebrate the anniversary, supporters will be able to purchase their own limited edition souvenir, with more information revealed on Thursday 14th November via a special microsite dedicated to the occasion.
Following the sculpture unveiling, celebrations will continue into the Ipswich matchday, where a special edition souvenir programme, packed with original Honved content, will be on sale in and around Molineux.
Families of the Wolves squad who played in that special game will attend the fixture, while specially made supporter banners, created by Old Gold Pack, will be displayed in the Molineux stands pre-match, as Wolves celebrate a pioneering moment in world football.
Finally, the celebrations will be capped with the release of a special Wolves Studios feature, detailing the fascinating Honved story to both Wolves supporters and the wider football world.
Presenting never-before-seen footage, interviews and insight, the latest documentary from Wolves Studios, also responsible for Raul Jimenez: Code Red and Joao Gomes: The Pitbull, will be released ahead of the Ipswich game via Wolves TV and Wolves’ official YouTube channel.
