Wolverhampton Wanderers early history is St Lukes Blakenhall School. With Association Football in its early stages the school formed a team in 1877. Many of the matches are unrecorded but research so far shows the following matches, until Wolverhampton Wanderers as an Associated Football team appears in 1880.
1876/77
Jan 13 (H) Stafford Road ‘R’ L 0-8 [Friendly]
1877/78
Dec 8 (H) Whitmore Reans ‘R’ D 0-0 [Friendly]
Dec 22 (H) United Rovers W 1-0 [Friendly]
Jan 5 (H) v Graisley Hill ‘R’ W 7-0 [Friendly]
Feb 16 (a) Graisley Hill L 0-1 [Friendly]
Mar 2 (a) Culwell D 1-1 [Friendly]
Culwell (RA Smith): Smith [goal], Hughes [back], Westwood [back], White [back], Carden [back], S Corbett [forward], RA Smith [forward], H Pearce [forward], T Webb [forward], W Newill [forward], RT Clay [forward / capt].
St Lukes (Cooke): J Clark [goal], J Baynton [back / capt], Meddings [back], Whitlock [back], J Brodie [half-back], G Worrall [forward], W Hudson [forward], J Hill [forward], F Shelton [forward], T Cooke [forward], W Blackham [forward].
Mar 5 (H) St Lukes v St Lukes [nine v nine Friendly]
Team 1: J Clark [goal], C Mason [back], T Thomas [half-back], F Costley [half-back], W Belcher [forward], O Bishop [forward], Z Heil [forward], A Blackham [forward], J Baynton [forward / capt].
Team 2: A Warrington [goal], F Clark [back], W Blackham [back], J Islas [half-back], T Cooke [half-back], W Hudson [forward], R Creighton [forward], J Brodie [forward], F Shelton [forward].
1878/79
Spt 23 (H) Brewood L 0-1 [Friendly]
Oct 12 (a) Wolverhampton Rovers W 1-0 [Friendly]
Oct 19 (H) St Pauls (Wolverhampton) L 0-1 [Friendly]
Oct 19 (a) Reserves v St Pauls (Wolverhampton) ‘R’ L 1-3 [Friendly] [Scorers: T Hadley – Price, Jackson, JG Lloyd].
Nov 2 (H) Walsall St Matthew’s Church Institute ‘R’ L 1-3 [Friendly]
Nov 16 (H) Reserves v Dudley Town Rangers ‘R’ W 1-0 [Friendly]
Nov 23 (a) Coven W 1-0 [Friendly]
Nov 30 () St Mary’s Works Mens D 0-0 [Friendly]
1879/80
Oct 11 (H) Heath Town L 0-1 [Friendly]
Oct 11 (a) Heath Town ‘R’ W 2-0 [Friendly]
Oct 18 (H) St Pauls Details Unknown [Friendly]
Oct 18 (a) Reserves v St Pauls ‘R’ Details Unknown [Friendly]
Oct 25 (a) Aston Unity L 1-9 [Friendly] [Scorers SLB unknown – J Butler (5), Ogden (2), C Durban (2)]
Nov 22 (H) Whitmore Reans L 0-2 [Friendly]
Jan 17 (a) Reserves v Shifnal Wanderers L 0-2 [Friendly]
Jan 17 (H) St. Mary’s, The Mount D 0-0 [Friendly]
Feb 14 (a) Whitmore Reans W2-0 [Friendly]
Whitmore Reans: Cliff [goal], Breeze [back], Hough [half-back], Cooper [half-back], Maddox [half-back], Ashly [forward], Turton [forward], Beadle [forward], Whitlock [forward], Patten [forward], George [forward].
St Lukes: Caddock [goal], Baynton [back / Capt], Brodie [back], Blackham [half-back], F Clarke [half-back], Stanford [half-back], W Hudson [forward], Hill [forward], Cadman [forward], Handly [forward], F Shelton [forward].
