Stan Cullis

Stan Cullis

Statue of Stan Cullis outside Wolves' Molineux Stadium
Personal information
Full name	Stanley Cullis
Date of birth	(1916-10-25)25 October 1916
Place of birth	Ellesmere Port, England
Date of death	28 February 2001(2001-02-28) (aged 84)
Place of death	Malvern, England
Playing position	Centre half
Youth career
1930–1933	Ellesmere Port Wednesday
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1934–1947	Wolverhampton Wanderers	152	(2)
1943	→ Gillingham (wartime guest)
National team
1937–1939	England	12	(0)
Teams managed
1948–1964	Wolverhampton Wanderers
1965–1970	Birmingham City
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Stanley "Stan" Cullis (25 October 1916 – 28 February 2001) was a professional footballer and manager, primarily 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 joined Wolverhampton Wanderers 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 1937–38 and 1938–39. 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 third 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.