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MOLINEUX

ALTERNATIVE NAME:  WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS FOOTBALL GROUND, MOLINEUX FOOTBALL GROUND, MOLINEUX STADIUM
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Before Wolves arrival in 1899 the Molineux Grounds had, for twenty years or more, served as a central focus for sport and leisure in the town. Molineux's inaugural game as Wolves' home ground was a friendly v Aston Villa on 2 September 1899 in which the ground saw two covers being added to the existing 300 seat grandstand on Waterloo Road. The first terrace development was in 1911, when a roof was built over half the north end, and was soon dubbed the 'Cowshed'. In 1923-5, under the guidance of Archibald Leitch, the 1899 Waterloo Road side terrace cover was transferred to the Molineux Street side. Leitch meanwhile built a new Main Stand on Waterloo Road. During the early 1930s the Cowshed came down so that the North Bank could be remodelled. In 1932 a new stand was built along Molineux Street with 3,450 seats, and room for 4,500 standing. A roof was added to the rear of the South Bank in 1935, and was itself extended to hold an estimated 30,000 fans. Molineux barely changed over the decades, until it was designated under the 1975 Safety of Sports Grounds Act. The chief casualty was the Molineux Street Stand which was replaced by the John Ireland Stand in August 1979. After the Bradford fire in 1985, the local authority closed down the North Bank terrace and the Waterloo Road Stand. In July 1986. Wolves went into receivership and safety officials threatened closure of the South Bank. The club were saved by the actions of Wolverhampton Metropolitan Council and in April 1991 Sir Jack Haywood took over the club and ground. Molineux's rebirth began in October 1991 when the North Bank was demolished to make way for the Stan Cullis Stand which opened in August 1992. Phase two had already begun by then, with the demolition of the Waterloo Road Stand to be replaced by the Billy Wright Stand, opened in August 1993. Again, while this went up, the vast South Bank was cleared in mid-1993 to be replaced by Jack Harris stand. The new ground opened on 7 Dec 1993.

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