{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{More citations needed|date=December 2007}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = Wolverton | image = 100px|Wolverton A.F.C. badge | fullname = Wolverton Association Football Club | nickname = The Wolves, MK Wolves,<br />The Railwaymen | chairman = George Dicks | manager = Derek Steadman | founded = 1887 | dissolved = 1992 | ground = Wolverton Park | capacity = | pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=| leftarm1= ffcc00|body1= ffcc00|rightarm1= ffcc00 |shorts1=000000|socks1=000000 | pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=| leftarm2= 0000FF|body2=0000FF|rightarm2= 0000FF |shorts2= 0000FF |socks2= 0000FF | }} '''Wolverton Association Football Club''', often known simply as '''Wolverton''', was an English football team representing the town of Wolverton (and, for a time, Milton Keynes). The club's motto was "In Omnia Paratus" (lit: "In all things prepared").
==History==
The club was founded in 1887.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Strode |first1=Ronald |title=Newservice Amateur Football Yearbook 1948–49 |date=1948 |publisher=Newservice |location=Fetter Lane, London |page=80}}</ref> It joined the Southern Football League in 1895, and left after a rollercoaster five seasons in which the club was promoted and relegated between the two divisions twice.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wolverton London & North Western Railway |url=https://fchd.info/WOLVELNW.HTM |website=Football Club Historic Database |access-date=5 October 2025}}</ref>
The club mostly played in the United Counties League (originally the Northampton League) on and off between 1902 and 1982, briefly playing in the Athenian League, Isthmian League, and finally the South Midlands League.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wolverton Town & BR |url=https://fchd.info/WOLVETBR.HTM |website=Football Club Historic Databaseaccess-date=5 October 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Wolverton |url=https://fchd.info/WOLVERTO.HTM |website=Football Club Historic Database |access-date=5 October 2025}}</ref>
The club folded in January 1992; although the finances were in a poor state, the task of running the club had become too much for the final committee members, and after club secretary Paul Mumford resigned because of work commitments, the remaining members resolved to wind up the club.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chapman |first1=Paul |title=The end of the road for Wolves! |journal=Milton Keynes Citizen |date=30 January 1982 |page=152}}</ref>
==Colours==
The club originally played in light and dark blue.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Wolverton |journal=Sporting Life |date=5 September 1895 |page=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Berks and Bucks Senior Cup |journal=Bucks Free Press |date=11 January 1896 |page=6}}</ref> By 1948 the club wore royal blue shirts with three white hoops and black shorts,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Strode |first1=Ronald |title=Newservice Amateur Football Yearbook 1948–49 |date=1948 |publisher=Newservice |location=Fetter Lane, London |page=80}}</ref> and the old gold shirts and black shorts in 1949, but had to use maroon and amber shirts temporarily in 1949 because of a lack of supply.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Timken's new signings |journal=Wolverton Express |date=2 September 1949 |page=10}}</ref> It retained gold and black until dissolution.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Two local clubs cup-fighting tomorrow |journal=Bucks Examiner |date=3 September 1965 |page=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Tony |title=Non League Club Directory 1988 |date=1988 |publisher=TW |location=Sidmouth |page=295}}</ref>
==Ground==
Until 2007, its former home ground, Wolverton Park had what was believed to be the oldest football stand in the United Kingdom. The ground and immediate area has since been redeveloped into a housing area, [http://www.wolvertonpark.co.uk/ Wolverton Park housing development].<ref>{{cite web |title=Save our stand? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/articles/2006/01/20/wolverton_stand_200106_feature.shtml |website=BBC News |access-date=5 October 2025}}</ref> In November 2012, the football stand structure is still in place, but it has been stripped to act as an ornamental feature on the edge of the community park which has been built on top of the old football pitch.
==Club names== The club has had a number of different names during its history, and at one time held the record for the longest club name in English football: "Newport Pagnell & Wolverton London & North Western Railway Amalgamated Association Football Club".
{| |1887–1888||- Wolverton |- |1888–1889||- Wolverton London & North Western Railway |- |1889–1890||- Newport Pagnell & Wolverton London & North Western Railway |- |1890–1902||- Wolverton London & North Western Railway |- |1902–1948||- Wolverton Town |- |1948–1981||- Wolverton Town & B.R. [British Railways] |- |1981–1987||- Wolverton Town |- |1987–1988||- Wolverton Town (Milton Keynes) |- |1988–1990||- Milton Keynes Wolverton Town (aka Milton Keynes Wolves) |- |1990–1992||- Wolverton |}
==Achievements== *'''Berks & Bucks Senior Cup:''' **'''Winners (1):''' 1892/93 **'''Runners-up (4):''' 1888/89, 1891/92, 1895/96, 1969/70 *'''Berks & Bucks Benevolent Cup:''' **'''Winners (2):''' 1947/48, 1949/50 *'''Berks & Bucks Junior Cup:''' **'''Winners (1):''' 1904/05 *'''FA Cup:''' **'''4th Qualifying Round (1):''' 1957/58 *'''FA Vase:''' **'''3rd Round (4):''' 1974/75, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1977/78 *'''Southern Football League:''' **'''Division 2 Champions (1):''' 1895–96 **'''Division 2 (London Section) Runners-up (1):''' 1898–99 *'''Isthmian League:''' **'''Division 2 North Runners-up (1):''' 1986/87 *'''South Midlands League:''' **'''Premier Division Champions (2):''' 1938/39, 1945/46 **'''Premier Division Runners-up (1):''' 1990/91 *'''United Counties League:''' **'''Champions (1):''' 1913/14 *'''Spartan League:''' **'''Premier Division Runners-up (1):''' 1951/52 **'''Western Division Runners-up (1):''' 1946/47 *'''Bucks & Contiguous Counties League:''' **'''Division 1 Runners-up (1):''' 1898/99 *'''Athenian League Cup:''' **'''Runners-up (1):''' 1983/84 *'''United Counties League Cup:''' **'''Runners-up (1):''' 1966–67 *'''Kettering & District Charity Cup:''' **'''Runners-up (2):''' 1892/93, 1893/94 *'''Luton & District Charity Cup:''' **'''Winners (1):''' 1926/27 **'''Runners-up (1):''' 1893/94 *'''Wolverton & District Charity Cup:''' **'''Winners (2):''' 1893/94, 1894/95 **'''Runners-up (2):''' 1895/96, 1896/97
==Notable former players== 1. Players that have played/managed in the Football League or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).<br> 2. Players with full international caps.<br> 3. Players that hold a club record or have captained the club.
*{{flagicon|ENG}} George Henson went on to play for Northampton Town, Bradford Park Avenue, Sheffield United, Swansea Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers between 1932 and 1939.<ref>{{cite book|last= Joyce| first= Michael |year= 2004 | title = Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 |publisher= SoccerData | isbn= 1-899468-67-6}}</ref>
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==See also== *Wolverton railway works where almost all the players worked. *Milton Keynes City F.C., which took over Wolverton Park when Wolves went bust.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://fchd.info/WOLVETBR.HTM FA Cup and FA Vase results]
Category:Sport in Milton Keynes Category:Wolverton Category:Association football clubs established in 1887 Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 1992 Category:Defunct football clubs in England Category:Southern Football League clubs Category:Isthmian League clubs Category:Athenian League Category:1887 establishments in England Category:1992 disestablishments in England Category:Defunct football clubs in Buckinghamshire Category:Railway football clubs in England Category:Works football clubs in England