Wolves 150th-anniversary mural defaced with blue paint before Black Country derby | OneFootball

A mural celebrating 150 years of Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux was defaced with blue paint within hours of its unveiling on the eve of the Black Country derby with West Brom.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, images and videos shared online on Saturday evening showed paint splashed across the artwork, with a tin left on the ground. Wolves fans voiced anger on social media.

The artist, Joe Miles, a Sedgley-based Wolves fan, said it was a massive shame after so much planning and painting. He welcomed West Brom fans who condemned the vandalism, said he could repair the piece and hoped it might spur players and fans on derby day.

The face of Raul Jimenez, one of the mural’s central figures, was covered in blue paint. The Mexican striker had already been ruled out of Sunday’s game through injury. By Sunday morning the paint had been scratched off, leaving blank spaces.

The artwork was unveiled earlier on Saturday as part of the club’s 150-year celebrations, with chairman Nathan Shi, directors John Bowater and John Gough, director of football operations Matt Wild and Wolverhampton Council leader Councillor Stephen Simkins in attendance.

Measuring nine metres wide and five metres tall, the piece stands at the entrance to the Molineux Subway and features Billy Wright, John Richards, Steve Bull and Jimenez. It was commissioned by UK bookmaker Midnite, Wolves’ principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor for the 2026/27 season, and was created by Miles, who also produced the Diogo Jota mural at the Leaping Wolf pub.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com

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