Sorry to bore you all, but I have further information, some of which casts doubts about the generally accepted date when St Lukes became Wolverhampton Wanderers. And I am indebted to the assistance offered by Wolves FC, Wolverhampton Archives, The Wolves Museum and Birmingham County Football Association.
Goldthorn Football Club were formed on 10th November 1876, but changed their name to St Lukes in January 1877 because all the players who signed up were in the St Lukes church choir. There is no record of Goldthorn playing any games, so it is fair to assume that the game against Stafford Road on 13 January was the first game. According to Jack Brodie (co-founder) they kept this name until 1881, not 1879 as the history books suggest, though they did amalgamate with the Wanderers cricket team in March 1879, and one of the conditions was that the club name should be "The Wanderers Cricket and Football team." St Lukes were very reluctant to change their name and did not do so until they considered they were getting a good deal out of the amalgamation. They did change their name to "Wanderers Football team" in 1881, which suggests that the move to the Fighting Cocks ground was what persuaded them that they were getting a good deal. This new information would suggest that the so called lost years between 1879 and 1881 were not lost at all because the club was still called St Lukes, and finding any record for games they played is proving extremely difficult.
Now the waters get even murkier. Again according to Jack Brodie, the Wanderers Football team did not use the prefix "Wolverhampton" for some time, but unfortunately he does not say exactly when. But it could well be that anyone researching the club would naturally assume that the name was Wolverhampton Wanderers. These accounts of the early days by Jack Brodie were made prior to the 1908 FA Cup Final, and it is almost certain that a full record of the club in its infancy was made, but as of yet, these records have not been found. They either got lost or destroyed.
So back to the original question of Wolves first game as Wolverhampton Wanderers. Well going back to post 13 in this thread, those games would almost certainly have taken place, as the club played up to 40 games between 1879 and 1881 against local opposition, and it is very possible that the game against Walsall Albion in early 1881 was the last played as St Lukes. So without substantiated statements, it is difficult to be 100% certain who were the first opponents as (Wolverhampton) Wanderers, but given what little details are available, I think that there is a distinct possibility that Stourbridge Standard were that team.
So have I reached the end of my search. Well yes I probably have, unless further information comes to hand regarding the clubs two founders, Jack Brodie and Jack Baynton. It has been suggested that Jack Brodie wrote a book about the formation of the club, but I can find no trace of it anywhere.
