Wolverhampton mourn loss of 'cherished son' Sir Jack Hayward

WOLVES great benefactor, Sir Jack Hayward, has died.

00:10, Wed, Jan 14, 2015

Sir Jack Hayward GETTY

Jack Hayward celebrates winning the Division One Playoff Final against Sheffield United

The message he left in the club's visitor's book a few months ago says everything about him.

A multi-millionaire, he spent £30m of his fortune and 17 years of his life rebuilding a club that was close to bankruptcy and a ground that was mostly derelict.

Hayward, Wolverhampton born and proud, sold Wolves on to current owner Steve Morgan eight years ago for £10m, but insisting he invested £30m in the club.

When he made a visit to Molineux a few months ago, Morgan took Sir Jack on a tour of the hall of fame in the club museum to see the tribute to him.

Sir Jack was asked to sign the visitors' book and wrote simply: "Glad to have helped."

He was 91 and had been ill for several months, passing away in Fort Lauderdale.

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Wolves are a family and we're united in mourning at the loss of one of the club's, and the city's, most cherished sons
Steve Morgan

His home was in the Bahamas but Sir Jack was born close to Molineux and, as a boy, he crawled under the turnstiles to watch Wolves play.

He restored a decaying club and realised his dream when Wolves got promotion to the Premier League in 2003.

Sir Jack was a bit of a loose cannon and the club was always unsure about what he would say next, trying to police him at times, but he would have none of it, getting his views across, often with a roguish smile.

Morgan paid tribute to him.

"Wolves are a family and we're united in mourning at the loss of one of the club's, and the city's, most cherished sons," he said.

"Sir Jack always said to me that he was a custodian of the club during his ownership, he was merely looking after Wolves for the supporters.

"Rather than trying to recoup his own huge outlay, he handed over Wolves in such a way that it secured even more investment into the club. That was the measure of the man."