The year 1954 will always be a special one in the history of Wolverhampton Wanderers. It was then that the club became champions of England for the first time. However, it has belatedly become clear that another occasion of significance to Wolves’ history also took place that year. When two Asian men, Laskar Singh and Lachhman Singh, attended a game with their work colleagues, they began a process that would eventually lead to the formation of one of the country’s largest ethnic supporters’ groups.

More than 60 years on, the Punjabi Wolves boast a diverse membership of over 500 fans. Their presence has been embraced by people within the club and, perhaps most importantly, by their fellow followers of the old gold and black. It helps that Wolves now have the ideal man to reinforce the message. Club captain Danny Batth is celebrated as a homegrown hero having joined at the age of 10. He’s from Brierley Hill, so the South Bank’s song goes, but he also happens to be of Punjabi descent (his middle name is Tanveer).

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Batth says he is honoured to be the group’s official ambassador and his presence provides a tangible link between the football club and the city’s immigrant community. Wolverhampton is proud of that legacy but there have been challenges too. After all Enoch Powell, of the notorious Rivers of Blood speech, was the MP for Wolverhampton South West between 1950 and 1974. And yet, it’s now football – so often seen as a divisive and tribal issue – that is proving to be a uniting force within the city.

In part, that has been achieved by an admirable desire to reach out and take the initiative. Punjabi Wolves have long sought to educate the wider community about their culture through integration. Surprisingly, given the group’s name, that even extends to their membership. “We encourage fans from all backgrounds to become a Punjabi Wolves member, which will allow you to air your views on the day-to-day running of the club,” says their website.

Thanks to the existence of the club’s Fans’ Parliament that is literally true; Punjabi Wolves are represented at the quarterly meeting between senior club officials and selected supporters. The club also appreciated the benefit of adding a multicultural flavour on matchdays too. In April, on Punjabi Cultural Day, the region’s distinctive dhol drum was played inside Molineux for the first time. During the half-time entertainment, kabaddi, the state sport of Punjab, was played on the pitch.

Awareness is increasing but it has not been a straightforward evolution to get to this point. A lot of this interest was generated by another group, the recently formed Punjabi Wolves Supporters, who splintered off from the original Punjabi Wolves charity. There was some disappointment that the original set-up had moved too far away from their core message of simply supporting the team. With renewed enthusiasm, they have been far more actively involved on away trips. Indeed, fans are becoming accustomed to the presence of the dhol drums adding to the atmosphere before games. “The drums bring loads of fans together and that’s what it’s all about,” said Andy Sahota, the group’s founder. “It’s just one Wolves family.”

Their influence is now spreading well beyond the confines of Wolverhampton – it’s proving an inspiration for other clubs too. They have been contacted by fans of Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, while Derby supporters sought their advice last year about launching their own group. “They emailed us asking us how we formed and we have helped them through the process,” said member Pete Bassi. That journey saw the exchanging of pennants with the newly formed Punjabi Rams in November of last year and culminated in a match in October.

With the help of the FA, Punjabi Wolves took on Punjabi Rams at St George’s Park, with £2,000 being raised for various charities. For those counting, Wolves won the game 9-0. The result was avenged the following day, when Derby beat Wolves 4-2 in the Championship at the iPro Stadium. That defeat was a reminder that Wolves have come a long way since 1954 and not all of that journey has been in the right direction. The glory days are just a distant memory now. But the growth of their multicultural supporter base is one victory that fans can still celebrate.

• This article appeared first in When Saturday Comes

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• This article was amended on 16 December 2015. An earlier version said that kabaddi is a sport of Punjabi origin, rather than Punjab’s state sport.

