Disgusted and ashamed to hear the news today that Ståle Solbakken’s car has been vandalised.
If that was the act of an upset supporter, which is still just an assumption (albeit a fairly safe one) then that’s completely out of order.
Nobody should have to tolerate that.
It’s a shame for the rest of us supporters too, as we’ll no doubt be tarred with the same toxic brush for years to come.
Not long after I heard about this incident, I received a message from a contributor.
He’d read a comment on the Express and Star site in reply to a post about the new Wolves Museum.
He thought this deserved it’s own blog and on the day that the club (justifiably) felt they had to make a statement, I think this makes an equally valid point.
See if you agree:
I’m sure it (the new Museum) is an impressive experience (accept my congratulations for having such foresight, Wolves). However, I stand by my previous comments that charging £7 per head is out of order -at least in my opinion. Many key items have been donated or loaned in goodwill, and that has cost our club nothing but a polite ‘thank you’ in return. The actual cost of bringing the project to reality is directly due to our lucrative, Premier League excursion.
On several occasions in years gone by, I’ve nipped through the main entrance at Molineux to take a visiting friend to see the glittering array of silverware on display in those impressive glass cases -and not all, it must be said, were supporters of Wolves. However, everybody I’ve taken were highly impressed and enthralled with the sheer historical significance of everything they had witnessed. The reverence and aura experienced by my visitors was more akin to that to be found when visiting a famous cathedral. You could almost ‘touch’ the atmosphere. Unsurprising, really, because Wolves were, and are, a very special club. However, such trips cost my visitors nothing. Not one penny. Zilch. Gratis. And that’s the difference between Sir Jack Hayward’s Wolves and the present-day set-up.
The new museum undoubtedly showcases the club’s rich history and achievements in majestic style. It will, most assuredly, highlight nearly every significant person that helped make Wolves great and become such a renowned name -and that’s exactly as it should be, of course. How ironic it is, then, that Wolves’ glorious, innocent ‘past’ meets the exploitational ‘present’ in the form of that contentious £7 admission fee. It’s as if financial greed and rampant commercialism (the pervading force so prevalent and destructive in today’s game) has to raise its ugly head even where CELEBRATION and TRIBUTE are the order of the day. These are austere times that the average fan is now living in, yet it seems hard-pressed fans can’t even bask in their beloved club’s memories for free. No, there has to be a price to be paid -and that’s sad.
More affluent fans should spare a thought for the disadvantaged; the elderly; the infirm; those who have lost their jobs and therefore their income; those that have been priced out of the game through sheer economic pressure, etc. Many of these will be life-long, loyal fans who, through no fault of their own, are simply unable to afford the £7 entrance fee; a charge which the club casually dismisses as comparable to a “cinema ticket” in its efforts to justify its decision. Yes, £7 may be loose change to some, but it’s a whole day’s meals to another.
I truly believe Wolves should have thrown open the doors to not only its loyal fanbase, but the whole City, too. Every proud Wulfrunian has a ‘share’, as I see it, in something that historically, and intrinsically, already belongs to our people. This is our City, our Club and our legacy -not yours, Mr. Morgan. You’re a mere caretaker of something much greater than any individual.
At a time when many fans are turning their backs on the club through disillusionment on the pitch (and ineptitude in Molineux’s ivory towers), here was your chance to give the spirit of Wolves’ history back to the very people who helped create a legend. Who knows, you may have recouped some support from those who felt their pride rekindled. You may have acquired new young fans, too. Instead, as is the way these days with the club that’s slowly lost its heart, you categorised it as a commercial investment. That says everything to me.
For a footballing institution that’s always been the very fabric of Wolverhampton itself, I find it all so very disappointing. No, you can count me out, Wolves. I think us fans already pay more than enough into the club coffers as it is -I know I have! I’m no more special than any other Wolf and I’d certainly never claim to be. I’m just a middle-aged bloke in his 50’s with around 45 years’ (mostly paying) support behind me. My views won’t reflect those of everyone else -that I know. I just feel so let down by a club that never seems to pass-up any money-making opportunity, even when it’s essentially an affair of the heart, such as this.
The question is: I’ve still got my heart, but has the club? On second thoughts, don’t answer, Wolves…..there may be a fee incurred.
Thanks to Ye Olde South Bank who left this comment on the E&S website.
Agree absolutely about the attack on Stale’s car, Thomas, disgraceful and nothing to do with the genuine decent Wolves supporter.
As for the piece on the museum , absolutely brilliant. Who was he? Get him doing regular blogs asap!
Attack out of order I don’t blame Stale anyway he’s trying to as I’ve already said teach old dogs new tricks what I suspect is those old dogs are peed off because there having to work fot there £20,000 a week or more. The real blame and I know I sound like an old record lays with Morgan I’ll say it again re: museum Mr Morgans getting a lot more out of Wolverhampton (football club for next to nothing) than Wolverhampton getting out of Mr Morgan he’ll be charging us for a p?ss next I would not be surprised the next time I go for 1or 2 ill find a pay machine on door 50p for a p?ss and a £1 for a dump. I been to the main reception my self loads of times and ever time the girl at the desk has said have a look around if you want and I have there just seems no end to Morgam/ the boards emaginative ways of stewing more money out of us fans I’m surprised the Christmas brochure has not been push in my hand on entrying Stan Cullis oh silly me I’ll probably have to pay for it this year b-/£?,ds.
Brilliant,But still I don’t think it will register upstairs.profits befor people.
speaks for me…..i for one want morgan to go and moxey no matter what the consequences . you both are destroying not only the club but everything positive that it affords..rip wolves..
Club knows best eh John.
NO! but niether do the fans, we only have to look at recent years to prove that, yo can get rid of Moxey – fine, but whoever takes his job on will do exactly the same – that’s the CEOs job to save money, to keep the business in the black (is it black or red – always get mixed up), as for the owner of course he is in it to make money! you only have to look at chairman of the past for proof of that.
You hear fans constantly moaning about not spending enough on players and at the same time moaning that the manager doesn’t play the young players enough? you have to get the right balance! Stale will get it – given the time, the museum – well everybody has a choice! fans moan about the charges for this – yet I hardley hear them moaning about the rip off prices for the grub and booze, how many refuse to pay at half time (me included) but if we all refused they would have to drop the prices – £3.50 for a pint of bonks mild! now that’s a bloody disgrace.
The same rip off prices apply in stadia and concert venues over here, plus 10 dollars to park.
But, everyone knows it, and if you dont like it, dont pay it. Anyone who cannot go 2 hours without a beer or a coffee or a greasepie either has a medical or a mental problem.
What I would love to see is the American pastime of tailgating before the match, in a big car park.
Fans bring barbecues and tents and beer and have a party, sometimes for hours before the game starts, and a lot of those fans dont even have tickets, so watch the matches on portable tvs in the parking lot!
Bostin’ fun, everyone is friendly, even to opposing fans, and you can get seriously shit faced and no one cares!!!
And lets face it, at the moment we need to be drunk to watch the crap being served up at The Mol!!
Agree with you on the tailgating fun Houston, and judging by the season the Texans have been having, you’ve been having lots to celebrate recently 🙂 Regretfully for me, the San Diego Chargers have been taking lessons from the Wolves and are having an equally abysmal season! 🙁
Sounds great Clive, but could you imagine some idiots? there would be mass brawls.
I have to be honest I thought 7 quid was pretty reasonable.
True enough golldcoast, my wife and i have often compared good things that happen here that would not work in the UK. Fottball tailgating as practiced here would redult in mass raids to hi jack the beer and food. Its a lot of fun and if you do it right you can just mingle and get free beer and food.
Also the practive of seling road side fruit and veg and just having a trust box for the money. I fear in some parts of UK all the Corn would be gone and the money.
Freestanding barbeque grills in parks for everyones benefit would I fear be another non starter.
Hey maybe i just came from the wrong area.
If you are wondering I am not mentioning Wolves or the Politics, simply put it is a mess should never have happened but we are where we are. Come on me babbies lets get it going.
Totally agree it sums up what is clearly going wrong under Morgans tenure.
Charging for museums is self defeating.
The Ashmolean in Oxford is free. You could spend a week there and not see all of it. When I went they charged nothing for entry. So I bought a guide book (bit like the wolves one); and I stayed for lunch in their Restaurant; I bought a few souvenirs; presents for people as it was near Christmas. It was the best free experience I have had and the museum seemed happy too – funny that.
Totally agree. I’ve visited plenty of free museums and spent good money in all of them, because I could afford to. As other contributors have said, “not everybody can afford to”, but surely they deserve the chance to see our history.
free? but spent money in them? mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
i bet everyone is jumping through hoops to invite you round for christmas..go weekly and pay 7 quid each time …
Superb blog, absolutely spot on. The club see the fans as a cash cow to be squeezed for every penny, they have no real respect for their supporters, we are a club run by a scouser who only cares about Liverpool and making money and a rotund Chief Executive who only cares about his end of season bonus. It is time to let these people know what we think of their actions, either that or apathy will see the greedy gets squeeze the club dry and put us back 10 years.
Some excellent points made regarding the museum. At very least I am surprised admission is not refunded against match tickets or shop purchases. They should certainly be doing everything they can to get youngsters of the town their on organised visits as early as possible to try to capture some as supporters of the future.
As for the Stale vandalism story, let us hope that those who were wavering with their support of the man are now encouraged to rally and get behind the man for the forthcoming games and deter the minority. Nobody deserves such treatment , least of all someone who I am sure is working his socks off everyday in order to move this great club forward again.
Deplore the vandalism and i thought Stales comments show his commitment.
Great blog on the museum and i hate the exploitation of the fans.However I dont think it is just about rich owners making more money.In the drive to get results and keep the fans happy most clubs have bloated squads of very highly paid players.
Like others, I deplore the vandalism. I feel ashamed and embarressed as a Wolves supporter that Stale and his family should suffer this treatment.
The article regarding the Museum is brilliant. It is symbolic of all that is wrong within the hierachy of the club. History, passion, sacrifices mean nothing to Morgan and Moxey. Money does. We don’t deserve this.
Good on you on mentioning the vandalism on here – despicable, that was! Utterly despicable!
As for the museum by all accounts it is hugely impressive but so is the Ashmoleum mentioned above…
I wholeheartedly deplore the vandalism on Stale’s car. It is sheer cowardice to do such thing in the dark of the night. Now for the famous museum at Molineux. Regarding the 7 pounds admission to see it I think it is being exaggerated as today you buy nothing with that kind of money or is it that people have become so poor not to afford 7 pounds to relive the history of our famous club. Manchester United charge about 11 or 12 pounds t enter their museum and their match tickets are more costlier than Wolves while they have massive sponsorship deals. And I haven’t heard people protesting about their entrance fee. Maybe they are happy because their team win far more than Wolves. So maybe if Wolves start getting results things will be different. Hope they do,
Thank You! it seems to me that some of our fans want everything for nowt, they want quality players – but don’t want to spend money? they want more of the kids to get a chance – yet want we to buy players!
Maybe if Jez and Steve went these so called fans could run the club! oh god wake me up I am having a nightmare!
Remember what you wish for! you wished for it last season now look were we are!
Have you noticed that the new stand had to be built to generate income to improve the squad ? Same story with the John Ireland stand decades ago. The income from the museum is similarly justified. But does the squad improve ? Even with parachute payments and 3 years of Premiership TV income ? Fat Jez will lie to us till he’s blue in the face. If anything we’ve returned to the days when we were signing crocks who rarely played for huge sums. Tony Daley, Steve Froggatt, Neil Masters, Geoff Thomas have been updated by Steve Mouyokolo, Georg Margreitter, Jamie O’Hara, Razak Boukari etc etc.
Surely time to get someone competent in charge of pre-transfer physicals ?
Why call Wolves fans ‘so called’ just because they choose to challenge a hierarchy which has presided over a slide to 18th place in the Championship? What, so they’re not real fans? What are you getting at Johnwolf?
And remember what you wish for you say?! Hilarious! I’ll tell you what I wished for (and it wasn’t 18th in the Championship BTW):
1. Mick to be sacked in November 2011, BEFORE the transfer window (I have a copy of an email to the club imploring this to happen for what it’s worth)
2. A new manager in place with cash to spend in the window to give us a chance of survival
And 3…upon relegation
3. The entire sum of player sales who we ‘did not have to sell’ given to the manager. Not too much to ask when they club said we didn’t need to get rid, don’t you think?
(I also clearly wished for Guedioura not to be sold as well – so that’s 2 extra points to me)
What did Morgan and Moxey give me:
1. A braindead, long overdue sacking in Feb, after the most humiliating, preventable defeat to those b**tards down the road, with no margin for improvement thereafter after window CLOSED
2. The most incompetent novice in Premier League history, after promising the job was NOT for a novice!
Oh, and 3…Stale was knocked back in Demidov and Geromel defensive targets in pre season, so we are stuck with the same defensive failures as last season.
You defend the pair of baffoons until the cows come home pal, but don’t start questioning my support for challenging them.
Absolutely superb Ben, although probably wasted on a ‘ real fan’ like that.
To compare Utd to the Wolves is an insult. The typical united fan who will pay to see this museum are probably either tourists or some of the mindless idiots that travel nationwide to support them. There not genuine fans, unlike Wolves fans who stick by their team through thick and thin and generally live locally.
The concept of a museum is for anyone to view and admire artefacts and the history of things which have shaped them to what they are today. All the major museums of the country along with local museums are free for the public to see. Who at the Wolves had the arrogance to think they could charge.
you are deluded if you think all our fans are local – my brother travels up from Somerset has do others, also some come from Portsmouth, Southampton, Ireland, Manchester, Pembroke,London, just like utd fans they travel from all over the country.
One last thought? if the good folk of Wolverhampton supported their team – non of us from out of the area would get in!
For the record I travel from…………..that town up the road that the south bank hate so much, as do a lot of others.
It’s amusing to me that you and so many others at the club (and in the board room) seem to despise the South Bank. I notice it is the other three stands that seem to be emptying…
shhhhhh dont wake them up!
good blog that . i totally agree .. i feel for stale. his heart is in the right place but his car was nt . there s no call for that at all . i think that he has underestimated the championship but if you look at the whole picture in simple terms we had a team that conceded goals but had a good set of forwards who could attack and score some goals . jez sold the forwards and this is the result. but there is something else i want to get off my chest while the subject of the long term future of sharing the wolves with the people of wolverhampton is being discussed and its really got my back up . PUNJABI WOLVES . ANY OF YOU REAL FANS THAT HAVE ARRIVED AT AN AWAY GROUND AND APPROACHED THE GROUND HEARING THOSE TABLAS AND OTHER SUCH DRUMS WILL KNOW WHAT A UNIQUE AND FANTASTIC BUNCH OF FANS THEY ARE , saw a couple of their drummers outside the north bank on saturday drumming and jumping up and down . it was the only good thing about the day . i have followed the wolves all my life and been to every ground in the league . even the heavily asian populated areas , bradford leeds leister brum have nothing like it and the wolves wont let the drums in . we only have the south bank with any atmosphere… i for one would embace those boys in the north bank .. and if we welcomed our indian brothers into the fold how many others would come from your neighbouring towns and cities … brum etc . plus those of us who have to sit in the boring north bank who try to sing for the lads may get some momentum . who remembers the right side ? that changed things when we sat right down the far end of the new stand on our own and sang and shouted charge every time the ball came down our end . LET THE F====ING DRUMS IN FOR LOADS OF REASONS !!!!! please excuse my spelling and punctuation , im good with a spanner and an engine but not with all this but i am wolves to the bone and things need to be said
JEZ DID NOT SELL THE FORWARDS! THEY WANTED TO GO! only the south bank with atmosphere – really! and were was they after forest scored their first goal? every time the other team score it is like a morgue! the only thing we hear is them taking the p**s out of their fellow fans, telling us at every match home and away how much they hate the *****, cheering the oppositions players, Keogh was bood by the mighty south bank when he was here, and they are the first to boo when things go against us and the first to leave when we lose.
I love all Wolves fans! butthose that moan at every opportunity make my skin crawl and has for their hatred of the a***** – who the f**** cares, I detest the a****, but I don’t have to sing about them all the time.
Oh by the way remember the North Bank is the home end – the South Bank is were the away fans go, well it was until the reviled Mr Morgan decided to do something about it by re-developing the ground because he doesn’t want the away fans behind the goals – and still the guy is lambasted!
Also those real fans that you are on about! it doesnt make YOU any better than the rest just because you go to away games! I have supported the lads for 59 of my 63yrs – 40yrs of them has a season ticket holder, but I can’t afford to go to many away games on my pension – so am I not a real fan!
so says the billy wright massive! i have sat everywhere at mol and the ONLY PLACE there is atmosphere IS the south bank mainly due to it being attractive to the younger fans…its passion…maybe misplaced sometimes..but its PASSION . get rid of that and we are watford at best.
oh yeah i DO hate albion deeply!
Not much wrong with your spelling or punctuation as far as i can see, London. And a well presented, intelligent comment. Keep ’em coming!
Brilliant article and brilliant comments from our faithful.
Deplore the act of vandalism.
I totally agee the aboe statement.
I further support te comments regadig he way the club s currenty being run and the evilface it is presenting to loyl fans.
Another site has rumours of Morgan selling out to an Indian company.
See
http://www.wolvesrumours.co.uk/
and scroll down to a comment posted today at 12.05.49 and responses.
Can’t see it myself but who knows.
I really hope they catch the lowlife scumbag that damaged stales car. Wot a coward! Morgan and moxey have missed a great opportunity to win over the fans. If it had been free entry, I would have taken my family, four of us, bought presents and easily spent more than the £28 entrance fee. On principle i am not going. They can get stuffed. Whoever advises the club on public relations need to be sacked. If the club was skint and on its arse i would be first in the queue, but we are sitting on pots and pots of money. Thats what make the £7 so hard to stomach.
If it would have been free nobody would have praised Morgan and Moxey so in reality so your statement of them missing an opportunity to win over the fans is nonsense. After They’ve ruined the chance of establishing us in the Prem through awful management, it will take more than a free museum entry to win me over. £7 isn’t that much, anything for you lot to whine about.
Disgusted with whats happened to stale’s car mindless morons springs to mind,nobody deserves that sort of treatment no matter what they think of the way the football is going.
On the wolves museum,i am totally disgusted but not surprised by the charges they want to impose on US long suffering wolves fans,why should we have to pay for something we own and have supported for many years paying our hard earned cash in support of the wolves to bring those trophies and memorabilia to the club.MORGAN AND MOXEY ARE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY.
YOU DON’T OWN JACK SHIT! SUPPORTED YES, PAYING CUSTOMERS YES! but own NO and never will, the fans will always be around whoever runs the club, but just because you support the club or even have a season ticket – doesn’t mean you own it! if Morgan wanted to sell the club and build a supermarket we wouldn’t have a say! an outcry – you bet your life on it!
OK johnwolf.perhaps own was the wrong word to use,.i think you know the point i was getting at..?
Yes, we don’t ‘OWN JACK SHIT’, but you’re happy for the club to own heritage and memories that comprise the very DNA of our support?
It’s not theirs to own either!! It’s not theirs to put a price on. But put a price on it they have, at the expense of a generation who will associate night games with Honved and Spartak with a quick trip to the cash machine.
How dare Morgan instruct us to pay money to see the very fabric of our club – which we’ll be supporting for years after he’s renewed his Liverpool season ticket?
You may shout, scream and swear in support of the decision, but don’t call me a ‘so called fan’ for thinking otherwise.
Thanks Ben for your support,i think johnwolf got the wrong end of the stick,I’m usually up for a scrap but opted for decorum in the forum.UTW.
1 Wrong totally wrong what happened to Stale’s car,why on earth are people so stupid.Nevertheless,Stale himself did not set a good example in smashing that perplex.in no way does that excuse what happened to his car,but any representative of the club should set a better example.Aggression needs to be properly chanelled as does all forms of protest .
2 Excellent blog as always from ye olde south bank.The South Bank the spiritual home of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
3 I have been critical of the museum charge.But it appears as far as I can see that private football clubs such as Man Utd and Liverpool charge for attendance to their museums.The main problem here is that the club never communicated when they announced the building of the museum that there would have to be a charge to visit in line with all other football clubs.It would also have been sensible to have been more generous in offering greater concessions.It seems that our club has lost the ability to properly communicate to us amongst all our other problems.
4 Suggest on Friday all Wolves’ fans wish upon a star or pray to some saint or other for 3 points on Saturday.We seem to have tried everything else.
thanks for reading my post john wolf . you missed my point mate or i made it badly , i was nt having a dig at people like you
John,Fortunately the builder doesnt own the actual land.He owns the Club and buildings.
Wolverhampton Council own the land.Prior to this it was owned by the Gallagher brothers.
The Council swapped it for the land the Asda is now on which the Gallagher brothers built.
Thomas, quite right of course. The act of vandalism on Solbakken’s car is not just out of order, it is criminal! This is not an act of a passionate fan, but an act of a violent criminal who I am sure we all want to distance ourselves from. Disgusting behavior. Hope he gets caught and banned for life.
Spot on in every aspect. The club should be listening… but I expect they don’t give two hoots…
Utterly depressed with everything Wolves at the moment-this is just about the last straw.
There is absolutely no defence for any such attack irrespective of performance or any other “gripe”. It was sickening last season when O’Hara was attacked and this is equally sickening.
I am fairly sure Solbakken isnt right for Wolves and will go by mutual consent in the next 6 months but I am just as sure the guy deserves better than this sort of crap whilst this plays out to its inevitable conclusion. At least he is dignified and appears to be as honest as he is allowed to be, which is a lot more than can be said about Greaser.
The Museum is just the latest in the Redrow money go round, Oscar Wilde sums it up fairly well.
A cynic is someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing…
Substitute Wolves Board/Ownership and we know where we are!
Some of the national press claim Wolves are sounding out Gordan Strachan.This is the sort of appointment i fear could happen next.
Heard some rumours that Morgan is going to sell the club to a company called Tata, and supposedly they are very big and have a lot of money. They are Indian but the owner was born in Wolverhampton or a wolves fan (something like that). Is that true and is that a good or bad thing?
UTW!
If Morgan sells to Mr Tata I shall breathe a huge sigh of relief.
From my brief sojourn amongst the Delhi elite, I would say his wealth far exceeds Morgan’s.
As for Ståle hopefully, despite the car vandalism, he will be given the time to see his tenure through. Our problem lies with the way the club is being used by the owner.
Changing the manager will just further complicate the issue.
Haven’t heard that rumour but yes, TATA are HUGE in India – make lorries, cars, own land, factories etc etc. Hope they understand football a bit better than the Blackburn chicken farmers.
The amount of time spent by people complaining about £7 is highly disturbing.
http://www.wolvesforum.co.uk/showthread.php?18093-The-Museum&p=370311#post370311
Thought I’d balance it up a bit…