September 3rd will mark my silver anniversary as a Wolves fan, 25 years to the day I held my father’s hand along Waterloo Road for the first time.
One thousand-odd games later, encompassing 200 blogs, 100,000 words and a Bovril cup of tears at Burnden Park, I need to clear my head.
If tough people do last, then the longest love of my life has probably told me not to catch my arse on the Mr Sizzle van on the way out as I tell her I need some space, for the good of my health.
While many fans forgive our incompetent custodians for trespassing against us, I’m still finding it too difficult and for the first time, have not renewed my season ticket as a result.
Try as I might, but I can’t reconcile this lumbering regime with the cherished memories that defined me as a child, if not the bloke I am today.
Memories I must now pay £7 to relive.
My silver anniversary gift as a hopelessly devoted Wolves fan will be the same division three fare from where it all began – minus Ruby Red Record announcements, Goalden Goal ticket stubs, the Happy Wanderer song and my father’s hand to hold along Waterloo Road.
I miss those peripheral, pointless moments – frozen in time – more than the Steve Bull netbusters that inevitably followed, made all the more joyous as a result.
Visions of a ghostly Graeme Turner, swaying from the charred Waterloo Road Stand wreckage like the Phantom of the Opera.
A footloose Wolfie on the rampage, showing his arse to the away fans rather than cuddle his politically correct wife Wendy.
The grassy knoll between my John Ireland seat and the South Bank away end, where David Dickinson’s insincerity now appals.
And a long distance vantage point from a weathered pink seat, all played out to a ‘We’re Back’ soundtrack.
Experiencing Molineux today is as alien as a trip down Halfords Lane for me, despite Kenny Jackett’s commendable introduction to this dysfunctional world we must call home.
It’s not the strategic efforts to alienate, nor the glib attempts to airbrush our inexcusable failings that have taken their toll, either.
Visions of a lop-sided North Bank, flanked by Money Shop loan deal branding and a dust ridden WV1 bar achieve that goal, every time I have the misfortune of driving past.
It’s Wolverhampton Wanderers alright, but not as I know it.
After my face reddened, my heart-rate raced and my fist clenched in anger at a fellow fan’s ‘idiot’ insult for not lauding Jez Moxey as a financial genius only last week, I thought it time to step back for the sake of my health – and my treasured memories that no admin fee can wrestle away.
Worrying whether the tough times will last is no longer the issue for me anymore.
Rekindling my infatuation with the most beautiful club I fell in love with back in 1988 is the bigger conundrum for me.
I fear it will take a while longer.
Happy 200th post mate and happy birthday. Top blogger and top man.
I’ll wager you’ll still end up at most of the games though 🙂
Last time I lost the faith and didn’t renew was in the Hoddle era. Just couldn’t get excited about where we were going, even though we were predominantly in the top half.
But yes, football aside, the club have come up way short. Relations with their core supporters, such as yourself, have been incredibly poor. Words are cheap so even though things like the Fans Parliament show good intent, these haven’t been followed up with solid actions.
Booking fees, museum admission, the cost of shirts and frequency of updating them, etc are all issues they’ve refused to budge on despite considerable protest.
There are suggestions of change on the field, so I hope this same attitude is carried over onto the commercial side.
They need both working in tandem to win supporters back.
Benny boy, you know some dickhead is gonna come on here and question your loyalty and all that bollocks, saying you have to blindly renew your season ticket, coz if you don’t you are not a true supporter, blah, blah, blah.
I think it shows the utmost support for the club, the team, the actual essence of Wolverhampton Wanderers, that it has torn you up like it has. There are obviously thousands who have had the same problems, and it is because of your and their true commitment to Wolves that you have refused to ante up money for those greasy fingered fuckers in charge.
Once “The Wolves” is in your blood, it will never come out, so don’t worry, you will never turn blue and white!!!
Thanks Clive. Hope you’re keeping well. I’m off to Chesterfield with Dad and Big Mark soon, so its not like a full on divorce.
Sums up how an awful lot of us feel. 35 years attendance and support and no ST for me either this season. I’ll still go of course as it’s in the blood and I now have the luxury of having a lot more local away fixtures-think Stevenage.
My one and only wish is that the powers that be at WWFC read this and try and understand what they are charged with caretaking (not owning!) and what that means to an awful lot of people.
Brilliant blog thanks
Have to say I don’t post very much but I agree so much with what you say. Have been a season ticket holder for over 30 years and this year for the first time didn’t renew on the early bird. I was determined that I would not go to molineux until the fans were better looked after and not treated as a means of making money. However as the season draws closer I have given in and renewed. The lure was too great and what would I do on a Saturday afternoon ( or Friday night). I would like to remind the powers that be how close they came to losing my custom and remind them that it could still disappear next season.
Thanks Val. I’m sure the game in general takes its toll with commercialism not confined to us alone. It is a more sanitised experience these days. Moxey only serves to exacerbate this IMO
its just life ben.. sometimes we need to step right away from things that seemed so important to us for so long.. in a way its not a bad thing but a healthy thing mate. reassessing what matters and what place it deserves ensures we don’t just do things just because we have always done things a certain way. I really love wolves but I try to ensure it doesnt take over my life. maybe john wolf has a point that just go support your team whatever-all the noise the fans have made in trying to out moxey and hes still there. maybe we all need to relearn what being a wolves fan really means. ill see you next week for another session mr ben 🙂
I would have hoped chaddies may have given solid grounding. Hope it’s the correct Val!!!
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The possible silver lining in the present double relgation cloud is that the Ryanair-like merchandising strategies that bombard us, only really reap dividends when all is bouyant in the world of Wolves.
We may see them gradually scaled down in an attempt to hang on to the reduced numbers who will turn up this season. We have already seen some attempts at price reduction.
So, to those of us who venture to The Mol this season, “Hi ho Wolverhampton!” …and hopefully, the silver lining!
I know what you mean , I’m up to 48 years this season and more than once considered giving up but I have re newed and hopefully looking forward to a new wolves starting from scratch and rebuilding some passion. I still have little faith in the owner , I think he cares its just he,s not very good.
I hope in fact I’m sure your gold and black heart will return to Molineux and please don’t give up on the blog it;s still the best platform for sensible wolves debate on the web.
On the subject of paying £7 for our history I was at Molineux a few weeks ago with my sister and nephew to lay flowers on the pitch where my dads ashes are buried . the security staff were brilliant like best friends and also we got talking to graham hughes who looks after much of the club history and after I thought what the eck i’ll take my family to the museum even though I don’t agree with having to pay. I just want to say its brilliantly done and truely inspirational if any body is unsure why we are wolves go along actualy it’s worth it.
Since 1946 Iv’e seen it all, the good ,bad and downright bloody ugly, will i be there this season ?too bloody true i will.
I agree with most of what you say here in terms of how the club has become detached from its fans and how things are not like they were. I, too, remember heading up to Molineux with my Dad and having a pretty confident feeling that Wolves may once go somewhere. You’re also right about the commercialisation of the club and how that’s gone hand in hand with our demise since this time 2 years ago.
However, I can’t help but feel like this post is a little too late. We are trying to build from ruins, reinstate a positive vibe around the place yet posts like this simply spread doom and gloom that we have had too much of recently. OK I am no happy-clapper, but I am a pragmatist and realise we need to instil a culture change to get where we want to be. And to get behind an honest man who I genuinely believe wants to change things for the better, Kenny Jackett, would surely be the best way to stick by your club in it’s time of need rather than turning your back on it and thus perpetuating the attitudes that have gone before?
Wolverhampton Wanderers needs its fans more than ever, regardless of shoddy marketing and an executive branch whose previous decisions have beggared belief. We are the heart and soul and if we all turn away, then those we don’t agree with would have free-reign to ruin the club further.
I hope you make it to a game this season. It’d be a worse-off place without you.
I have been a Wolves fan since the early 1950’s. Will I continue to be? You bet your life I will.
Although my location spares me from the Season Ticket decision, I totally understnad your feelings and well put comments.
Yes we are Wolves thru and thru and always will be, but sometimes i think we have been smacked in the face one time too many. I dodnt care what business it is there is one Golden Rule if you want to have sustained success. That is respect and value your customers. We have not been given value for money recently, the product on the field has been a disgrace. At times like this they should be reaching out to the fans. Frankly Moxey seems totally incapable of this, I really do know his type, he feels it is beneath him to do so.
Like someone above on the occasions i visit the club and the shop I can thankfully say all the everday employess have treated me wonderfully. The last time we were over i had my Bro in Law and his Wife with us, unfortunately Villa fans. Bless em the Girls in the shop were brilliant going to great lengths to check stock for all the sizes my wife needed for the GKids over here.
As we walked out my sister in law could not help but say weren’t they wonderful getting all that stuff out for you. The moral here is I am even proud of how my club is percieved in the shop. I really do not think Moxey and morgan understand this. Unfortunately it is these wonderful people who will be losing their jobs because of moxeys toxic management.
Come the Gold
To be honest I think it’s a load of crap! I am in my 61st year of my 64 on this earth, been a season ticket holder for the last 41 years and still look forward to going to the match, I am like a 10 year old before the match – put my Wolves socks, pants and shirt on with my black jeans have to be black blue is a no go, wolves watch and hankie, my wife looks at me and probably thinks – you should grow up- she’s most likely right, but as other’s have already said – it’s in the blood, from the first day has a four year old standing at the back of the South Bank in 1953 with my mom and dad (god bless them -I know they are watching over us) and having to be there by 1.30pm or you might not get in before kick off to the present day with my brother who travels up from Somerset (brean), I still enjoy match day’s.
It’s not just the match, it’s having a drink with my brother & mate & nephew before and after, and having a natter with fellow Wolves fans and away fans (unless they are the unmentionables).
I read – I havn’t re-newed but! I will be going to some if not all the matches? oh and paying more! now that does make sense – not!
As for treating it like a business – erm is it not then! fans moan about us not signing quality players yet want everything for next to nothing, so how the hell do we get those quality players?
You know it beggers belief how fans moan about the club making money! ok they do charge over the top in the concourse area’s, maybe we should go back to how the old ground was in the 50s then you would have something to moan about! ok the team was better, but were did all that money go from the crowds we had back then – it certainly wasn’t on players and that follows all the way to the 80s, now it seems that everything the club/Jez/Morgan try to do then some of our fans have to have a moan, and belittle the club, I know they took us down twice? they missed that open goal, or let that stupid goal in etc,etc,
Call me mad, happy clapper, deluded whatever – I will follow my club whatever league we are in, all on my pension (got a good wife) but to say I have lost my love for them – NEVER – has I said it’s all a load of crap – I was going to say bollocks! but the wife saw it and told me off, she’s gone now so I can put it in, if you don’t want to go – then don’t go, but save us all this crap about falling out of love with the club, and all this anti Jez/Morgan crap because without them were would we be!
One more note on “how the fans are treated”, I think you will find that out this season at most of the grounds we will be going to – if we had a palace some fans would still moan!
UTW.
Can’t wait for the season to start – see you there – oops sorry forgot I won’t will I .
moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out moxey out ……oh and mr grumpy out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I admire your fanaticism John, but at the end of the day it is a football club, not a life….
Surely supporting a football club is part of living, not living itself!
Wolves supporter since 1959….
What this demonstrates, and what John Davies doesn’t understand, is that you can be a fan without being a season ticket holder.
Ben shows all the symptoms of a fanatic. His whole being is affected by what happens at Molineux. And right now he’s getting beaten up inside every time he goes. Stopping going doesn’t make him some kind of wimp deserter – he’s just tired of being kicked to death.
The grave danger for Wolves is that he finds something else to fill his time and decides to stick with his good memories and never comes back.
If enough do that then John you too may have to find somewhere else to go because Wolves won’t be there.
And why don’t we learn from our mistakes… bring in Johnson make him captain; lose the dressing room get relegated. Bring in Ricketts and make him Captain; lose the young dressing room and get relegated ? Why not a Wolves man like Batth !!!!
Thanks Pferdepferde. You have summed me up in one. I obsess over this club. My little boy is currently clad in Puma purple, but I hate that the current custodians have marginalised my fanaticism and diluted a part of my life that probably shaped my personality.
Heck, Jez Moxey even proclaims to being Wolves’ biggest fan! Give me strength.
I feel like the bloke from Orwell’s 1984 when it comes to Wolves, classed as little more than a Prole.
I’ll get through this stage and come back stronger no doubt (I’m already off to the Chesterfield friendly with my wife and boy!)
I just can’t reconcile today’s subordination with the blissfully gorgeous club I fell for with my old man.
Told you there would be some dickhead slagging you off, Ben, and here he is, as predictable as a Wolves loss over the past 3 seasons!!!
don’t blame you Ben, spend your money on some away games and explore some other grounds a bit. The away fans moan less, are generally drunker and it’s usually much more fun.
Cheers Dave thanks for the comment. I am planning on that, with a few home games on my own terms. Perversely, 2 of my favourite away experiences ever occurred last season, in the most depressing campaign of all (Peterborough and Bristol City)
Unfortunately (fortunately perhaps in recent seasons) I have been 6,000 miles away in exile down here, so even the thought of seeing the Wolves live was a pipe dream.
However even spectating from afar I have, as I’m sure many others also have, felt like the enthusiasm and excitement has been sucked out of following our team. Seeing them stumble, anaemically, to two successive relegations has been awful – and it’s the inevitability with which it happened that makes it all the more gut-wrenching. So to any fan that has said, “enough’s enough,” and refused to part with hundreds of pounds yet again, I give my respect.
Not blindly buying a season ticket or going to the Molineux doesn’t mean you’re not a true supporter. The Wolves are part of our identity, our heritage. They signify where we’re from in the world, no matter where we are.
I am feeling reasonably impressed with Kenny so far, and this heartens me (although anyone trying to get rid of the deadwood gets a gold star from me I guess). He seems to have clear ideas about what to do with the team which makes a change.
The more I think of the past seasons failings, the more I regret having criticised the ownership so much, and the players too little. These guys were professionals playing in the top league in England, and then they just let the club slide into the abyss? Maybe Morgan should have spent bigger. Maybe Moxey should have paid higher wages. But it’s the players that we had who should have been good enough, and so if they are going to be swept away by Kenny then good riddance.
Looking forward to the new season and, who knows, I may even grace the fair city of Wolverhampton with my presence at a match later this year if I can!
John Davies, while such boundless enthusiasm is admirable, I’m with Ben on this. Neither the team nor the board have delivered anything positive in recent years and there’s only so much heartbreak us Wolves fans can take.
Having lived away from Wolverhampton since 2007, there is no dilemma over whether or not to buy a season ticket. But I can honestly say I wouldn’t buy one if I were still living in the area. Does that make me less of a fan? Maybe to some supporters, but I can live with that.
You can, of course, be a fan without being a season ticket holder. It’s not obligatory.
As Wolves fans we are all on our own individual journeys. There have been seasons when i saw 50+ matches and others when i only went handful. UTW.
Brilliant post Ben.. It sums up all of the emotions, considerations ups and downs of watching Wolves.
I’ve renewed my ticket again this year but it was close, believe me.. I actually think you’ve got more balls than me because you refused to buckle against your true beliefs and deliberations that the past few years have offered .. shit football, comic management and a CEO being massively remunerated for utter overall failure. It doesn’t make you any less of a fan.
I’ve picked up on the fact that John Davies is anonymous to this blog except for supporting a CEO when the majority of fans see how incompetent and out of his paid for responsibility depth and the fact that he chooses to insult your opinion and pain that you have endured.
Ben you bring far more to this blog than Davies will ever do .. stay with it
Hi Ben and a great blog.
I feel the same.
In the 80’s when we were on the Bhatti bros slide I was living abroad.
Certainly it was not possible to follow Wolves, other than an occasional glimpse at a Newspaper.
It was forced on me a ‘trial separation’ and also the whole philosophy of the club then was downwards.
Right now I feel withdrawn toward the whole state of Wolves.
Bringing in Ricketts is like bringing in Johnson.
Also, Moxey is still there.
For me it is a little like saying I support Germany but Hitler is still there.
I do not think the man has the good of Wolves at heart, so while he remains I shall certainly not be holding my breath for a turn around.
Of course, still looking forward to the first game and who Jackett selects etc…..
Good blog Ben. However I would ask how much of it is directed at football in general as opposed to Wolves. Sure massive mistakes have been made over the last three years by Morgan and to a lesser extent Moxey, however some of your issues could be directed to all football clubs in England, particularly the bigger ones. Yes football is too expensive, yes it is detached from the fans but is this not more to do with the money involved in football?
I have been a season ticket holder in the north bank for 21 years and would say other than last season the dullest years have been those in which we were in the top flight. I think KJ is just what we need to overhaul the team and start again with a younger team of players who do a better impression of giving a shit about Wolves.
For me I have renewed again but I genuinely see it as an exciting time for the club, without the likes of O’hara and Johnson who for me sum up all that was wrong with the club. In saying all that I have no issue whatsoever with fans who haven’t renewed…
Although there are some elements of dissatisfaction with Football today , our relative standing makes matters so much worse. I woukd never excuse Moxey’s as just the face of modern football. He has failed to get a grip of Wolves and provide a positive ethos.
Sorry to hear that Ben, its a shame you now feel this way.
As well as we are run financially (and that too has has had a negative effect on our football in some ways), we have come up incredibly short in many areas over the last few years. When we got promoted we had a fantastic opportunity to bring the good times back and give the fans something to smile about.
The board, the managers and the players have helped bridge a gap between the fans and the clubs, and that has to change. I feel Jackett is desperate to change this and hopefully the PR from the club will improve too.
I’m not sure on the museum stuff, £7 does seem a lot but from what I have heard it is well worth the fee… I’ll have to try it myself sometime, though the cost does not entice me!
Ok just my thoughts.
Just a little worried about appointing a new signing as captain. Not becasue of johnson but I would really like to see him cement his place in the team first. Unlike Mick though i suspect KJ will not hesitate to drop him if he is not justifying his place.
On the other hand who else is there. I always felt a new signing would be made captain though. I really hope it works out.
10 out of 10 to KJ for not taking the toxics who thought thhey were bigger than the club last year, on pre season and putting them with the shadow squad. Also full marks for making sure Henry knows there is no way back.
As i keep saying it only takes one rotten apple in the barrell.
Good Luck KJ
Old gold till I die.
Very moving piece Ben. The depth of your emotions is what illustrates just how much you care and love the club. You are a top Wolves fan, season ticket or not.
Your views on the club and the way it has been managed over recent times have certainly resonated with me and i don’t blame you at all. I just kind of think that Kenny J is going to do something special and bring some happiness back to the club( if Moxey lets him that is). I reckon you’re be looking forward to the games again. I certainly hope so for all the Wolves fans sake, it’s time we had some good times again.
Also, who’s getting your Twixes while you’re away?
Oh and i forgot to say. Keep up the blogs whatever happens, they’re cracking.
Ben
I have just read your blog to the present Mrs DG’er and had to stop half way through because I was filling up.
How can a football team be responsible for such emotion?
As you so eloquently say, it’s the history and the memories that come flooding back when you recall the old golden days of watching the teams of yore with family and friends who may no longer be with us.
They may have gone but the club and it’s precious memories are always there.
I perfectly understand your distress and the emotional turmoil you must have gone through to reach your decision.
I also perfectly understand John Davies’ point of view – although I don’t agree with his attitude towards you.
To him, The Wolves probably represent the most important part of his life and he doesn’t want to let go. The Molineux is a direct link to his past and the older you get the more important these links become.
One thing I would say to you.
Imagine in twenty years time – maybe on a different blog – your son looking back at when he walked hand in hand with his father down the Waterloo Road, then recalling how it all stopped and Saturdays were never the same anymore and football, and the Wolves faded from his life.
It’s all about history and memories Ben.
Don’t let them fade.
This comment just made me shiver. That’s all I want to say.
Ben, I had the exact same difficult decision whether to renew or not. Going tp the matches is so much more than just the football. It is a social event with friends and family. But, after many years, i too, made the very tough decision not to renew my season ticket. I hate what morgan and moxey are doing to our club. The only way i can do anything is hit them in the pocket. I will now go to the matches i want to go to, and dont mind paying a few extra pounds. I hope jackett does well and the initial signs are that he is getting rid of the 4 most decisive players where fans are concerned. But the whole club has a long way to go, and unless morgan, moxey and the board of directors change, it will be more of the same. When all is said and done, i will always be a wolves supporter
On a more cheerful note, i love the thought of o hara training with the development squad. I bet he is sulking like a little kid, and blaming everyone else but himself. Oh well, he will be with a premier league club soon. Wot an idiot!
I don’t think that little turd will be sulking, he will be counting his obscene salary.
However, his problems will come down the road, which he is obviously too stupid to see, when his contract expires at Wolves and no one will want him.
Bingo, join the dole queue, shifferbrains, and lets see how arrogant you are then!!!
I would have hoped chaddies may have given solid grounding. Hope it’s the correct Val!!!
Ben great blog. My trips will be few and carefully selected this season, but does that make me any less passionate than any other fellow Wolves. We all remeber the buzz, the butterflies, the memories of woodbine, No 6 and my dads favourites senior service, the roar, the floodlights getting crushed in the enclosures!!! Yes crushed in the enclosures. Waterloo Rd thronging with good honest working class folk looking to be entertained and having a few beers with their mates afterwards.
We are all forever Wolves!! Well written.
Spot on blog Ben, youve summed up how so many fans feel, particularly the ones like me who haven`t renewed the season ticket. If the club had shown even the most basic competence on football matters, like not having 4 managers and 2 relegations in 2 years we would n`t even be having to discuss this point.
I see no one it seems wants Berra, Johnson or O`hara, certainly not any premiership clubs. Moxey`s finger prints are all over these signings in some way. And why oh why is Ward one of the top earners at the club, Crass incompetence, poor signings, over paid, over rated, on unnessarrily high wages and long contracts for players not good enough for the premiership, oh sorry the championship too.
How anyone with any common sense would
want to have anthing to do with this rotten lot is beyond me, but then this is our football club, and while I`m looking forward to the Chesterfield friendly, I will admit I`ve looked at train times for the game at Preston, and with an alloacrion of 5000 tickets – god its so tempting, Once black and gold runs through your veins you are hooked.
Great blog Mark .. as you say Moxey’s fingers prints (DNA) are all over the cock ups, total lack of customer care and mis management that has bedevilled WWFC over the past few years. How the man stays in his position is , well , beyond belief. All those who think that he is doing a good job should look back at the howlers he’s made with wage structures which reward the useless, contract lengths, lack of quality signings, making profit whilst we hurtle into the abyss .. as you know yourself the list is endless.
The sooner he goes people like yourself, Ben and moany others will be back ..
That should definitely read MANY OTHERS … NOT moany others
I reckon that Ben’s great and timely blog is a lament for football, as much as for our beloved Wolves. It’s been a downhill slope since the Prem started and then got into bed with Sky and everyone’s after the golden shilling. That’s why we have the Morgans and Moxeys and few clubs are fortunate enough to have a sensible footballing Mr Whelan at the helm (ironic that we ended his career in my first year of supporting Wolves from a distance of 80miles!) but I bet they have all the shirt changes and commercial temptations too. You achieve Premier status and struggle for season upon season, with best chance being to win the lower groups of the Prem, or break the bank and end up like Pompey. But you always want promotion out of the Championship hell so it’s a constant vicious circle. And now we need to get back into the league from hell. Maybe some success in L1 under a strong manager building from the foundations of youth, playing for the shirt and their futures will rekindle a stronger feeling, as we had for some years under Mick (oh yes we did!)? Maybe. Hopefully.
PS this should not be taken as somehow rationalising the last couple of seasons which have been DIRE and avoidable.
You lost me when you said you had decided not to renew your season ticket
Ben, Stick with it, as Van Morrison said’is too late to stop now’. When you first walked down Waterloo Road with your Dad (about the same time as I first walked down there with my son),Moxey and Morgan were nowhere to be seen. One was supporting Liverpool the other was watching rugbyThey won’t last forever and one day we will be owned and managed by people who care and have Wolves in their blood.We need to stick together and in 25 years time you want to be able to post how loyal you have been and that you still kept going even when the club was nearly ruined by Morgan and Moxey.We also want more of your blogs,so you have got to keep going.I renewed my season ticket(and my son’s) on the very last day,but no one rang me asking if I was going to renew,wonder why, Jez.
Ben, I didn’t renew last season-the writing was on the wall for me and still is.
Until we get rid of Moxey and get someone on the Board who knows something
about our club and football in general, incompetence will reign.
The whole set up defies belief. What the hell does Dullwell and his loafers know?
This whole sorry few years were totally avoidable.
It won’t stop me supporting the team both in body and mind.
Morgan is taking us all for a ride…..
Strait has his work cut out having to go through Moxey, who always has his bottom line
as the most important.
Alf
Agree with everything you say, but think you are being a bit easy on Morgan and Moxey as my take on this regime is that our demise has a lot more to do with “financial creativity” than incompetence.
The days of my son holding my hand walking down Waterloo Road have just about come to an end but I didn’t think twice about early birding for us both as the father/son footballing years are passing so quickly, I want to make the most of time together before work or study takes him out of reach of Wolverhampton on a Saturday. We’ve shared some good times like the promotion pitch invasion invasion and Hunt ‘s goal but recently , well enough said.
Despite all the heartache, we both eagerly await the first home game and look forward to more entertaining football this season. What are we wishing for? well a Wembley play-off final would really help unite the fans again and provide a much needed boost for all .
I looked with envy at the BBC site this morning -after two seasons in the Premiership Swansea are spending £13 million on a new player – Wilfred Bony from Vitesse Arnhem (having already spent £5 on Shelvey from Liverpool).
In my wildest dreams I couldn’t see Morgan and Moxey paying £13 million for a player no matter how long we had been in the Premiership.
Ben
Like Alfwhite I beat you to it by a year; we all know that the Club is being “run” for the benefit of two people only and during the first relegation season it became clear that an inadeaquate proportion of income was being, and would continue to be, reinvested in the the team to sustain the level of football to which we are entitled to aspire; I take no shame in stating that I did exactly the same when the Bhattis were milking the Club and am actaullly on record (E&S) predicting the second relegation before the end of 2011 as I could see what was coming – we have been here before.
Yes I’m undoubtedly a “numpty” and will get the response from the usual naive “good we don’t need you there” brigade, but they actually do need us there and until Morgan and Moxey either leave or realise that they do need at least 25,000 of us there at every match then I shall continue to attend on my own terms and selectively; the only language that these two will understand is when it starts to hurt their pockets. Obviously there are thousands who share our views Ben so hopefully the message might just start to hit home sooner rather than later.
The other element which has led to this point for me has been the continued presence of the toxic groups in the dressing room who belived that they are bigger than the Club; I’m at least pleased to see that this is now being addressed with four of the main culprits being banished to the sidelines, so at least that’s a step in the right direction.
Because we support the Club on our own terms it doesn’t make us any the less loyal to it than those who take the blind faith approach but in reality can’t see past the ends of their noses; not that I don’t respect their approach I just happen to think it’s wrong.
I didn’t renew via early bird for the simple reason I hoped poor season ticket numbers would put pressure on the large one.. I may relent and buy now but a recent episode has again made me question if Id rather play Golf on a Saturday next year, it seems obvious that the joke that is our CEO will not be leaving the business any time soon.
I was considering a WV1 season ticket as a change from usual South Bank position just to have a different experience for a year but despite it being under sold was told my 14 year old would have to pay full wack. When I asked if they could bend on price as A> he is a child and B> the price on my ticket (in my mind) went up by 20 % because my verbal quote was excluding VAT (I explained I am not a company so cant claim back VAT). We will of course buy additional food before the match and pay significantly more than in the South Bank at a time when we will be treated to the lowest level of football in decades and the whole stadium is being under utilized. The response I got from the helpful lady was ” I will ask”,, she came back having spoken to the management with a categorical no that is the price. Typical of Moxeys reign he and the management are inflexible, out of touch and commercially devoid of any common sense. All they had to do is offer a concession to a paying member of the public at a time they need funds and make our tickets non transferable with a photo on the desk (they are hardly over worked) and all would be happy. But £ 2,000 is obviously not worth having, as the volume of fans is so high at the moment. Generally, I don’t think they have done nearly enough to encourage a full house this year.. Free kids places ? buy one kid ticket get one free ? specific matches on TV to have a section of the stand quarter price ? GIve selected schools match tickets ? in Spain kids go free on your lap, securing the next generation, if ever the fat man had a chance to boost the fan base and loyalty its now.. But nothing comes out of the his fat head again.. except lets be inflexible and fleece the fans… I remember being in south bank with 3 people on one till and 1 on another at half time last season, asked why they didn’t even it out the poor over worked girl of one, said I don’t know the management told us to do this… The management of the club needs a big sort out still..
Sack the fat man for a brighter future
Speaking from a far, it just puzzles me why the fat head does not get creative and reach out to the fans. So many things that could be done to bring in the next set of supporters. Does the man not realize that we have had three years of a shitty product on the field, and that there are two Prem Clubs next door.
He simply does not get it and could care less as long as he can balance the books.
I have just seen so many like him in business its so easy to be the big hard guy and say no.
Most of my career has been in Sales and Marketing thankfully i have been allowed to make the right decisions and look to the future to bring in customers who will grow with us. It pays you back X100.
NY Wolf
Moxey is not in the least bit interested in the long term interests of WWFC only his own renumeration which is based purely on bottom line economics; fully agree with your personal assesmesment of the man but the real villain of the piece here is Morgan. Moxey is just lining his pockets whilst claiming to be obeying orders which is exactly what he did at Stoke when brokering a deal with the Icelanders which also turned them into a third division train wreck. He has now repeated the exercise by conning Sir Jack into believing that Morgan was a knight in shining armour – I don’t think so, do you?
Bring back the Bhattis!
PJB
You are of course right Moxey does not have 1 ounce of passion for us. He was bad enough under Sir jack, but with Morgan he has formed an unholy alliance. I have long thought he brokered himself a nice contract when he set up the deal supposedly for Sir Jack. Talk about conflict of interest. There is no doubt Morgan does not have the time or inclination to be very hands on. My fear is that even if he wanted to fire Moxey can he? and when? There is undoubtedly more to this than we will ever know.
NY Wolf
Unholy alliance indeed and like you I smell a rat (or several of them); for sure there are lots of secret machinations going on behind the scenes; we might just get to find out more when Morgan calls in the admininistrators – WWFC Limited not Wolves Properties Ltd. or Wolves Leisure Limited.
Come to think of it can anyone remember Moxey even mentioning any worries about his job or responsibilities.
So sad to read your comments, Ben, this is without doubt the finest blog concerning ‘OUR’ club, many congratulations for your contributions to the telling the world what it means to be a Wolves fan.
You along with many countless 1000s of Wolves fans have been left totally bewildered by the abject incompetence of this current regime and I fully understand your current stance – but I have a sneaking feeling you will still be there this coming season as you care far too much.
My first game was in 1959, the famous Colours v Whites pre-season practice match, Sir Billy and Jimmy Mullen’s farewell, I’ve been smitten ever since from watching the sublime to the ridiculous Bhatti years and the last 2 pathetic seasons’ offerings. Great players and legends like Ron Flowers, Bill Slater, Norman Deeley, Peter Broadent (arguably the greatest Wanderer of them all), Waggy, The Doog, King John R, Frank Munro (pure class), the unforgettable hero that is Bully to more recent years and the likes of Robbie Keane, Dean Richards, Joleon Lescott, Paul Ince, the desperately unlucky Matt Murray (the best keeper, i suspect we’ve had in my 54 years support) Matt Jarvis, Kevin Doyle and many, many more – then we are offered up the likes of Johnson and O’Hara, do I need to say anyone about these two overpaid losers?
I have lived in Shrewsbury for 30 years and am still obsessed with our team. An example of what high esteem Wolves are still held away from Wolverhampton is that many local Salopian footie fans follow Wolves fortunes even during these dark days, Shrewsbury Town may be their first love, but many of them have Wolves sympathies and wish us well and still regard us their ‘big brothers’ down the M54.
Let us put our trust in KJ’s undoubted ability and our club motto ‘Out of Darkness Cometh Light’.
Keep up the good work Ben.
Thanks Terry. That means a lot. Nice to read I’m not alone and you’re right…I’m sure I will be back, on my terms for once!
Great blog Terry, but must disagree with your inclusion of Jarvis and Doyle.
Jarvis was off with his one England cap on his much bigger head the minute we got relegated, and has done sod all for West Ham, and Doyle had one reasonable season, our first in the Prem, before plunging to the depths of averageism since.
To be a Wolves “great” you need to have the long term heart, soul and commitment of those you mentioned above, with the exception of Peter Knowles, a gift from above, up there in the same class as Best, Pele and Madonna.
Clive
Tend to agree with you regarding Jarvis, but think you are a bit hard on KD who though hardly a legend has never lacked commitment and whose game was ruined by McCarthey and Connor by being forced to play as a lone ranger in what was effectivlely a negative formation designed to spoil rather than create. My recollection of Doyle at his peak at Reading was playing as part of a free scoring strike partnership in a conventional 442 rather than being asked to run himself into the ground as a hold up player waiting for the cavalry to lumber up to join him.
As far as Peter Knowles is concerned, if I am interpreting your post correctly, I think you flatter his natuaral abilty a little; yes he was good, but Best?, Pele?, Maradonna?
Emlyn Hughes was great….for Liverpool, Dennis Irwin was pretty good …..for Utd, but past their prime when they came to Wolves.
Same logic applies to Doyle, he might have been great for Reading, but not for us, therefore should not be listed alongside the true greats of The Mol.
I will stick by what I said about Peter Knowles, for me the classiest player ever to don a Wolves shirt, and if not for them scumbag Jehoovers, would have gone on to star for us and England for many a year. And, he would have been playing in the top tier of English football, like Best, not some dago Italian league like Madonna, or Michael Mouse South American league where Pele scored most of his goals.
Having said that, I don’t think anyone will argue that Pele WAS the greatest of all time.
This is what is wonderful about a sensible discussion blog, we all have our faves, and fave hated, but still have the common thread of a love of all things Wolverhampton Wanderers, and I obviously do NOT include anything to do with management, and a inbred hatred of all thing sandwell town related!!
Its been a while, so good morning to our blue and white readers, looking on with envy at our marvelous blog and bloggers, and a hearty FOWB to y’all!!
Clive – if Sandwell Town had had a two year slump such as ours, it would have hardly warranted a mention in the media, unlike the fuss about our recent demise and their fans know it! That’s one of the reasons they’re always getting their two-penneth in on our blogs, I don’t know of many Wolves fans who ever bother to surf Baggies blogs, do you?
Even though they are in the best league in the world, somehow they still seem to have an inferiority complex with regard to us. It’s just a pity we haven’t had their leadership and foresight from the top.
Our day will come again.
Quite right, and they know that as well. We will always haunt them.
As you say its a shame we dont have their rather more professional management. Clive has it right we must not confuse our love for Wolves to be confused with our feeling for the fat headed management currently running it.
Doyle = Attacking Midefielder. Certainly not a Striker in my mind. His work rate is not in question, but his goal scoring is. So, just to reiterate: DOYLE is an ATTACKING MIDFIELDER!!
It is great to hear the great old names, the one thing we had then was passion and heart. If anyone things Wolves fans are tough today you should have been there in the 60s, the bench mark was high and rightly so.
I have to agree the older greats and would probably add a couple more Bailey, not the most skilful player but a powerhouse Captain, Kenny Hibbit, Parkin and a player i always felt was underated and a real favorite of mine Duggie Woodfield, nothing spectacular but just used to do his job week after week. I think we all got used to assuming anything down the middle was Duggies.
The problem is there is no end to it back then we loved everyone who wore the Old Gold with pride.
As for Peter Knowles, I am tending to agree with Clive, elegant, skilful, arrogant he had all the tools. Could also take care of himself and above all, like all great players he made time and was always looking for that creative killer move. Would he have made it real big? Sadly we will never know.
On that subject, we were house sitting for my daughter near Buffalo, New York a couple of weeks ago, when a very pleasant elderly couple stopped by, after a few pleasant words it became clear they were Jehovahs. I am easy going and had nothing better to do, so having told them they would not be interested I found myself quite spontaneoulsy blurting out that “I can never ever forgive you lot over Peter Knowles”.
Its just below the surface after 45years or so! I had to explain and they understood and then buggarred of.
Terry like you I agree Matt Murray could have been one of the all time great between the sticks, so sad he was just fragile. I first saw him playing a friendlly against Worcester City way back, I think he was 17/18 and even then he was recovering from serious injury.
In a way I feel sorry for Doyle and agree Mick sacrificed him, those season just aimlessly up front with no support killed his game. maybe he can bounce back I would like to think so. Yep he was waiting for the calvary to support him but they did not often arrive.
So badly hope Moxey and Morgan have learned there lesson. KJ is doing and saying the right things but so have others until they realized there was no support forthcoming.
Come on me babies
As i recollect in our first season in the Prem McCarthy did experiment with 4-5-1 which gave us a good run of results and probably some of Kevin Doyles best performances and most important goals. In McCarthy’s final season he stuck quite stubbornly to a 4-4-2 which just wasnt working and we. all know where that lead. For me it disproves the mantra that 4-4-2 always equals entertaining attacking football with plenty of goals (in right end !).
Murray the best keeper ? Oh Please. He’s not fit to clean Bert Williams shoes. Phil Parkes was better too but even he isn’t a great Wolves player. And Bradshaw in some crap teams. I doubt if Murray rates in the top ten.
And as for his contributions on Sky…
No arguments from me pferd. I was only saying he could have been, not that he was. I was not lucky enough to see the great Bert play. I do recall Finlayson who was good and fearless perhaps not great. I recall Fred Davies last game when he made a few howlers. For me Phil Parkes was an enigma, capable of stunning reaction saves but also some blunders. I met him out here is the USA where he played at least one summer.
How good Matt could have been we will never know. Experience is so important for a keeper and I think he only played 100 or so games and was of course always injured.
Boswell was the biggest clown for me, and his contstant yelling got on my nerves.
Did you see Bert at his best from what I see and read he was more than the Bees Knees and on the clips i have seen very quick and agile. Still a credit to the club.
The mention of Malcolm Finlayson took me back to happier times. His first game was a nightmare – Wolves v Leeds Utd. Even being allowed to use his hands he was outjumped several times by John Charles … he looked awful and Leeds in their blue & yellow strip won (2-1 I think). But what a turn round as he settled into the team. I went to a lot of away matches which we won by a close margin thanks to his efforts and always reckoned that the 57-8 and 58-9 championships owed more than a little to his skill. The well-drilled Wolves defence relied heavily on the offside trap which sometimes would fail and leave MF virtually on his own. One report at the time described attacks by Wolves opponents as being like the start of a cross country race. MF had a particular skill in dropping on the ball at an opponent’s feet. Great he perhaps may not have been – effective he decidedly was.
No contest for the best ever … it has to be Bert Williams.
Great memories JazzWolf, yes my recall of Finlayson is exactly how you describe, having to come of his line and take the ball from the forwards feet. In fact many books of the time used him as the example of how to do this. I was just starting as a Keeper in school and our coach used him all the time regarding this. I wonder how he would have done today, I fear the new slant on the game would have resulted in a few penalities and red cards. Maybe its those rose colored glasses but I do not recall seeing keepers ever called for a foul when the dived at the feet. Certainly when I played schools and local football in goal I dont ever rememeber being called for it, even when i went in determined to either take the ball or bring him down. If its a one on one with the keeper, it should be a given that the keeper has advantage. I still really dont see or agree how they call them these days. If the keeper goes down withing the rules for the ball it is almost a given the attacker is going to easily trip over him.
Talking of John Charles I went to see him a few times when he was Player manager at Hereford, he must have been 40??, as far as running was concerned his legs had gone but he could still out jump others. We used to laugh as he used to play for about 20 mins. Would come out and jump up and down a few times (checking out work on the stadium we used to joke) then plant himsellf in the middle win most everything in the air and set everything up with his amazingly accurate distrubution, due to his time in Italy I am still not sure British fans ever realized how good he was.
Fond fond memories.
I recall Fred Davies last game (or last game i saw him play), he had to deal with a couple of long high balls and for some reason totally misjudged them on one occasion trying to tip it over when way to far out. I want to say it went in the net but if it didnt it landed on the roof of the goal. General consensus that day was he was rusty he had not been playing much or he had been on the pop the night before. On his day he was good and i saw him save a few games for us. sad that was my last and everlasting memory of the guy.
if memory serves me right Shilton made his debut or certainly a very early appearance against us for Leics at the Mol. was still doing his antics with the crossbar. That day he absolutley played a blinder and kept everything out we bombed him with. I gues he would have been 17 or so.
Fair point NY Wolf – it hadn’t really struck me how things had changed re goalkeepers and forwards. I remember two tussles MF had with Nat Lofthouse. One was at Burnden Park in appalling conditions with the already muddy pitch covered in places with water. He ran out to drop at NL’s feet and went down well inside the penalty area but his momentum took him a good way towards the half way line and Bolton had a free kick.
The other one was at Molineux in the snow and he went down at NL’s feet out in the inside right position, MF got the ball and NL went flying over him, shouted for a penalty which the ref ignored (MF had the ball). NL gathered up a snowball as he got up and threw it at the ref. It whistled past his ear and the ref smiled and waved a gentle No No gesture with his hand – these days NL would have been done for bringing the game into disrepute.
Like you I was a goalkeeper and so especially interested. From other clubs I always liked Reg Matthews of Chelsea.
I find your assessment of Phil Parkes and Paul Bradshaw as better keepers than Matt Murray quite mind-boggling.
I’m just too young (not quite the right word but, still) to pass comment on Bert Williams but i would rate Murray as the best Wolves keeper in my time. If he’d stayed fit he would have been an England regular, in my opinion.
Why do you think Wolves gave him so much time and chances to prove his fitness?
And i’d put Mike Stowell above your two anytime.
Sorry what I meant to say was that during my time following Wolves 1959 to present – I personally thought Matt Murray was our best goalie – I agree the great Bert Williams must go down as our best ever, I never saw the great man play, he was such a legend but heard so much about him from those who did and have read count accounts about him.
Whats more he still takes a great interest in the club and makes some very pointed observations, deep down he must be sick to the back teeth of the shower of shit pulling on the shirt last year.
What an amabassador and genuinely nice guy he is.
My prayer for this year is that KJ gets the support he needs. I am just getting a little nervous its is all going the old familiar way. I am not sure i really want the Toxic three even training with the U21s, seems to me that where they can do the most damage.
Come on Mick get that Ipswich check book out.
What we have heard from Kenny Jackett so far it looks like he is a manager who can shake things up and ring the changes. Thats what Wolves need right now. Looking at his record at Millwall though i still wonder how far he can develop the young players. We will see.
It doesn’t look like the expensive players we have are going anywhere.
Suppose this young team we are going to field struggles ? 15 games in and we’ve only won 3.
Would we still let all that expensive experience sit doing nothing ? Looks like we will have to as KJ has burnt those bridges.
It is a good point and something i have pondered. I think inevitably Moxey and Morgan will as i think they have done in the past insist the manager play them. Their position being i am not paying these guys that sort of money and watch us lose games in the Third.
I guess I could stomach Ward and Doyle playing for us in the Third but i never want to see O”Hara and Johnson in our shirt again.
I know Clive will not agree about Ward, and i would not want him at left back where i fear he would still be a liability.
W anting to attend matches but not being able to due to work commitments
O ver most of each season has been frustrating and at times I questioned my true
L oyalty. I decided to become a TPS member and felt a little better, but I still found it
V ery difficult to go to all the TPS games, as quite often I was working out of the country.
E ventually, I retired from that job and am now working 9-5 (ish). I then thought about a
S eason Ticket, but decided against it untill the dust settles.
F or some fans, that decision would be considered disloyal, but as some fans have said
O nly attending games you can and not all does not make you a lesser fan. I would
R eally like to be a Season Ticket holder and go to all the games but cant justify it.
E ventually I will end up watching games from the TV only as I live in North Yorkshire and
V isit Wolverhampton at match days only. With a planned moved even further North to the
E ast coast is going to make it even harder. I know that some fans will say they travel
R eally further so that must make me a bad fan. But I feel I give as much support as I can.
No way are you a bad fan, Steve. I started supporting Wolves in 1961 at age 10, though I lived 80 miles away and always had. Why? My best mate supported them (then defected to Villa!), my dad had travelled to see a couple of those great 50s European nights and talked in awe about them, and I loved the kit. Dad supported Man Utd because of the Busby Babes, Munich etc. I have never had a season ticket, some seasons I have never seen a game live. The closest I have lived is in Derbyshire since 2000. I have been on the TPS a few times and otherwise attended when I could, as well as some away games (Derby is a happy hunting ground!!). I’ve suffered the ups and downs of those years that we all know about. Season ticket holders and Wulfrunians, particularly both, clearly have a special view of the club and that gives them a perspective (and investment) others such as me can’t match. But great clubs have plenty of distant support – my supporter number is above 77000 and I guess that says something – and they need it. And I can assure you we still feel the pain and (occasional!) euphoria – ask Mrs PW! All have a right to comment and a perspective on the current trials and tribulations at the club – the great thing about this blog is the exchange and acceptance (usually!!) of those different perspectives. As a newcomer to the blog, it’s raised my gloom over the summer and under KJ, who I had always thought did a good job at Millwall, I feel optimistic about next season. Oh dear!!
3-1 last I heard. OK OK I know they are only Scottish Div 1? But we are only English Div 3.
Just good to hear us scoring a few goals again. Damn here we go again…
Come on Wolves lets make it a season to remember.
I’ve done the same Ben. My dad and brother renewed there tickets and I will still go to the odd game this season. I can’t speak for every wolves fan but after the season just gone, the players, the new stand showing what might have been, the chairman’s disgraceful threat to leave, and of course jez moxey.
On the flip side I’m liking the look of kenny and I think his first signing, in my opinion, is a very positive and encouraging statement. An experienced, good quality outsider, and captain to boot. I love the move of putting the 4 most disruptive players out to grass aswell.
To everyone who has a season ticket this year I tip my hat off to you and hopefully you get to see the beginning of a fresh new wolves team trying hard and loving the shirt.
Savour the moment, boys and girls, the almost start of a new season, and a 100% record!!
its been a long, long time since we won a European match, away from home!!
What’s the betting greasel puts up the prices overnight?
Good to see so many young players get a run out last night. Under KJ the central motif will be competition. He doesnt bond with players in the same way as McCarthy so there should be less of the ‘favourites’. In the short term this will be a breath of fresh air though in the long term it may set limits on what the ‘group’ can achieve.