Wolves Ticketing Survey Part Two - Molineux
The Trust calls for the club to publish a 3-5-10-year plan that deals directly with the improvement and redevelopment of Molineux.
This is the second part of our Matchday Ticketing Survey results; part one has been published on our website.
The Trust has a duty to ensure that we are providing representation for as many supporters as possible; as a not-for-profit volunteer-led organisation, we try to focus on the issues that matter the most to fans. With this survey, it was our intent to reach out across the wider fan base through direct emailing (Trust Members), and through social media awareness campaigns in order to gauge the strength of feeling on what was, at least until now, anecdotally a ‘hot button’ topic among fans. Now we have the data to back it up – Wolves fans are united in their concern about rising ticket prices and want to see a meaningful response from the club that reflects the strength of that feeling.
We accept that there will be many supporters that have not had the opportunity to participate in this survey. Nevertheless, we received over 925 responses; this compares favourably to surveys run by the club. As an example, the club-led Sustainability Survey achieved just over 1,000 responses whilst the Match Day Experience Survey run by the club at the end of the 2021/22 season received 2515 responses (Wolves have a mailing list of over 50,000).
Comparatively, this survey has real value to the trust, the club, and the fan base, it provides feedback on ticket prices that the club should find hard to ignore.
We thank everyone that took the time to respond, particularly Trust members that have supported the Board throughout this process. Supporters’ trusts have an important role to play in consultation with clubs, at all levels of the game. Wolves undoubtedly need a strong supporters’ trust, and this survey underlines the growing awareness of our role and responsibilities.
"The ladies’ toilet facilities in the Steve Bull Upper are disgusting. Every game you attend, cubicles are swimming with water, from leaking toilets. I never see a cleaner! There is no hot water!’’
Headlines:
66.1% of respondents want major construction works to create better facilities and increase capacity.
81.6% of respondents want ticket money to go into stadium improvements, minor and major.
48.4% want a reduction in the cost of food and drink, in the stadium.
Only 2.2% agree that our ticket money should be spent on marketing esports and other diversification away from football, such as music labels.
60.8% want the club to provide good, free-to-use, wi-fi throughout the stadium.
Where should our money be spent?
81.6% of respondents stated that ticket revenue should be spent on stadium improvements. The recent publication of the club accounts shows that gate receipts represent under 10% of the club’s overall turnover. The dilemma for the club owners is that the fan base now recognises that we have an ageing stadium, in need of improvement and expansion; charging more for less is not going to win the club many friends.
Trust Chair Daniel Warren said, " There was a lot of excitement when we were promoted to Premier League that the stadium would be improved and redeveloped; whilst the South Bank and some other parts of the ground have had Safe Standing Introduced, other developments haven't happened".
Chair, Daniel continued ‘’The Older Stands at Molineux have fallen behind and are looking very tired, we require ongoing investment in facilities. What will Fosun's legacy be in respect of the stadium? Sir Jack rebuilt Molineux and Steve Morgan redeveloped the ‘Stan Cullis’ stand. I understand the Pandemic has caused uncertainty around attendances, but I feel now is the time to look at redevelopment, putting plans in place for the immediate future".
"We shouldn't have people sitting in a temporary stand, exposed to the elements".
Dreaming is for free…..
Supporters have several priorities when it comes to the type of improvements required. The age-old issue of the cost of food and drink remains a high concern, although it is now secondary to supporters requiring free-to-use, good quality wi-fi.
Match day experience is important, Molineux is known for its atmosphere, although recent team performances have put a dampener on the feel-good factor that Molineux generates for players and supporters. It is interesting that the recent launch of the ‘Old Gold Pack’, with the aim of improving match day atmosphere, is gaining support; with over 10% of respondents believing the club should provide funding for flag displays. It’s something that the Trust is keen to see developed.
Stadium Capacity:
Worldfootball.net publish tables showing average home attendances. When Wolves first entered the Premier League, in 2003, our average attendance was 28,874 and we were 14th out of the 20 clubs. In the 2021/22 season we were also 14th averaging 30,725. In our last top division title-winning season 1958/59 our average attendance was 38,439 but tellingly we were 7th out of 22 clubs. The inference is that other clubs have increased their capacities and average attendances, Wolves have stagnated. This stagnation is not the fault of our current owners. However, without a clear plan for Molineux the risk exists that we will lose the opportunity that our top-flight status confers.
The Trust calls upon the club to publish a plan for Molineux.
Stadium Capacities in the Premier League 2022/3 – source www.statista.com
Of the 20 current Premier League clubs Molineux is the only one with an unroofed ‘temporary’ stand.
Survey comments: ‘’Stadium capacity is something that needs to be higher in order to provide affordable and quality facilities for both home and away fans. With a lower capacity, to compete through ticket sales will mean never-ending price hikes’’.
Molineux’s Problem Child - The Steve Bull Stand:
When the Steve Bull (John Ireland) Stand was opened in 1979, it cost £2M, and with 42 executive boxes it was meant to be the transformation of Molineux. Instead it was the catalyst for a traumatic period for the club, one that nearly cost us our existence and put us a long way behind our rivals. Sadly, the stand has been a millstone around the neck of the club ever since; executive boxes that make watching football a sterile experience, seating that only favours those with short legs, concourses that do nothing for social distancing, and facilities that reflect the fact it was constructed 44 years ago.
Whilst the survey did not focus on the Steve Bull Stand, it is fair to say that the ‘customer’ feedback sent a clear message:
‘’The ladies’ toilet facilities in the Steve Bull Upper are disgusting. Every game you attend cubicles are swimming with water, from leaking toilets’’.
‘’I never see a cleaner! There is no hot water’’.
‘’The concourse is an accident waiting to happen’’.
‘How do the club justify the cost of a season ticket in the Steve Bull being more than the Stan Cullis, whose facilities far outweigh ours’’
‘’The Steve Bull stand needs upgrading, the concourse in my opinion is now substandard’’.
‘’Facilities in the Steve Bull Stand need major improvements, only about 9 women’s toilets in the whole stand, no hot water, hand dryers don’t work’’
‘’The concourses in the Steve Bull upper are disgusting. They need vastly improving ASAP’’.
‘’Steve Bull match day experience is terrible. Crammed spaces but still the season ticket prices will go up. Experience is made worse by being told to sit down on the back rows, I would like to see the back 4/5 rows changed to safe standing, like the lower Steve Bull’’.
‘’Steve Bull Stand, is there an option to make the male toilets two storey, build over the existing ones as you have the drainage already there? The queues are horrendous’’.
Public Transport:
When Molineux increases its capacity, the local authority will need to positively embrace the challenge of improving local infrastructure. The benefits to all will be seen on match days, perhaps the only time that the City truly comes to life.
Supporters are open to change, with over 50% stating that they would start to use public transport if it was reliable, and free to use, on match days. The question of sustainability (and air quality) is now a factor in the wider decision-making process, one that the local authorities can no longer ignore.
Moving away from Molineux is still ‘on the table’, although we don’t believe the club want it and we are certain that supporters would be against it. Unless a long-term plan for the expansion of Molineux can be agreed with all stakeholders the option remains, for our owners.
Wolves recently launched ‘One Pack, One Planet’ which included a commitment to become a net zero football club by 2040. Reducing the ‘carbon footprint’ of those travelling to Molineux should be a key target of the club, and local authority.
Digital Tickets and resale:
The split on whether tickets should be available digitally, on mobile phones, shows that the club will need to offer an alternative if they ever introduced such a service. Nevertheless, it is notable that more than 50% of supporters are comfortable with the concept of digital tickets.
Supporters prefer to pass their home match day ticket on to family, or friends if they can’t make the match for any reason, although the club are seeing an uptake in the use of the resale scheme.
Selling tickets to people you don’t know, in the knowledge that it may fall into the hands of an away supporter is a big “NO” from supporters, with the loss of the season ticket, or suspension, being the type of action they would like the club to take.
Wolves Women:
Wolves Women has increasing importance in our ‘One Pack’ philosophy, and the ‘Her Game Too’ movement continues to raise awareness of the plight of female supporters - https://www.hergametoo.co.uk/. This survey was aimed at gathering a collective, inclusive, response from the Wolves fan base but we recognise that facilities for female supporters at Molineux, and other stadiums, are unacceptably poor.
When it comes to supporting Wolves Women’s team, fans overwhelmingly believe that season ticket and/or membership holders should be offered reduced, or free, attendance to these games.
Wolves 1877 Trust:
Wolves 1877 Trust was formed in May 2021 as a community benefit society registered under the Co-operative and Communities Benefits Societies Act 2014, regulated through the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Trust is constituted in accordance with the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) guidelines; we are affiliate members of the FSA with enhanced voting rights.
Trust members are actively involved in the club’s Fan Focus Groups and have worked with the club to agree a Fan Engagement Standard and the formation of a Fan Advisory Board.
The Trust has a membership subscription of £5:00 per annum; membership is open to all, we are a democratic body with a diverse membership.
Full details of how to join as a Trust member are available on our website: https://www.wolves1877trust.co.uk/membership
‘One Pack, One Voice’
