Stadium Plans

[Mardenboroughs Shoulder]

The part of the newspaper cutting that made me smile was the fact that there would be standing for 55,518.

I wonder how on earth the architects worked out that precise number??

As (some!) people have got larger over the years, would standing capacity have been officially reduced?

And if you survive till two thousand and five
I hope you're exceedingly thin
For if you are stout you will have to breathe out
So the man next to you can breathe in (breathe in, breathe in, breathe in)

Pink Floyd 1968

 

[reanswolf]

I just don’t think there’s the demand. All matches are going to general sale ATM.

We could just about fill 45k for 2-3 massive games per season, it just makes no financial sense to spunk £100m+ on new stands.

Personally I wish Morgan had just left the Stan Cullis stand alone, I hate the way Molineux looks at the moment, and it’s going to stay that way for years until the Steve Bull stand is condemned.

This is the dilemma, no one really knows how much demand there truly is, on a consistent basis.

We all have our own opinions, and mine remains that whilst we could sell 40,000 tickets for big matches, we may only sell 25-27000 home tickets maybe less if we struggle, and once the Premiership novelty continues to wear off.

I could be wrong but I think those who think we could regularly fill even 40000 are in dreamland.

 

[rincewind]

This is the dilemma, no one really knows how much demand there truly is, on a consistent basis.

We all have our own opinions, and mine remains that whilst we could sell 40,000 tickets for big matches, we may only sell 25-27000 home tickets maybe less if we struggle, and once the Premiership novelty continues to wear off.

I could be wrong but I think those who think we could regularly fill even 40000 are in dreamland.

A lot depends on pricing but if you spend a lot on re-development presumably you want a significant increase in revenue. Bit of a catch 22.

 

[SanFranWolf]

I've always wondered, why don't they just do one stand at a time without worrying about all the rest.

The Steve Bull definitely has to be replaced.

Just do that based on the stages that we're implied earlier this year, see what state the finances are in after that and decide what to do then.

 

[Wolf316]

I've always wondered, why don't they just do one stand at a time without worrying about all the rest.

The Steve Bull definitely has to be replaced.

Just do that based on the stages that we're implied earlier this year, see what state the finances are in after that and decide what to do then.

Yeah the Bully is awful the season ticket holders in there have my full sympathy.

 

[SanFranWolf]

Can someone post a picture of what the Steve Bull Upper concourse looks like at half time on a match day please?

 

[SanFranWolf]

Found this old picture of what the outside of Molineux might have looked like from the redesign in the 1970's.

Apologies if you've seen it before.

 

[greco wolf]

Can someone post a picture of what the Steve Bull Upper concourse looks like at half time on a match day please?

 

[Sussex Wolf]

I've always wondered, why don't they just do one stand at a time without worrying about all the rest.

The Steve Bull definitely has to be replaced.

Just do that based on the stages that we're implied earlier this year, see what state the finances are in after that and decide what to do then.

That’s been the plan for every development in my lifetime. Yes they generally have a vision for some hypothetical end state, but the development is funded and progressed one stand at a time. Sir Jack did three stands in his tenure, but one at a time as well. He had the added pressure that two of the old stands were already closed and condemned, and the third was only partially useable because the pitch had move so far. So he had a stronger financial incentive to finish all three. By contrast Morgan and Fosun had/have four fully operational stands so redevelopment of any of them needs to be justified by incremental improvements and revenue.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Can someone post a picture of what the Steve Bull Upper concourse looks like at half time on a match day please?

I don’t have any photos of the concourse on a match day, but the website below shows photos of it empty. On a matchday, at HT and FT, the concourse is packed, and it’s barely possible to make your way from the stairs from the stands to the toilets or to the refreshment outlets. If you arrive early enough before KO, there is reasonable space to move around and the queues to toilets and refreshments are fine.

Billy Wright Stand - Upper Tier | AccessAble

Disabled Accessibility Guide for Billy Wright Stand - Upper Tier in Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club providing accessible disability and wheelchair friendly information

www.accessable.co.uk

 

[Mardenboroughs Shoulder]

This is the dilemma, no one really knows how much demand there truly is, on a consistent basis.

We all have our own opinions, and mine remains that whilst we could sell 40,000 tickets for big matches, we may only sell 25-27000 home tickets maybe less if we struggle, and once the Premiership novelty continues to wear off.

I could be wrong but I think those who think we could regularly fill even 40000 are in dreamland.

But what if we became an established top 6 side and regular Champions League participants? Remember dreaming is free as Nuno used to say, before you all pile in on me!

 

[WasStefan]

Can someone post a picture of what the Steve Bull Upper concourse looks like at half time on a match day please?

I was in there for the England game and honestly the concourse area is like a conference hall compared to the south bank.

 

[JohnB]

Every time I see this pop to the top of Mix I get excited, Christmas esque excitement when you wonder if he’s been. Every time I open the link I find that there are no plans to upgrade the ground, a little like finding at Christmas that he thought I wanted more socks….


…..apologies for anyone else opening this and hope you have a good Christmas.

 

[Mardenboroughs Shoulder]

Every time I see this pop to the top of Mix I get excited, Christmas esque excitement when you wonder if he’s been. Every time I open the link I find that there are no plans to upgrade the ground, a little like finding at Christmas that he thought I wanted more socks….


…..apologies for anyone else opening this and hope you have a good Christmas.

I just loved watching the static camera for hours on end during the Stan Cullis, Steve Morgan rebuild.

 

[Monketron]

Every time I see this pop to the top of Mix I get excited, Christmas esque excitement when you wonder if he’s been. Every time I open the link I find that there are no plans to upgrade the ground, a little like finding at Christmas that he thought I wanted more socks….


…..apologies for anyone else opening this and hope you have a good Christmas.

Glad I'm not the only one one day...

 

[Kashmire Hawker]

Planning App for permanent Fan Zone is in

Official Black Country Development Thread 4

www.skyscrapercity.com

 

[Olivergoldblack]

Planning App for permanent Fan Zone is in

Official Black Country Development Thread 4

www.skyscrapercity.com

Cool. Where is it going? Can't tell off the image.

 

[Kashmire Hawker]

Cool. Where is it going? Can't tell off the image.

Staying at its current location

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Cool. Where is it going? Can't tell off the image.

Same location as the current temporary fan zone, behind the South Bank near the underpass.

22/01043/FUL | Proposed permanent fan zone on former match day surface car park. Currently operates as match day fan zone under temporary licenses. |

planningonline.wolverhampton.gov.uk

 

[Brockmoorwolf]

Same location as the current temporary fan zone, behind the South Bank near the underpass.

22/01043/FUL | Proposed permanent fan zone on former match day surface car park. Currently operates as match day fan zone under temporary licenses. |

planningonline.wolverhampton.gov.uk

No chance the south bank gets extended then.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

No chance the south bank gets extended then.

Yes, I think unfortunately you are spot on. If there were any chance of the South Bank being expanded soon, then they wouldn’t have sought permission to convert the temporary fan park into a permanent one. In theory, there is sufficient space to build a new South Bank of the same size as the North Bank without using any of the fan park area. However, building it would require access and the fan park would almost certainly be in the way. So, I don’t think we will be seeing an expanded South Bank anytime soon.

 

[Berlin Wolf]

Yes, I think unfortunately you are spot on. If there were any chance of the South Bank being expanded soon, then they wouldn’t have sought permission to convert the temporary fan park into a permanent one. In theory, there is sufficient space to build a new South Bank of the same size as the North Bank without using any of the fan park area. However, building it would require access and the fan park would almost certainly be in the way. So, I don’t think we will be seeing an expanded South Bank anytime soon.

Sussex, I have completely lost faith about stadium redevelopment.
To a point where I don't believe a word the club says about it.
The latest, Russell Jones comments on Ask Wolves. What was all of that!?
Time will tell, if plans he outlined, are as genuine as he said they were!

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Sussex, I have completely lost faith about stadium redevelopment.
To a point where I don't believe a word the club says about it.
The latest, Russell Jones comments on Ask Wolves. What was all of that!?
Time will tell, if plans he outlined, are as genuine as he said they were!

As the club have said, it’s not a priority for them. Russell’s comments in the video were likely a response to fan pressure, which is primarily focused on the Steve Bull. He talked about the fan zone, and that’s happening now. Beyond that, spending a modest amount to refurbish the Steve Bull, including expanding concourse facilities and access, and redeveloping the hospitality offering, is perhaps all we can hope for in the foreseeable future. It’s possible planning for the new SE temp stand will be allowed to lapse because it will be incorporated into whatever they do for the Steve Bull Lower. AFL developed the plans for the SE corner, and they have also been involved in the fan zone application. My assumption is that they will also be involved in the Steve Bull works, whatever and whenever that turns out be. I’m not holding my breath on it being quick or extensive, but will be happily to be proven wrong.

 

[Olivergoldblack]

Found this old picture of what the outside of Molineux might have looked like from the redesign in the 1970's.

Apologies if you've seen it before.

Glad they didn't complete this design, felt it looked a bit like council civic buildings sort of style. Much prefer the Jetsons stadium design from the 50's.

 

[SanFranWolf]

E&S reporting that we have dropped Molineux out of the running to host games as part of the Euro 2028 bid.

Looks like Villa and Leicester will be the stadiums in the midlands.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

E&S reporting that we have dropped Molineux out of the running to host games as part of the Euro 2028 bid.

Looks like Villa and Leicester will be the stadiums in the midlands.

Strange

 

[Kashmire Hawker]

E&S reporting that we have dropped Molineux out of the running to host games as part of the Euro 2028 bid.

Looks like Villa and Leicester will be the stadiums in the midlands.

Sounds like the wider costs of hosting games is what did it. Suspect that was a joint decision by Wolves and the Council

 

[Minimalist]

Unless major work had been done Molineux was surely never going to be picked as a venue anyway.

 

[Banks's Mild]

E&S reporting that we have dropped Molineux out of the running to host games as part of the Euro 2028 bid.

Looks like Villa and Leicester will be the stadiums in the midlands.

It also said Leicester were out as well, just Villa for the midlands. Which stadium wise makes sense really whatever you think of them.
Shame really as our ground is a better location for match day fans and much easier for accessing through different ways, but is not big enough and needs work to make it a viable option.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

Glad they didn't complete this design, felt it looked a bit like council civic buildings sort of style. Much prefer the Jetsons stadium design from the 50's.

I agree on the style, but the new stand was smart when it first finished. Had they been able to finish it without bankrupting the club, then it would have been far more modern and progressive than almost any other stadium at the time. We’d have not had the half closed and decaying Molineux we saw a decade later, and all the land around Molineux to the north, where Asda is now, would still be part of the Molineux site. In this alternative history, Wolves would not have slid in the way we did, and would likely have been part of the early PL. We may have become one of the Sky Six and the now ageing stadium above would likely have been redeveloped into an even larger and more modern one.

 

[SingYourHeartsOut]

So just to check.

The 'fan park' (ie a bunch of caravans in a car park) will be made 'permanent' (although presumably they mostly will still be caravans that go off elsewhere 13 days a fortnight?)

The SE corner isn't happening.

This is because it makes no sense with the Steve Bull development.

That might (but probably won't) happen at the end of the season. If it does the lower tier will be demolished and rebuilt forward and higher to the level of the bottom of the upper tier. The boxes will be taken out to provide concourses and maybe corporate hospitality areas with WV1 type premium seats but not boxes. The upper tier seating will be untouched?

Is that where we're at?

 

[Sussex Wolf]

So just to check.

The 'fan park' (ie a bunch of caravans in a car park) will be made 'permanent' (although presumably they mostly will still be caravans that go off elsewhere 13 days a fortnight?)

The SE corner isn't happening.

This is because it makes no sense with the Steve Bull development.

That might (but probably won't) happen at the end of the season. If it does the lower tier will be demolished and rebuilt forward and higher to the level of the bottom of the upper tier. The boxes will be taken out to provide concourses and maybe corporate hospitality areas with WV1 type premium seats but not boxes. The upper tier seating will be untouched?

Is that where we're at?

More or less.

The “permanent” fan park gets security fencing around it, lighting, branding, toilets, etc. But it’s still essentially what we have today, but a bit smarter.

Can’t see the Steve Bull work happening next summer, given we haven’t seen any announcements, plans or planning submission. The fan park improvements will probably be all that happens next summer. Exactly what the scale of any SB work, should it eventually happen, we can only speculate on based on the little we heard in the summer. It could be more modest that you summarised, or more significant if everything mentioned happens.

 

[Severnup]

40k stadium probably be about right with the option to extend if the need be there but it's simply a better stadium that's needed really. One where people don't get soaked to the skin. I was at a match a couple of winters ago and a poor chap in his 80s only lasted till half time. He was on end of row and he was saturated. I offered to swap seats with him but he was too cold and had to leave. Doesn't seem right somehow.

 

[Eastern Wolf]

Wolves can go bigger. 45-50k would be workable. They have the catchment area to the west where there is only Shrewsbury Town to compete with them. And South East all the way to Bristol there is only Hereford. Plenty of potential fans there. Get more kids in too and create women only areas. More seats mean the club can reduce the entrance fees too so more people can get to go to matches.

 

[Very Proud (AKA Still Proud)]

I would just like them to bring the Steve Bull closer to the pitch and extend upwards to align with the North Bank and sort out the roof so it comes down over both stands to cover and enclose more. If they could take it up towards 35-36k as a result that'd be great for now. An extended South Bank can wait for the time being.

 

[WasStefan]

Sounds like the wider costs of hosting games is what did it. Suspect that was a joint decision by Wolves and the Council

Wolves Council letting the City down again imagine my shock

 

[Very Proud (AKA Still Proud)]

Pinched this from the "Old Photos" thread. It shows that potentially you could add another 33% in terms of rows at the back of the Steve Bull, c3,000 seats. If you replaced the front tier with a steeper incline from pitch side potentially another 1,000 - 2,000 seats could increase the total capacity by c4,500 seats, which is nearly in line with projections of 36k overall capacity at that point.

Issue is that would not accommodate corporate hospitality boxes and won't address the depth of each row. Likely that they'd have to demolish/lift the existing rows of terrace off the structure to address this issue and perhaps build boxes across the back of the existing stand and seats extending above. The other issue would then be what would they do about the curve of the stand.

Fascinating stuff but one thing is that there are options to produce a stand that could be done in stages with a very clever architect and structural engineer at the helm.



View attachment 30388

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

Wolves can go bigger. 45-50k would be workable. They have the catchment area to the west where there is only Shrewsbury Town to compete with them. And South East all the way to Bristol there is only Hereford. Plenty of potential fans there. Get more kids in too and create women only areas. More seats mean the club can reduce the entrance fees too so more people can get to go to matches.

Women only areas? I didn’t realise molineux had moved to Qatar

 

[Wagstaffe Was Magic]

As previously posted ad nauseum, 40,000 seats will do us.

Less if we continue to score only once in a blue moon

 

[Spitfire]

Pinched this from the "Old Photos" thread. It shows that potentially you could add another 33% in terms of rows at the back of the Steve Bull, c3,000 seats. If you replaced the front tier with a steeper incline from pitch side potentially another 1,000 - 2,000 seats could increase the total capacity by c4,500 seats, which is nearly in line with projections of 36k overall capacity at that point.

Issue is that would not accommodate corporate hospitality boxes and won't address the depth of each row. Likely that they'd have to demolish/lift the existing rows of terrace off the structure to address this issue and perhaps build boxes across the back of the existing stand and seats extending above. The other issue would then be what would they do about the curve of the stand.

Fascinating stuff but one thing is that there are options to produce a stand that could be done in stages with a very clever architect and structural engineer at the helm.

View attachment 30390

View attachment 30388

Do you think the existing structure could take the extra weight of another 3000 seats at the back plus a new roof or do you think they could build from behind similar to what Liverpool have done and I think Ipswich did with their main stand? I like your idea though.