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Formation here Meeting one details -including members list click here
meeting 11 - 22nd August 2008 New Stadium, TRavel Commmunications, Tim Richards joins here
meetings 9 and 10 are here click
meeting 8 - 21st November 2007 Pricing/Magazines/Academy/Parliament click here
meeting 7 - 13th September 2007
meeting 6 - 30th August 2007
meeting 5 - 8th May 2007.
meeting 3 - 22nd January 2007.
meeting 2 - 8th November 2006.
meeting 1 - 11th July 2006.
why a parliament here
Parliament membership contact details here
Dave Instone takes the minutes of the meetings
The First Parliament Of The Season Posted on: Fri 22 Aug 2008
All options are being explored in Molineux's redevelopment plans, chairman Steve Morgan told the first meeting of the new-look Wolves' Fans Parliament last night.
"We're talking to an occupier who wants to lease (part of the stadium) and that would give us significant revenue. That would be at least a 15-year rent and would be a catalyst for stage one of our redevelopment, irrespective of whether we win promotion. "The redevelopment work will be done incrementally because the last thing I'd want is a 35-40,000 stadium and have it half full. The capacity would probably increase by 2-3,000 each time we did a stand."
The prospect of selling stadium naming rights was discussed as a possibility down the line. "It's possible it could become the 'Something' Molineux Stadium. Emirates are paying Arsenal about £50m over 15 years and, if we get serious sponsorship, it would be idiotic not to consider it," said Steve.
The meeting, held in Molineux's prestige International Suite, was attended by nine of the 13 Parliament members who were re-elected this summer, and 22 new delegates. Also in attendance were director John Gough, ticketing and membership manager Lynne O'Reardon and vice-president Rachael
Heyhoe Flint.
In reply to a question from Richard Harries about the chances that Wolves might move to a new ground, Steve added: "All options are being considered and it (a switch) is not 100 per cent ruled out. But the view Jez and I took was that there are no obvious replacements unless you go the edge of the city. The great thing here is that transport communications are good, with parking and public transport, and we benefit the city economy. All in all, Molineux is the right place but it's not without problems when it comes to redevelopment."
The chairman said it shouldn't be too long before the club were able to announce the findings of their deliberations - and he hoped to provide a home that all supporters would be proud of.
Laurence Westwood described Molineux as aesthetically the best ground in England and said some new grounds looked like branches of B&Q. "It has to look like a Wolves ground," he argued "It's a striking landmark." The absent Dave Bissell made a similar point by letter: "Could we look at something that's architecturally unique like Selfridge's in Birmingham?"
Steve replied: "I'm a builder, so construction is close to my heart. There will be great consideration and I always want Molineux to look a great stadium."
He then reassured Dave Bezzina that groups such as the disabled would be considered when the club arrived at the detailed design stage - a pledge that prompted chief executive Jez Moxey to point to the success of the Paycare Lounge that was developed for the disabled in the mid-1990s. Tim Richards said he hoped Wolves would learn from the good and bad examples already in existence, pointing to the Emirates Stadium as an impressive model and Wembley as a less successful one.
When Chris Cox enquired about the housing of away fans, Steve said: "Part and parcel of the redevelopment would be a new area for away fans, possibly in the corner, although the police have a say on that. Flexibility of space is important because we could have Manchester United here or Fulham or Colchester and it's obvious they won't all bring the same number of supporters." Rod Palmer joked that numerous columns should be erected in the visitors' seats as pay-back for the poor views Wolves fans had sometimes endured on their travels.
Jez advised Jon Maslen-Jones to forget the idea that a standing area could be incorporated. "It's a Government issue," he said. "It isn't going to happen. And we have an issue in the Jack Harris Stand ith prolonged standing, which is prohibited. It's in the authorities' power to say we must reduce capacity by 15 per cent if they think we can't control our fans. We want to get the message across loud and clear that, if fans don't sit down, we run a serious risk of having the capacity cut which would be counter-productive to everything we are doing in trying to improve the atmosphere." Georgina Savage said she was puzzled that stewards seemed to work from back to front when asking supporters to sit.
To Chris Cox's question about whether there was a maximum capacity in mind with the redevelopment if the club were promoted, Steve said it was difficult gauging as he had been 'a bit disappointed' by the fact that only 20,500 home fans had attended the victory over Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. He was then asked by Mick Boydell whether he would follow Sir Jack Hayward's lead and give local companies the building contracts. "It's always about balance," was the answer. "I'd favour local business if possible but it's a commercial balance. It's about getting good value for money. And behind it all, no fan would thank us for building the best stadium in the country if the team didn't go with it."
The top table went on to point out that the current stadium, while highly thought of, experienced problems because of the small concourses.
Gerry Collins voiced dissatisfaction about the stadium catering and said it compared poorly with Coventry, for example. He said it had been difficult to buy a pie or anything substantial in the Jack Harris Stand. "You can't get served," he complained.
Steve admitted there was no excuse for that and Jez expanded by saying: "Catering here is very successful and makes a lot of money. The big problem we have is the size of concourses. They are tiny compared with Coventry or Stoke. One of the things we must do with the redevelopment is make the concourse areas as big as possible. It's a design flaw that away fans have 25 per cent of the seats when they are in the Jack Harris Stand but get 50 per cent of the concourse space. Difficulty in getting to the kiosks to buy food or drink results from a fundamental flaw with the design of the stadium."
Similarly, Mick Boydell said it was a joke trying to get into the gents' toilets - a comment that prompted Jez to say: "It's part of the same issue. Molineux was one of the first grounds to be designed following the Taylor Report, so it didn't have the benefit of being able to pick and choose the best parts of others." He agreed to take up with the stadium manager a suggestion by Les Hughes for stewards to be situated outside the toilets to stop fans going in through the exits and causing congestion. But he said he would have these 'minders' removed if their safety was compromised. Steve Morgan described the stadium as being 'yesterday's design' and concluded: "That's why we're undertaking the exercise we are."
Peter Bagley and Georgina Savage said the PA system was poor while others considered it satisfactory. Wilf Hadley said he was missing the video walls, a show of hands demonstrating that nearly all delegates agreed with him. Jez said he would be pushing at next week's board meeting for a couple of very good scoreboards to be included in any redevelopment. "If you have a new stadium, you must have good screens," he admitted.
Peter Bagley asked Steve Morgan what he thought of the admission prices and was told: "You have to balance the cost with the reality of the economy. If our prices were any lower, we wouldn't have the money to pay wages. The only way we can buy top-class players is to increase revenue. We don't cover our expenses as it is, not by a long way." Gerry Collins cited an example of Albion subsidising coach travel for their fans and Jon Maslen-Jones wondered whether Wolves would consider doing the same for the trip to Cardiff on November 1.
Lynne O'Reardon said subsidised travel was something the club had previously offered to games at Albion and Colchester, and head of communications Young Wolves and Wolves Aid initiatives the club had pursued throughout the year as projects that were more substantial than a one-off gesture. On the subject of the visit to Cardiff, Jez said South Wales police were likely to insist again on a 'bubble' arrangement as with last season's FA Cup tie. But he would consider that course of action 'completely unjustified.' Dave Bezzina said he lived in Cardiff, bought tickets through the home club last season and knew of other Welsh-based Wolves fans who did likewise. Mark Cadman asked why a membership scheme for away travel couldn't be introduced, like the one at Stoke. But Jez countered: "I wouldn't support that. It killed their away support for a long while. Wolves' travelling support is very good." And Tim Richards, treasurer of London Wolves, said a membership scheme would seriously hit Wolves fans based in the capital who perhaps only went to games like Crystal Palace away.
There was further discussion about how the club might better communicate with fans. Roger Fellows said it may be useful to have a diagram in the programme showing where gate money went, including a big slab to the Chancellor in VAT. Jez asked to be kept informed by delegates of what fans felt needed explaining - and the club would consider it. Daniel Yeo suggested that a condensed version of the Parliament meeting minutes be carried in the programme but Matt Grayson said: "They go in the Express & Star as well as on our website and they become old news after a fortnight. Profiles of Parliament members are likely to be used in the programme, though, to make other fans aware of who their delegates are." Kulbinder Kular enquired whether the club anticipated recouping any money soon and where they stood in relation to their budget. Steve pointed out: "It's not the need to get players out that is preventing any player coming in. It's identifying the right players who fit the profile at a sensible fee. With Jody Craddock getting injured, that's probably the key position but it's not like nipping to Asda and buying a tin of beans. It's getting the right centre-half from those who are available. Clubs with good-quality centre-halves don't want to sell. It's like us if we were asked for Michael Kightly. We'd say no." John Meaney said the impact of Chris Iwelumo had proved that if a player could be bought at a cheaper price, there was no need to spend £2m or £2.5m 'just because it's there.'
MULTI-BALL:
Matt Grayson said Wolves had raised the age of ball boys and girls to 16 this season after Jez had lobbied hard at the League AGM to ensure that the multi-ball system wasn't scrapped. "The rules have been tightened and we now have to stick with it for the season," Jez said. "The referee can still stop it if he chooses and multi-ball depends on the crowd because we need the ball thrown back by them to the right people and obviously not back on to the pitch. Congratulations go to Andy Morgan as he has headed up a scheme that brought us some criticism last season." Chris Cox said there had been a vast improvement in the first two or three home games.
PROGRAMME
Matt Grayson said there had been positive feedback to the revamped 84-page match-day programme, urging fans to spread the word about its new look. "It will change and improve further over the season," he promised. John Meaney said sellers weren't evident enough at the Wednesday game and there was a proposal lsewhere to have sellers in the seated areas after kick-off for the benefit of late-comers. Matt said there was such a pilot scheme planned at the home game against Nottingham Forest in eight days' time, although the idea hadn't worked in the past. Roger Fellows said he felt the programme should still include some kind of piece about the rules and their interpretation.
BOOKING FEES:
Georgina Savage said it was wrong that there was a booking charge on tickets bought on debit cards. And Gerry Collins complained about an admin charge when he recently bought a car park place for the season under the new scheme implemented recently. Lynne O'Reardon was at pains to point out that the booking charge still didn't cover the processing of ticket sales. Roger Fellows said the club should be more transparent on the issue of booking fees.Martyn Edwards asked whether a loyalty scheme based on a fan's past attendance record could be introduced as a possible way of softening the jump in price for youngsters when they reached 17. Jez said he considered that an idea worthy of consideration.
SMOKING
Jez told Dave Bezzina that it was partly up to fans to tell off others who illegally smoked in the ground. Ryan Leister suggested a smoking area be introduced outside the ground but was told the procedure of letting fans out and then back in was difficult.
Fans Parliament 8 Minutes Wednesday 21st Nov 2007
Chief executive Jez Moxey and sales and marketing director Stuart Cain canvassed supporters' views on future ticket pricing at last night's latest meeting of the Fans' Parliament at Molineux The club's determination to attract more youngsters prompted Stuart to ask: "How do we get more kids in? The fan base is getting older and we'd like to use ticket prices to get the next generation in." And Jez said: "We're conscious of the need to replenish our support. We want to bring people in and for them to get the bug for a lifetime." Much of the subsequent debate was about reducing admission charges, with Chris Cox insisting: "Pure and simple, it's the only way. My kids are too young for night games except in school holidays and prices need to reflect that fact for youngsters who have season tickets. "How about £120 for the first one and a nominal sum for the next? In other words, discount for multiple purchases. We need to look at what the fans earn and ask what they can afford to pay on Wolves." Jim Heath pointed out that Preston had offered free admission for under-10s and some clubs had charged only £20 for a junior season ticket, with Telford, at a much lower level, operating a kids-for-a-quid scheme at every match. Jez pointed out, though, that Wolves' popular Early Bird scheme made watching at Molineux cheaper than at many clubs all over the country. Wilf Hadley called the scheme 'a great idea,' with Wolves officials currently collating thoughts about ticket prices to take to new owner Steve Morgan. Potteries-based student James Fielden outlined how he paid £414 for a Jack Harris Stand season ticket and spent £6.50 a time catching the train. He is reluctant to pay the lower match-by-match student charges on offer because they would not guarantee him the same seat and he would have to queue on arrival at Molineux for his ticket. And Kulbinder Kular said: "I dread my kids turning 17 and Wolves asking me for £400 each (for a season ticket) because we won't all be able to afford one." On the same theme, Wilf Hadley added: "My daughter is at Birmingham University and won't come to games because of the cost, although she loves
Wolves and is in the habit of attending." Wolves scrapped cheaper season tickets for students as there was evidence of some quitting courses but continuing to watch at reduced rates. James said he would be happy to provide proof he was still in full-time education if it meant qualifying for concessions. Stuart Cain suggested that fans who proved they had been students throughout a season could perhaps get money off their season ticket the following season. He outlined the occasional measures the club were continuing to adopt to attract the young. "We had 3,000-3,500 extra in for the Norwich game last season by offering discounted tickets to youngsters who play for FA-affiliated clubs in postcodes where our support is strong. We're doing it again for the Burnley game on December 8 and have launched the Come All Ye Faithful promotion for the Leicester game (December 22)." Jez Moxey agreed the club should look at ways of 'easing the pain' of the rise in admission prices during the transition from child to adult. Carolyn Skitt proposed sending more players into schools to spread the Wolves message while Georgina Savage suggested offering free admission to schoolchildren as long as they were accompanied by a (paying) adult. Amid the discussion about targeting the kids, Terry Brearley urged the club not to forget the over-50s. "That's the biggest market," he said. "We also have to tackle that larger area." Jez again discounted the idea of giving fans concessionary tickets when they reached 60. "We went through the pain of introducing 65 as the cut-off age about 5 years ago," he said. "To then lower it again would create all sort of problems and be unfair on those who have had to pay the adult prices during the past five years." On a general theme, Chris Cox suggested an 'Easy Jet system' for the less-populated wing areas of stands. "You could experiment with 500 seats, with the first 20 costing a fiver and the next 20 a tenner," he said. "And what about a loyalty scheme, with money off for being a season ticket holder for five or ten years."
PLEDGE: The club will consider all ideas and report back to future meetings.
ACADEMY
Jez Moxey told the meeting the search for Chris Evans' successor as Academy manager had thrown up 'a very impressive list of people who have put their name forward.' Chris is joining Bolton as one of Gary Megson's assistants and Jez said: "He's fought tooth and nail on behalf of the Academy and I'm sad to see him go. He has been a good colleague and a very visible head. I've been spending this week and last assuring his staff of the on-going plans we have for the Academy and feeling reassured myself that it is in outstanding hands. "I'm confident we can find the right person and try to raise the bar again. He'll be a hard act to follow but it gives us chance to try and improve things even further. The Academy is very important and I'll not allow anybody or anything to derail what we're doing. We must speed up the integration of 18-year-olds and get even better players in the first team, so we don't go out having to spending big money all the time." Jez reassured Peter Bagley that Wolves had attempted to keep Chris but the lure was the chance to work with senior players with a manager he had befriended on a coaching course. "He's itching to move on," he said. Bob Adams said: "Rarely in all my years supporting Wolves have I known people hold a member of the backroom staff in such high regard. Can we get him on the pitch here, so we can show our gratitude?" And Bob Crockett added: "We should thank Chris on behalf of the Parliament and wish him all the best." It was a feeling immediately endorsed by several other members. Jez said the club would advertise Chris's position but the successful applicant wouldn't necessarily raise eyebrows. And he revealed it was unlikely to be an internal promotion.
PARLIAMENT CONCEPT
The meeting agreed wholeheartedly that the 16-month-old Fans' Parliament had been a success but that new blood would prevent it going stale. Georgina Savage said newcomers should be phased in alongside existing members. The replacement of some members is likely to be at the end of this season, with Stuart Cain suggesting there was room for another five-to-ten people to bring the number up to 25-30. "We set it up to create a formal dialogue and feel we're very open," he said. "The choosing of the new change kit and the season-ticket prices for youngsters, including under-12s, shows actions have been pursued. I'm aware we need to keep it fresh, though, so it can operate for the next three or four years." Jez Moxey argued: "I'd be extremely disappointed if you didn't see it as valuable. I don't think we could have done more to expose you to senior staff, management and owners. We set the policy at the club but it's important to me to be able to look you in the eye and ask what you think about it. I want the Parliament to evolve and for people to look in five or six years time and say it is more powerful than when it started." Chris Cox thanked the club for taking the idea seriously, as shown by Sir Jack Hayward and Steve Morgan attending meetings. "This is a fans' oracle that you (the board) should be singing the praises of, not feeling you have to defend," he said. And Jim Heath concluded: "It has gained a lot of credibility and I think you'll have a lot of people wanting to stand, because you have taken action on some of the points discussed. It's important it's not just seen as a talking shop." Roger Fellows said the only complaint was that fans may not know how to contact members, so a list of names should be published in the programme. Dan Lavelle argued that if the dialogue wasn't always high-profile, it was because there weren't as many burning issues around the club now as at the start, when Wolves were manager-less and with an owner who was looking to hand over.
PLEDGE: Wolves to further consider (s)election of new members and to think about producing an A5 flier to publicise the Parliament.
PROGRAMME
Concerned by falling programme sales, Jez Moxey asked for a show of hands on buying habits: Six said they bought one at every match, four occasionally and the rest never. Stuart Cain said the club worked on the assumption of 20 per cent of the gate buying a programme but Bob Adams said: "I have no problem with the quality of it but it's an add-on cost and there comes a time when something has to go." Chris Cox said some away programmes, particularly Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday, had more reading in them. "We need more articles," he said. "Only two are must-read articles; those by Mick McCarthy and Jez." Chris proposed that a bedroom-wall poster could be included while Roger Fellows said it was very well produced but had 'far too many' adverts, '23 pages out of 68' for a recent issue. "There should be paid-for articles," he reasoned. "What about a referee's page or a piece by a celebrity. I'm not interested in reams about away players." Stuart said the advert page ratio should be one in four but Jim Heath said the publication was a massive improvement on last season when it was 'very poor.' "But £3 is a bit excessive," he said. Dave Bissell pointed out the print media was in decline anyway and the collectible nature of programmes was more important than their content. He asked whether lower-grade paper could be used and the price lowered. Muriel Bates said sales had been very good in the Premiership but Jez said it remained a useful medium for ads for the club's many partners. Although he would not be held to it, he indicated the price may remain at £3 for a few years to come as a way of overcoming criticisms about price. Simon Anslow said: "Everybody's charging £3 and the programme is very good. Even in the Premier, there aren't many better. The information is the important force." Bob Crockett proposed that a 50p team sheet be produced to tell fans who opposition players were.
PLEDGE: Wolves will look at getting programmes into local pubs as so many fans arrive at games just before kick-off. Also, other clubs' programmes will be studied as some members said they were more likely to buy a copy at an away game.
SMOKING BAN
Stuart Cain answered Bob Adams' question about a half-time smoking area by saying: "Logistically, it's difficult to open the doors, as Leicester do, because of the nearby roads." In answer to reports of fans smoking in toilets, he warned fans: "It's the law, please don't do it. We were softly, softly at first but there have now been a couple of ejections and offenders will be banned if they persist."
PLEDGE: To speak to the stadium manager about the possibility of stewarding the toilets.
STADIUM EXPANSION: Jez Moxey said Wolves were looking at all options. "We're pretty confident we could get the capacity to 50,000 but should you do it when you are averaging 23,000?" he asked. "Steve Morgan is an experienced developer and it's what I want to talk about because one of the component parts to realise the potential here is to look at increasing the capacity. We're looking at redevelopment primarily."
BAR PRICES: Georgina Savage said there was congestion on turnstiles close to kick-off because people wouldn't pay £2.90 for a pint in the ground. Stuart Cain and Jez admitted the concourses and hatches were too small. The club have promised to look into complaints about fans drinking in family-enclosure alley ways overlooking the pitch.
FIXTURE CHANGES: Kulbinder Kular said the decision to have the last two pre-Christmas Molineux games kicking off late for TV was tough for fans. Jez said the club had had to scrap 1,200 places at Christmas parties as a result but said: "You can't tell the TV people which of your games they select. Not even if they choose three games in a row."
ANY OTHER BUSINESS: Jon Lockley was told it was highly probable a player or more would attend a future meeting and Wilf Hadley asked if contingency plans were in place to avoid a repeat of when Albion fans were allocated the entire Jack Harris Stand for last season's FA Cup fourth-round tie. Jez replied: "We still have a problem (with access) because of Molineux Alley being closed and we have written to the FA ahead of the third-round draw to remind them of this. As regards the play-offs, the argument we successfully made before the Albion game has prompted the League to change its rules so clubs now need give away clubs only ten per cent of their ground as opposed to 15 per cent previously." END of meeting
Fans Parliament - why & How
Wolves announced that they intend to give the fans more input into the club with the creation of a Fans’ Parliament. It is due to meet soon. We will publish the names of the participants here
Fans' Parliament
Ever wanted to explain what it's like to follow Wolves or understand more about how things work behind the scenes at Molineux? Now is your chance, by securing a nomination to be considered as a representative on the new Wolves Fans' Parliament.
The Parliament is an attempt to improve relationships with fans, listen to their views and gain an in-depth understanding of their concerns. This information can then be taken into consideration when making important decisions. It also gives the club a chance to explain why things are done in a particular way.
Fans from across the supporter base are being encouraged to participate in the Wolves Fans' Parliament as it has to be a fully inclusive and representative body of supporters.Therefore, the club would like to receive nominations for the following groups:
- Recognised Wolves' Supporter Clubs.
- Season ticket holders
- Family enclosure members
- Fans from ethnic and minority groups
- Members of the Ticket Priority Scheme
- Away Season Ticket Holders
- Armchair or casual fans
- Regular hospitality visitors
- Box holders
- There is also a 'wild card' entry for anyone who feels they represent a group that deserves a say.
Chief Executive Jez Moxey says: "I have always maintained that open dialogue with supporters is important.We attend fans' forums, host focus group and supporter club meetings, make presentations to community groups, participate in various Q & A sessions, including on-air radio phone ins with fans and I answer questions every match here in my column.We also answer all fan correspondence sent to the club, regularly take phone calls and meet fans face to face. We make ourselves available on a daily basis to the press and media who regularly say they are asking the questions the fans want answering.
"However, I know that for sometime now there has been an appetite in many quarters for more dialogue between the club and fans.Therefore, I am pleased to announce a new initiative that we hope will provide an opportunity for the widest possible spread of supporters to have more of a voice at Molineux.As part of our ongoing policy to communicate with supporters as openly and effectively as possible, we have decided to launch the Wolves Fans' Parliament."
To nominate a fan write to:Stuart Cain, Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, Molineux Stadium, Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, WV1 4QR or e-mail: info@wolves.co.uk
All letters must clearly state your name and contact details along with your nomination's:
Name, address, e-mail and phone number.
Which group they would like to represent.
Up to 100 words stating why they should sit on the Parliament.
Nominations must be with the club by March 6.They will then be considered by a panel of fans and club officials to ensure that the final selection is credible and representative.
Once the Parliament is assembled, there will be quarterly meetings involving fan representatives and board members, football senior management, department heads and maybe even the odd player.Minutes of all meetings will be published on http://www.wolves.co.uk
Meeting 1
Fans' Parliament Meeting 1 11 July, 2002
Below is a précis of the main talking points, independently written by freelance journalist David Instone.and published on the WoW site
The manager search
Jez Moxey preceded questions from the floor with an update on the pursuit of Glenn Hoddle's successor:
"We've had approximately 45 applications and discounted about 20 of them," he said. "We've whittled the others down to about 12 and are going to commence interviews.
"We're looking for a manager who has some experience and who possibly has some experience in winning promotion; one who will at least get the team to perform to the very best of its ability. The successful candidate must show us a track record, I believe, and show in interviews how much he wants the job.
Hopefully, he will also be media-friendly. We're definitely hoping to appoint before the season starts but it might take some time."
The top table wouldn't be drawn on names, although Jez described how former Molineux midfielder Paul Simpson had built a 'very good reputation' with back-to-back promotions at Carlisle and was a man he would have recommended Wolves' board to talk to if he hadn't already been appointed by Preston.
Several candidates received support from elsewhere. Phil Kay urged the club to be careful about 'experience' because a wealth of experience in the past hadn't brought success. "The way Paul Ince took Leon Clarke under his wing last season showed he is a leader in waiting," he said. "I urge you to think closely about Paul Ince. There's one key word, desire, and he has shown it."
Chris Cox, from Daventry Wolves, said: "The moment I heard the news about Glenn, I knew who I wanted and I haven't changed - that's Mick McCarthy."
Dan Lavelle, from Molineux Mix, also backed McCarthy, insisting: "He ticks all the boxes. He has international experience, has won promotion and has brought players through from lower divisions."
Terry Brearley argued that Wolves, having just lost an ex-international manager, shouldn't be chasing another. "We're looking for a hungry motivator," he said.
Oscar Harris leant his weight to Hibernian's management duo by saying: "Can I throw in my support if there has been an application from Tony Mowbray and Mark Venus?"
In answer to a question from Tim Spiers, Sir Jack Hayward said he hoped for a manager who could bring 'passion and commitment among players that Reading and Watford have.'
It was a sentiment echoed by Dev Purewal (Punjabi Wolves), who said: "We need a manager who can put fire and pride into the players."
Jez replied to an enquiry from Barry Baker, of London Underground Wolves, by saying the club HAD approached bosses who hadn't applied. He also said two men working in tandem would be considered but warned: "I think it's a recipe for disaster to allow a new man to come in and clear the decks completely."
The CEO summed up: "You're never going to find the perfect applicant but we're optimistic we can find a manager to take the club forward."
Nuneaton Wolves' Bob Adams said of the outgoing manager: "None of us felt comfortable that he had the club at heart. We need someone who can relate to the club and this working-class area."
Jim Heath suggested the parting of the ways should have come sooner: "The feeling among fans is that Glenn wasn't dismissed in May just so we could save a few bob. Why didn't the club take control then?"
Jez replied: "He convinced us then that he was committed and was happy to operate under the financial constraints. I consistently said last season this would be a much different club if we didn't go up."
A new journey
In response to an assertion from Molineux Mix's David Bissell that Wolves should have the ambition to set out to win every game, Jez Moxey said: "There will be no pronouncements from me about where we finish. Our expectation is to win every possible game and, if our recruitment plans for new players drop into place, we could have a successful season."
The root of fans' frustrations, according to Kulbinder Kular, was the quality of football. "We scored one goal per home game last season and that's not good enough. We should ask the new manager how he proposes to play and how the team will be structured."
Jim Heath added: "We pay good money and the fans have every right if they are being served rubbish to let the players know. They will embrace the new era but the worry is that we're losing 6,000 supporters and might see crowds of 14 and 15,000." Jez Moxey countered: "I don't think we'll see attendances that low."
Secretary Richard Skirrow said his new office at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground at Compton gave him close access to the players. "Confidence is such an enormous factor," he said. "It's easy to think they aren't committed when confidence is low or when they are at a loss with the system or whatever. We have to be careful that we don't beat every ounce of confidence out of them. In that first half at home to Crewe last season, I've never known a crowd be so much on the back of home players. It's chicken and egg but if we can get behind them and break that cycle?."
Carolyn Skitt claimed: "The fans are as much to blame as anyone else for our lack of success. It's not the majority but the noisy minority."
Session chairman Stuart Cain asked: "How forgiving do you think you will be as supporters? How will we allow a younger team to develop?"
Bob Adams replied: "Leon Clarke was unfortunate last season because some supporters were very unfair to him. Now we are out of the era when we expect to go up every season, the fans will be more forgiving to the younger players."
Roger Fellows' view was: "We're now talking about reality. We have had the so-called top managers and we've had the expensive players and they have not worked. Reading had 39 points more than us last season. Unbelievable! I believe the message should be that the new Wolves are going to be younger and hungrier."
Sir Jack Hayward added: "The support of the fans is absolutely essential; worth 10-12 points a season. In the last few weeks, one of our players has said to me the support was fantastic at his former club and he doesn't see it here."
And Jez added: "We're at the beginning of this new journey. The best support I've known in my six years here was in the second half of the Premiership season but the players need support now more than ever."
Strategy and planning
Jon Lockley said Molineux goings-on resembled a crisis rather than a strategy, arguing that more detailed planning - maybe over five years - was needed.
But Jez Moxey responded: "Planning like that just doesn't work in football because of change. Managers go and that throws things out. It may look like crisis now but, if the greater support stick with us, it (the financial reshaping) could be the best thing that has happened to us for a while.
"At various times, we have seen Sir Jack spend loads of money, then spend not so much, then spend a lot, then not so much again. He has bankrolled the club to the tune of £50m. If he had said: 'Here's £5m every year and that's your lot, it would have been easier.'
Helen Thomas asked: "Who has the final say on buying players?" Jez: The manager chooses who the club pursue but we have discussions first and tell him not to ask for four 38-year-olds or anyone on £5m a
year. It has never been my remit to sign players. The board say yes or no to the manager's proposals and we proceed. Of course, with Premier League and international players come high-level wages. If we sign young, lower-division player, the opposite is true - but we've only signed Tony Dinning and Ivar Ingimarsson in the last six years from divisions below us.
Stadium
Jez Moxey revealed a vision for a rebuilt Steve Bull Stand curving round to join the Jack Harris Stand.
He conceded to James Fielden that it wasn't ideal to have away fans beneath home fans on that side of Molineux, explaining: "I would like the family enclosure over there and I'd like away fans in the corner (by the subway). We have even debated with the authorities about having only away supporters in the Jack Harris. From a cost point of view, it's the right thing to do but we said we wouldn't do it because we didn't want to upset Wolves fans. We had nightmares about the thought of displacing 2,000 season ticket holders!"
Roger Fellows asked why opposition fans were often at the front of the Steve Bull Stand, from where they might influence match officials. Secretary Richard Skirrow answered: "It has long been considered an advantage to have vociferous Wolves fans behind both goals."
Muriel Bates, from the Official Wolves Supporters Club, said half-time congestion under the Billy Wright Stand was a big problem while officials promised to look at complaints about floors becoming slippery on wet days - and also at how barriers were used to keep opposing fans apart on their way out of the ground.
Pre-match entertainment
Georgina Savage said: "Normally, the supporters are our 12th man. Last season, they were the opposition's 12th man. The wind-up we have for matches is more like a wind-down. We must be the only club with a famous composer as a former fan (Elgar) and he wrote some very rousing music that we could play."
Richard Skirrow referred to Norwich officials who still praised the build-up to the 2001 play-off semi-final second leg but admitted the routine immediately before kick-off 'was a bit tired.'
Bob Adams suggested an entertainment expert be commissioned to look at pre-match and half-time packages.
Georgina and Rob Fuller (Evesham Wolves) said the PA system was awful in the Stan Cullis Stand -
information the club said they would investigate.
Fixture scheduling
Richard Skirrow described the traditional concept of games kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday as a thing on the past. He told Jim Heath that he couldn't see those days returning.
"We have no control over Sky but the police can overrule them," he said. "Sky would like to have had the game at Albion on a Monday night but the police were very much against that."
Roger Fellows believes Wolves have had a rough deal, with their first, last and Boxing Day games in 2006-07 all away. He asked if the club could have made representations to avoid the long midweek trips to Southampton, Norwich and Ipswich but was told by the secretary: "There is a working party on fixtures and it's the luck of the draw. As for home games on certain days, it won't be far off 50-50 over the years."
Internet
Jon Lockley and Roger Fellows both raised questions about the official Wolves website, asking respectively for the introduction of free Internet commentaries for overseas fans and for registration procedures to be
minimised.Stuart Cain replied: "It's difficult to offer it free as the Sky TV model is based on paying extra and we have a certain deal with a company called Football League Interactive (FLi) and PTV, as many clubs do."
Jez Moxey said the registration process helped the club expand its database which was an important part of the club's commercial strategy.
Ticket pricing
Chris Cox told that, due to the number of night games and Wolves' prices - "high compared to some other clubs in the Midlands" - his two children shared a season ticket that sometimes went unused.
Stuart Cain said: "We haven't put (admission) prices up now for two years. This subject is always going to be emotive but we have held prices where we can. Perhaps you could consider the family enclosure."
There was encouragement from ticket office manager Lynne O'Reardon for the students group represented by James Fielden. She said the students' season ticket concept was scrapped several years ago because of abuse but added: "Ask for a young person's season ticket and, if there are enough enquiries, the board will look at it."Tim Spiers also felt more could be done for those in education as Wolverhampton was a growing student city.
Jez Moxey revealed how it had cost the club millions to run the early bird scheme but said: "It has worked tremendously well. In 2003-04, most of our fans were watching Premiership football at cheap Championship prices." Chris Cox hoped the no-smoking policy might be extended to all areas of Molineux, although Stuart Cain said that was unlikely until there was further Government legislation.
Lynne pointed out that there were always seats available in no-smoking areas.
Disabled car parking
Roger Chatter asked whether car park space nearer the ground could be given to the disabled to ease the shortage.
Lynne O'Reardon said those areas were already effectively bought as part of corporate packages but said the capacity at one of the two car parks for the disabled, in Camp Street, had increased from 20 to 30 for the coming season. "The one near the ticket office has 46 places," she said. "108 applications have come in and we have 76 spaces, so some people will be disappointed." It was pointed out the criteria for allocating disabled spaces was based upon professional advice from a Wolverhampton Council official.
Kit
Jez Moxey replied to criticism from David Bissell about the playing kits over the last five years by saying they had outsold any previous designs. "There have been record replica kit sales and the merchandising dept have performed fantastically and brought in huge money," he said. "That disproves the theory that people haven't liked the design of the kit." He called the recent kit launch 'a disaster in terms of timing.' Members who were timed out at the end of the session were encouraged to e-mail questions to the relevant departments.
LIST OF MEMBERS:
Barry Baker; official supporters clubs (London Underground Wolves); long distance fans
Bob Adams; official supporters clubs (Nuneaton Wolves); youth teams and the academy
Bob Crockett; Ticketing, official supporters clubs (Nuneaton Wolves)
Carolyn Skitt; Jack Harris stand; female fans; season ticket holders
Chris Cox; official supporters clubs (Daventry Wolves); season ticket holders (home and away)
Dan Lavelle; Molineux Mix
David Bissell; Molineux Mix
Dev Purewal; season ticket holders; official supporters clubs (Punjabi Wolves; ethnic supporters
Georgina Savage; Stan Cullis stand; female supporters; season ticket holders (home and away)
Helen Thomas female fans; season ticket holders
James Fielden; Jack Harris stand; students
Jim Heath; season ticket holders; reserve team football; fanzines
Jon Lockley; overseas fans; long distance fans; season ticket holders
Judy Williams; female supporters; season ticket holders (home and away); travel club
Kevin Richards; football finance; board governance
Kulbinder Kular; disabled supporters; ethnic supporters
Mark Farnell; disabled supporters; season ticket holders
Muriel Bates; season ticket holders; official supporters clubs
Oscar Harris; Jack Harris Stand; season ticket holders
Peter Bagley; season ticket holders
Phil Kay; season ticket holders; Wolves links with the city
Robert Anslow; corporate supporters
Robert Fuller; Stan Cullis stand; season ticket holders; official supporters clubs (Evesham Wolves)
Roger Chatter; disabled supporters
Roger Fellows; Billy Wright stand; season ticket holders; football finance
Terry Brearley; corporate supporters; season ticket holders (home and away); long distance supporters
Tim Spiers; students; young supporters
Wilf Hadley; family enclosure; season ticket holders
with contact details
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